UPIKE Film & Media Arts Festival

04/13/2026

Shout out to all the winners of this year's festival! For those who did not make it to the festival, I will be sending out emails soon to coordinate a check for your prize money.

04/12/2026

We had a great time meeting all the filmmakers who came to screen their work this year! Photo credits: Jonathan Hale

04/11/2026

Narrative Screening Block | 11th Annual UPIKE Film Festival

Join us for our narrative screening block at the 11th annual UPIKE Film Festival! Seven short films. The Narrative Screening Block is loaded with dark comedy, sci-fi, thriller, and heart — from a life insurance scheme gone sideways, to a body-swapping prank that spirals out of control, to a mysterious late-night passenger who bends time itself. This is independent storytelling at its most creative and unpredictable.

📅 Saturday, April 11th
🕓 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
📍 Chrisman Auditorium, Armington Science Center

04/11/2026

Documentary Screening Block II | 11th Annual UPIKE Film Festival

Join us for our second documentary screening block, spotlighting three powerful films that dig into the history, music, and resilience of Appalachia and beyond From uncovering forgotten folk musicians in the West Virginia coalfields, to confronting a painful history of racial violence in Eastern Kentucky, to following a young blind woman chasing her dreams through music and education — these documentaries will move you.

📅 Saturday, April 11th
🕑 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
📍 Chrisman Auditorium, Armington Science Center

04/11/2026

Be sure to check out the feature-length music documentary H***y Talkin' (H***yTalkin' documentary) tonight (7:00 pm) in Chrisman Auditorium here at UPIKE!

Watch the trailer using the link below:

Second trailer for H***y Talkin' documentary film. The feature-length movie delves into the lives of working musicians. It's been recognized as an Official S...

04/11/2026

Dive into the heart of real stories at the 11th Annual UPIKE Film Festival!

Join us for our Documentary Screening Block I: Short Films, featuring powerful, true-to-life stories that explore community, resilience, and the unique spirit of Appalachia. From the devastating aftermath of historic floods to the hidden crisis of rural homelessness and the beauty of the Red River Gorge, these student and local filmmakers are shining a light on stories that matter. This is the first out of two documentary blocks we will be screening at our festival!

🗓️ Date: Saturday, April 11th
⏰ Time: 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM
📍 Location: Chrisman Auditorium, Armington Science Center

Come support these incredible directors and experience the power of documentary filmmaking.

04/11/2026

🎬 Vanguard Screening Block | 11th Annual UPIKE Film Festival

The Vanguard block brings together five short films that push creative boundaries — from animation to experimental storytelling, these filmmakers aren't afraid to challenge convention. Explore themes of identity, repression, climate, and what it means to exist in a world that's constantly changing.

📅 Saturday, April 11th
🕦 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
📍 Chrisman Auditorium, Armington Science Center

04/11/2026

🎬 Today at 10:00 am - Young Filmmaker Screening Block | UPIKE Film Festival 2026
The future of filmmaking is right here in the mountains. Join us today, Saturday, April 11th as we showcase 8 short films created by some incredibly talented young directors. From supernatural thrillers to heartfelt coming-of-age stories, these filmmakers are proving that age is no limit to powerful storytelling.
📅 Saturday, April 11th
🕙 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
📍 Chrisman Auditorium, Armington Science Center
Come support the next generation of storytellers. Admission is free and open to the public!

04/11/2026

🎬 TODAY is the 2ND DAY of the 11th Annual UPIKE Film and Media Arts Festival 🎬 - UPIKE's Chrisman Auditorium:

Today, April 11th, we will start with short films made by young filmmakers at 10 am, followed by blocks of short animated films at 11:30 am, documentaries at 12:30 pm, and then narratives at 4:00 pm. The evening will wrap up with our awards ceremony at 6:00 pm, followed by the feature-length music documentary H***y Talkin' at 7:00 pm!

📍 Location: Chrisman Auditorium (Armington Science Center), University of Pikeville
🚗 Parking: Available at the city parking garage. From there, take the pedway directly to the University!
💰 Admission: FREE to the public!

🗓️ SATURDAY APRIL 11TH FULL SCHEDULE

YOUNG FILMMAKER BLOCK | 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Flicker

A Weekly Sting

Disconnected

Late for a Date

My Shadow is Brighter

Famiglia

Going Somewhere

Play it Safe

VANGUARD BLOCK | 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

The Fall

Malice

No Turn on Red

What Do Da Doodles Do?

Match Dance

DOCUMENTARY BLOCK 1 | 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

Hall's Service Station

Strings

The Roof Over My Head

You Are My Refuge

In Service To Others

The Lost Arches of Kentucky

DOCUMENTARY BLOCK 2 | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Voices Faintly Heard

Eastern Kentucky Remembrance Project

The Blind Reggaetonera

NARRATIVE BLOCK | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Nub City

Slay Queens

Super Scum

iSwap

Bandida

End

The Midnight Fare

AWARDS CEREMONY | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

FEATURE DOC | 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

H***y Talkin'

Tag your movie-watching crew below! 👇

04/10/2026

Be sure to make plans to attend the FEAR FEST block of this year's annual festival tonight starting at 5:30 pm. We've got a block of short films followed by the feature-length psychological horror film, Hell is Inside. Check out the trailer below as well as the more detailed schedule:

Please note there is a mature content warning (17+) for both these screening blocks due to violence and adult language.

FEAR FEST SHORTS | 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Temporia
The Other
Sunspots
Tethered
Tomahawk Holler
Macabre

FEAR FEST FEATURE | 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Hell is Inside

A young woman struggles to escape her past while staying at a remote farmhouse inn, confronted by impossible phone calls and a contorted figure wearing the m...