• The Cat Fly Film Fest will take place Friday, March 31, through Sunday, April 2, in downtown Asheville. The weekend-long event was created by Brittany Jackson, Cat Wityk, Keeley Turner and Madeleine Richardson for fellow up-and-coming independent filmmakers to showcase their cinematic work, with a focus on Asheville talent.
The festival begins March 31 with a red carpet event from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Amplified Media, followed by a screening of dramas and horror films at The Magnetic Theatre. Tickets are $15. Habitat Brewing Co. hosts funny films and stand-up comedy from Asheville and Atlanta talent on April 1, from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $10. An evening of artsy experimental films and music videos closes out the festival on April 2, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Trade and Lore Coffee. Tickets are $10. All-inclusive weekend passes are $35. catflyfilmfest.com
• Tickets are on sale for the Asheville Jewish Film Festival, which will be composed of Thursday evening premieres and Friday matinee encores throughout April at the Fine Arts Theatre. Tomer Heymann’s documentary Mr. Gaga, about internationally acclaimed choreographer Ohad Naharin, kicks off the festival on Thursday, April 6, at 7 p.m. and will be shown again Friday, April 7, at 1 p.m. Ferenc Török’s Hungarian drama 1945, chronicling a village forced to reckon with deporting Jews and seizing their property in WWII, follows on Thursday, April 13, at 7 p.m. and Friday, April 14, at 1 p.m.
Thursday, April 20, brings a 7 p.m. screening of the documentary The Last Laugh, Ferne Pearlstein’s star-studded examination of whether the Holocaust is off-limits for comedians, and a 1 p.m. showing on Friday, April 21. Wrestling Jerusalem, Aaron Davidman’s journey into the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian story, closes out the festival on Thursday, April 27, at 6 p.m. and Friday, April 28, at 1 p.m. All tickets are $10 with the exception of the April 27 screening of Wrestling Jerusalem — which are $25 and include a reception with Davidman — and may be purchased online or at the Fine Arts box office. ajff.fineartstheatre.com
