September 18 - 21, 2025

The Highlands - Cashiers Film Festival is a annual film festival, showcasing influential & classic movies ranging from 1930 - present, as well as independent produced movies, submitted worldwide, and screened by our film committee.

Logo for Highlands-Cashiers Film Fest at the PAC, featuring a mountain landscape, river, film reel, and trees.

Explore the festival

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Explore the festival *

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Buy tickets

Celebrate the transformative power of film against the beautiful backdrop of the Great Smoky Mountains! We have a variety of ticket options that range from one show to the whole weekend.

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Travel and lodging

Stay in the charming Appalachian town of Highlands, North Carolina—where breathtaking nature meets small-town warmth. Make the most of your festival experience surrounded by scenic beauty and local hospitality.

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Festival schedule

The festival will include competition film screenings, workshops, emerging filmmakers, and panels with acclaimed industry presenters and award-winning professionals. We will showcase all types/genres, including features, documentaries, shorts, and international films. 

Meet our special guests

We’re thrilled to welcome a lineup of incredibly talented special guests to this year’s festival. From filmmakers and actors to industry professionals, these inspiring voices will be leading events, hosting seminars, and sharing their experiences throughout the weekend.

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair and bangs, smiling, wearing a black textured top, sitting with her hands clasped on a white surface against a white background.
Smiling older man with glasses and a beard, sitting indoors in a room with books and a grand piano in the background.

Bill Brzeski

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Catherine Wyler

Illeana Douglas

Independent Film Reel

Logo for The BASCOM, A Center for the Visual Arts, featuring a circular, abstract, wire-like design with vertical elements to the left of the text.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Logo for Performing Arts Center Highlands, NC, with a stylized tree, a stage or water element, and bold red letters 'PAC'.
Logo with a tree illustration above the words 'Highlands North Carolina' and a motto 'The Height of Happiness' arched above.
Logo for Highlands Cashiers Chamber Music Festival featuring stylized white flowers and text on a dark red background.
Heritage Productions logo with a film strip icon and contact information, including website and email address, along with the slogan 'Record your story for generations to come.'

Support the festival

Help us bring this festival to life! As a mostly volunteer-run event, your support goes a long way in making it all possible—from screening films to hosting events and welcoming artists. Every donation, big or small, helps us celebrate creativity and community.