Boone Docs Film Festival

04/30/2026

Got a story that captures the heart of Appalachia? Submissions for the 6th Annual Boone Docs open May 1st—grab that $10 Early Bird rate and share your film with our community! filmfreeway.com/BooneDocs

04/05/2026

Boone Docs organizer helps build the film festival community by judging for #100 Strong Productions festival championing the next generation of emerging filmmakers! Go catch some great student films at The Cary Theater later this month!

03/01/2026

We came together as strangers and left as community. That's the magic of Boone Docs. We screened 25 great short docs and 1 powerful feature film.

This year moved us with laughter, tears, grief, pride, and everything in between. The mountains have stories to tell, and you showed up to hear them.

Our 2025 winners:

🏆 After Helene Audience Award — A Long Way Down: The Story of Surge by Robert Kinlaw
🏆 Emerging Filmmaker Audience Award — In Kind by Katherine Gunning
🏆 Celebrating Appalachia Audience Award — The Mountains We Climb by Cameron Wilson
🏆 Student Filmmaker Award — In Kind by Katherine Gunning
🏆 Jury Award — The Mountains We Climb by Cameron Wilson

Thank you. From the bottom of these hills.

Photo of a few of our attending filmmakers.

02/27/2026

Happy Boone docs festival weekend! It’s going to be great. Hope to see folks there

02/26/2026

We are just days away from our 2026 festival kicking off. Friday, February 27, is a day full of wonderful events.

1PM-3PM- Free student filmmaker workshop with filmmaker James Mottern in the Appalachian Theatre Community Room.

6 PM- Free feature documentary screening of "A Beast Touch the Mountain: Mountain Valley Pipeline and the fight for Appalachia."

- A poetry reading by local poet Annie Woodford will kick off the film

-Film followed by a discussion with Red Terry, Mary Beth Coffey, Director James Mortten moderated by Dr. Julie Shepherd-Powell

Thank you to all of our sponsors for helping make our 2026 festival possible. Make sure to show them some love when you are in this weekend.

Get your tickets for Boone Docs online & at the box office www.apptheatre.org - 828.865.3000.
We can’t wait to see you all next week in at the historic

02/23/2026

BOONE — The fifth annual Boone Docs Film Festival, a showcase for short documentaries celebrating the people who live and work in Appalachia, returns in late February to the Appalachian

02/22/2026

We are thrilled to bring a record 25 films to the festival this year! Saturday, February 28th, will be a full day of short films celebrating life in Appalachia including films that will be shown in the “A Celebration of Appalachia” film block. This film block will feature student documentary filmmakers & their stories. A Q&A with filmmakers follows the film screenings.

02/22/2026

We are thrilled to bring a record 25 films to the festival this year! Saturday, February 28th, will be a full day of short films celebrating life in Appalachia.

Today, we are highlighting the films that will be shown in the “A Celebration of Appalachia” film block. This film block will feature student documentary filmmakers & their stories. A Q&A with filmmakers follows the film screenings.

“A Celebration of Appalachia” film block Saturday, February 28, 6:30pm- 8:30pm

A Bottomless Reservoir of Joy- Directed by Curren Sheldon
Chester McMillian: Two Instruments In One- Directed by Rebecca Branson Jones
How We Fight- Directed By Dirk Wiley
Mountain Punk Arts- Directed by Ethan Romaine
Sheila- Directed by Jack Flame Sorokin
The Mountains We Climb- Directed by Cameron Wilson
The Roof Over My Head- Directed by Madison Buchanan
Who Gives A Sh*t?- Directed by Hannah Rose Snyder
You Are My Refuge: An AppalShort- Directed by Aaron Asbury

Get your tickets for Boone Docs online & at the box office www.apptheatre.org - 828.865.3000.
We can’t wait to see you all next week in Boone, NC, at the historic

02/20/2026

02/20/2026

This film block will feature student documentary filmmakers & their stories. A Q&A with filmmakers follows the film screenings.

“Emerging Filmmakers” film block Saturday, February 28, 2pm-4pm

Afrissippi- Directed by Peter Muvunyi
Beyond the Table- Directed by Miranda Arianna Bennett
Drag Me Home- Directed by Deladis Haywood, Jessica Wright
In Kind- Directed by Katherine Gunning
Julian Price Memorial Park: An Overlooked Story- Directed by Laci Broom
Neighbor Helping Neighbor- Directed by Jon Henry Phares
Nora: A Craft Story- Directed by Sean Hall & Evelyn Medley
The Crop And Trade- Directed by Isabelle Raye Smeltzer & Colby Suchla
The Memory of Cornbread- Directed by Willow Brooke Lawson
Whoosh- Directed by Aaron Barlow

Get your tickets for Boone Docs online & at the box office www.apptheatre.org - 828.865.3000.
We can’t wait to see you all next week in Boone, NC, at the historic

02/20/2026

We are thrilled to bring a record 25 films to the festival this year! Saturday, February 28th, will be a full day of short films celebrating life in Appalachia.

Today, we are highlighting the films that will be shown in the “Emerging Filmmakers” film block. This film block will feature student documentary filmmakers & their stories. A Q&A with filmmakers follows the film screenings.

“Emerging Filmmakers” film block Saturday, February 28, 2pm-4pm

Afrissippi- Directed by Peter Muvunyi
Beyond the Table- Directed by Miranda Arianna Bennett
Drag Me Home- Directed by Deladis Haywood, Jessica Wright
In Kind- Directed by Katherine Gunning
Julian Price Memorial Park: An Overlooked Story- Directed by Laci Broom
Neighbor Helping Neighbor- Directed by Jon Henry Phares
Nora: A Craft Story- Directed by Sean Hall & Evelyn Medley
The Crop And Trade- Directed by Isabelle Raye Smeltzer & Colby Suchla
The Memory of Cornbread- Directed by Willow Brooke Lawson
Whoosh- Directed by Aaron Barlow

Get your tickets for Boone Docs online & at the box office www.apptheatre.org - 828.865.3000.
We can’t wait to see you all next week in Boone, NC, at the historic