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By Emily Williams

TRYON—This weekend, Friday, November 22, through Sunday, November 24, is the rescheduled weekend for the 10th annual Tryon International Film Festival (TRIFF). The festival, which originated from the Polk County Film Initiative established in 2014, has grown to an impressive town-wide event boasting films from independent filmmakers nationally and internationally. 

The festival promises to offer many exciting events for people of all ages and with any cinematic interests. Films falling into categories like dramatic features, short films, podcasts, animations, human rights and environmental awareness documentaries, and even equestrian films will be screened throughout the weekend at various locations in town. Some highlighted films that will be shown in the evenings at Tryon Theatre are a Swedish film titled Just Like Me and Are You There?, a thriller filmed at Tryon’s GreenLife Inn at the Mimosa. 

Friday night has glamor in store as the TRIFF Board hosts a Gala reception to celebrate 10 years of the festival. The Gala will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Fitzgerald in Tryon. The theme this year is Old Hollywood, and dress attire will be semi-formal.

The weekend will not only hold screenings and parties but also host many educational opportunities for the students and education-loving adults of Polk County and surrounding areas. Friday will be Media Arts Day, which includes an education and career fair, the AWE Project Screening of short films made by high school and college students, and the Production Assistant Academy taught by Linda Burns. These activities are free to students and only require online registration. For people of all ages, TRIFF will also have workshops on a variety of filmmaking topics through Saturday and Sunday, which will be led by the judges on this year’s film festival panel. 

An awards ceremony at 8 p.m. on Sunday in the Tryon Theater will conclude the festivities. There, a variety of awards and prizes will be given to the top films in a range of categories. These awards, and every event this weekend, are provided through the generous support of TRIFF’s sponsors, including the Polk County Community Foundation, Charlotte Film Society, the Rotary Club of Tryon, and the Carolina Foothills Foundation. 

Tryon, and Western North Carolina as a whole, has had to overcome quite a lot since the tragedy of Hurricane Helene, but Helene could not halt the mission of TRIFF: to provide a unique annual cinematic experience in the Foothills. Thanks to the support of the community and from filmmakers across the globe who choose to screen their films here, the 10th annual Tryon International Film Festival will be one for the books.

For additional information about this weekend, visit www.tryoninternationalfilmfestival.org.