BOONE, N.C. — 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 Boone. The 2026 Boone Docs Film Festival includes five events across two days – Feb. 27 and Feb. 28.
All festival events will take place at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country, located at 559 West King Street in Boone. Additionally, each of the film screenings will include discussions with participants in the films and/or the filmmakers.
The following is the schedule of events for the 2026 Boone Docs Film Festival:
Friday, Feb. 27, 2026
Presented by High Country Humanities and the Appalachian State University Forum Lecture Series
1 – 2:30 p.m. | Workshop with Filmmaker James Mottern
Admission is free and open to the public.
James Mottern, director of the acclaimed “A Beast Touch the Mountain” documentary, will offer a documentary filmmaking workshop in Appalachian Theatre's Community Room.
6 – 8 p.m. | “A Beast Touch the Mountain” Screening and Discussion
Admission is free and open to the public.
Boone Docs presents a screening of James Mottern's “A Beast Touch the Mountain,” a documentary about a group of Appalachian women in Bent Mountain, Virginia, and their decade-long fight to protect their land and way of life against a natural gas pipeline corporation that threatens the environment and the lives of tens of thousands throughout Virginia and West Virginia. A post-film discussion with Mottern, moderated by Appalachian Studies Graduate Program Director Dr. Julie Shepherd-Powell, will follow the film.
Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026
Presented by Friends of the Blue Ridge and Lily's Snack Bar
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. | After Helene
Admission is free and open to the public.
This session features documentaries about Hurricane Helene and its impact on the people in the region. A Q&A with filmmakers will follow this screening.
2 – 4 p.m. | Emerging Filmmakers
Admission is free and open to the public.
This juried film festival block will showcase student documentary filmmakers and their stories. A Q&A with filmmakers will follow this screening.
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. | A Celebration of Appalachia
General Admission: $12. To purchase tickets, click here.
The conclusion of Boone Docs will feature two juried blocks of short documentaries about the Appalachian region. A Q&A with filmmakers will follow this screening.
The program will conclude with on-stage award presentations for “Judges' Choice,” “Student Filmmaker,” and “People's Choice.”
For more information and to learn more about the films to be presented at the fifth annual Boone Docs Film Festival, visit apptheatre.org/boone-docs-film-festival.
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About Boone Docs Film Festival
The Boone Docs Film Festival is a juried film festival that screens short-format documentaries celebrating life in the Appalachian region, providing a platform for stories about the people who call the Appalachian Mountains their home. The films presented at Boone Docs celebrate the diversity of life and cultures in one of the world’s oldest mountain chains.
About High Country Humanities
High Country Humanities at Appalachian State University aims to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the humanities across the High Country region of North Carolina. The program supports faculty in their scholarly activities, promotes their collaborations with community partners and organizes events that help their expertise reach the wider public. High Country Humanities is an initiative of App State’s College of Arts and Sciences, with support from the Division of Academic Affairs. Learn more at hchumanities.appstate.edu.
About the University Forum Lecture Series
The University Forum Lecture Series brings nationally prominent speakers to campus. Their views enliven campus dialogue on a variety of issues. Past speakers have included activist Gloria Steinem, conservationist Terry Tempest Williams, presidential historian Harold Holzer, CNN correspondent Peter Bergen and award-winning science journalist Carl Zimmer. Learn more at universityforum.appstate.edu.
About the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country
The Appalachian Theatre of the High Country is a historic Art Deco theatre built in 1938, renovated, and restored to a 629-seat state-of-the-art performance venue which reopened to audiences in October 2019 to serve the North Carolina High Country region as a non-profit performing arts center. Programming includes a diverse array of live performances, concerts, films, community arts and civic events. More information about the Appalachian Theatre, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is available by calling (828) 865-3000 or by visiting apptheatre.org.
A logo featuring the text "Boone Docs Film Festival: Celebrating Life in Appalachia."
Boone Docs Film Festival