What to expect at the Charlotte Film Festival
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Independent Picture House. Photo: Ashley Mahoney/Axios
The Charlotte Film Festival returns Sept. 22–27.
Why it matters: This will be the 18th festival, celebrating local, regional, national and international films.
What to expect: CFF will take place at Independent Picture House, featuring more than 160 films. See the full lineup here.
- In addition to film screenings, the festival will include daily conversations with industry experts about everything from turning your vision into a produceable project to the state of film incentives and grants in North Carolina. These free conversations will take place Sept. 23–27 at 4pm at Eighty Eights next to IPH.
Dig in: The festival also includes a program called Flicks & Bites. Show your festival ticket at a participating local spot, including Grey's Diner and Soul Gastrolounge, for a discount during the festival.
If you go: A single-screening ticket is $15. A festival pass is $250. There are also five-pack and 10-pack options for $55 and $95, respectively. See full ticket options here.
- IPH and Eighty Eights are next to each other at 4237 Raleigh St.
- IPH is a 6-minute walk from the light rail and there's also free parking onsite. You can also use JUMP Transit for certain neighborhoods, including Plaza Midwood.
Zoom out: IPH, in addition to hosting the festival, carries the torch for indie films in Charlotte filling the void that the Manor left when it closed in 2020,
What's next: IPH hopes to expand its Indie on Wheels program. They launched the program in February 2024, bringing unique films to communities around Charlotte.
- "It removes the barrier of the cost of a movie," Claire Lechtenberg, IPH director of development and marketing, tells Axios.
- Grants have helped IPH bring the program to libraries and recreation centers around town. With a grant from the Bill Simpson Foundation, they've been able to purchase an outdoor screen and projector system. These new tools will help them reach more communities, Lechtenberg says.