2026 Passes
Your HCFF experience starts here. Purchase a Festival Pass for the films or a VIP Festival Pass for the films and seminars. Join the Film Society for full access to everything, including special events.
Festival Schedule
Get excited! The 2026 full schedule is officially live. September 16-19th. Explore the films and seminars happening throughout the four-day festival, and start planning your HCFF experience.
2026 Sundance Winner: “Hold Onto Me”
It’s summer, and 11-year-old Iris is running wild through the streets with her older friend Danae when she learns her estranged father, Aris, is back in town for his own father’s funeral. Determined to get to know him, Iris tracks Aris down to a dilapidated shipyard where he has been keeping to himself. What begins as a stubborn attempt to reconnect develops into a complex yet powerful bond.
Winner, Sundance Audience Award for World Cinema Dramatic 2026
A story close to home: “Papertown”
A feature documentary following the closure of the Canton paper mill and what it means for the people of Haywood County and Western North Carolina.
When the paper mill that sustained a small Appalachian town for over a century shuts down, its people face not only economic collapse, but a deeper question — who are they without it? Grammy-winning musician Dave Matthews is on the film as an Executive Producer.
If These Walls Could Rock
Featuring a lineup including Bruce Springsteen, Billy Bob Thornton, Ringo Starr, Slash, Cyndi Lauper, Morrissey, Dave Grohl and many others, IF THESE WALLS COULD ROCK is the untold story of the Sunset Marquis—the legendary West Hollywood hideaway where rock stars checked in, passed out, and made history.
Selected Films for the 2026 Festival
Join the Film Festival Society!
The Film Festival Society is the best way to experience the festival and support what makes it possible. Enjoy all of the perks: exclusive events, special access, a VIP festival pass, and a closer connection to the festival.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Debi and David Bock
Kate and Doug Hendrickson
Amy & Cecil Conlee
David Moore & Darren Whatley
Jeanne and Jeff Dowdle
Lindy & Robbie Harrison
Vevie & Lawerence Dimmitt
Tricia & Frank McDonald
Kristin and Jim Robinson
Virginia & Cal Holman
Rachel Friday
James Kimmel & Suzanne Guest
Misty & Michael Minton
Barrie Harmon
Kathy & Bestor Ward
Nancy & Lyle Nichols
About the film festival
Born from a love of film, creativity, and community, the Highlands–Cashiers Film Festival is an annual celebration of storytelling in all its forms. By bringing together filmmakers, media artists, and audiences from around the world, the festival creates a unique in-person experience where stories inspire, connect, and ignite conversation. Supported by volunteers and benefitting the Performing Arts Center, it uplifts emerging voices, fosters artistic exchange, and honors film’s power to reveal the extraordinary in everyday life.
Support the festival
All proceeds of the Highlands-Cashiers Film Festival goes right back to the community! The festival directly supports the Highlands Performing Arts Center and its mission to enrich our communities’ cultural and artistic life through diverse world-class performances, educational programs, and community engagement.
