• Asheville actor Drez Ryan has booked a recurring role on “The Outsider,” an HBO series based on the novel by Stephen King. The series is co-created by Jason Bateman and stars Ben Mendelsohn, Cynthia Erivo (Widows), Bill Camp, Mare Winningham, Paddy Considine and Julianne Nicholson.
According to HBO, the series “follows a seemingly straightforward investigation into the gruesome murder of a young boy. The crime, however, leads a seasoned cop and an unorthodox investigator to question everything they believe to be real, as an insidious supernatural force edges its way into the case.” No release date has been set. avl.mx/5zr
• The Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center, 223 W. State St., Black Mountain, will host a Summer Historic Documentary Series focusing on Southern Appalachian history and culture. The films were produced by award-winning media center Appalshop in the 1970s through the early ’90s and will be screened on the third Thursday of each month, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
The topics of the selected films include ballad-singing (Artus Moser of Buckeye Cove, May 16), quilting (Quilting Women, June 20), veterans’ experiences in World War I, World War II and Vietnam (Peace Stories, July 18) and environmental conservation issues (Ready for Harvest: Clearcutting in Southern Appalachia, Aug. 15). Museum representatives will introduce each film and contextualize its themes with Swannanoa Valley and Western North Carolina history. A short discussion about the film and its relevance to contemporary Appalachia will occur after its conclusion. Free, but seating is limited, and attendees are encouraged to RSVP online or by calling the museum at 828-669-9566. swannanoavalleymuseum.org
• AVLFilm.com presents the monthly Asheville Filmmaker Mixer with co-hosts Cat Fly Film Fest and The Asheville Studio, 12 Old Charlotte Highway, Suite 75, on Monday, May 20, 6-8 p.m.
The evening features a panel discussion about getting films into film festivals. Brittany Jackson and Madeleine Richardson from Cat Fly, filmmakers Katie Damien and Polly Schattel, and Adam Cohen, producer/founder of the Unofficial Google+ Film Festival, will briefly discuss their experiences with film festivals, leaving the bulk of the time to a Q&A session.
The gathering seeks to provide an opportunity for filmmakers and media artists in the Asheville area to network and meet one another. Attendees are invited to bring their own beverages. Post-event mingling will continue next door at Highland Brewing Co. Free to attend. avl.mx/60c
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