• At the July award ceremony for the Asheville 48 Hour Film Project, team Alone in a Crowd’s short Go Back won Best Film, Best Actor (Michael MacCauley) and Best Directing (Aidan Weaver). The story of a family coping with the aftermath of a time travel experiment gone wrong also received second place honorable mentions for the Audience Award, Best Actress (Charlotte Abell), Best Editing, Best Ensemble Acting, Best Sound Mix, Best Use of Prop and Best Writing.
Winning Best Film earned the team a spot at the 2017 Filmapalooza in Seattle, where it will receive its Best Film of City trophy and compete in a variety of categories against fellow city champions from around the world, including the overall Best 48 Hour Film of 2016. Abell will represent the team March 1-4 in the Emerald City and has launched a GoFundMe page to help cover travel, lodging and food expenses, as well as the ticket for Filmapalooza’s workshops and events for the finalists.
The high school junior has a passion for acting and is applying to the North Carolina School of the Arts’ intensive one-year drama program for high school seniors, which begins in the fall. She views Filmapalooza and its numerous screenings and networking opportunities as a way to connect with fellow artists while also representing the creative potential of her hometown.
“I’m honored to go,” Abell says. “It should be really cool as a young artist. I’m trying to get myself out there.” gofundme.com/filmapalooza-fund
• The West Asheville Public Library’s monthly Pixar Film Series continues on Friday, Feb. 17, at 4:30 p.m., with Toy Story 2. The feature will be preceded by the Pixar short film Luxo Jr. Free and open to the public. avl.mx/1z5
• On Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 2 p.m., Pack Memorial Library hosts a screening of Freedom Riders. The documentary chronicles the story of the hundreds of activists who challenged racial segregation in American interstate transportation during the civil rights movement. Free and open to the public. avl.mx/ff
• North Asheville Public Library’s Western Film Series continues on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 6 p.m. with 3:10 To Yuma. Free and open to the public. avl.mx/1d0
• Spots are still open for Mechanical Eye Microcinema’s rescheduled short-form screenwriting workshop with visiting filmmaker Arpita Kumar at the community organization’s Coxe Avenue space. On Sunday, March 5, from 1 to 3 p.m., students will work directly with the award-winning, internationally recognized independent filmmaker and screenwriter to develop their own screenplay. The workshop’s end product is an outline for a three-act short film. No prior screenwriting experience is necessary. The workshop costs $30. Register online. avl.mx/3dr
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