• The Coup, created by team One Time Productions, was awarded Best Film of the 2019 Asheville 48 Hour Film Project. The short comedic work centers on a flock of talking pigeons, including one who plots his escape from the coop to seek revenge on a human neighbor. It also won Best Directing, Best Writing, Best Editing and Best Use of Genre in an awards ceremony and screening July 18 at Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. The Coup will represent Asheville against 130 fellow city winners from across the world at Filmapalooza 2020 (location to be determined) for a chance at the grand prize and an opportunity to screen at the Cannes Film Festival 2020, Court Métrage. Judging the qualifying local entries were Xpress film critics Michelle Keenan, Marcianne Miller and this writer. 48hourfilm.com/asheville
• My Big Gay Italian Wedding is the next selection in Blue Ridge Pride’s Movie & Mixer Summer Film Series, which takes place Thursday, July 25, at 7:30 p.m. at the Fine Arts Theatre, 36 Biltmore Ave. The 2018 comedy follows the complicated marriage plans of two men as they attempt to win over their reluctant family members. Tickets are available online and at the Fine Arts box office. General admission tickets are $20, and student tickets are $10, and include a complimentary drink at the post-film mixer at Aloft Asheville Downtown’s W XYZ Bar. All proceeds benefit Blue Ridge Pride’s Community Partner Fund. fineartstheatre.com
