UNC Asheville Students to Screen at Asheville Film Festival

UNC Asheville's Mass Communication Department is represented by both a current and a former student at the first annual Asheville Film Festival opening Thursday, Nov. 6. Hilary McVicker, a Mass Communication major, will screen her work, "A Boy and His Camera" at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at the North Carolina Stage Company. McVicker integrates innovative photography and editing techniques to portray a young boy who discovers that he can create a world of his own through images.

Regional filmmaker J. Lyle Laney will screen his feature film at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at the Fine Arts Theater. Laney studied nonlinear editing at UNCA. "UNCA is where I cut my teeth as an editor," said Laney. "You don't really become a filmmaker until you've spent hour after hour in the editing room trying to piece it together." Laney's feature, "Everything in Between," is the story of two half-brothers trying to rebuild their relationship in the wake of their mother's death.

Laney offers advice for aspiring filmmakers, "Always believe you can do it. When you start out so many things are stacked against you, and it's easy to give up. But if you believe in yourself and you have tons of determination, anything is possible."

Media Contacts:

• Dr. Don Diefenbach, Associate Professor of Mass Communication, 828/251-6731
• Jill Yarnall, UNCA Public Information Assistant Director, 828/251-6526