Produced by The Cary Theater, the ninth annual BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival returns Sept. 10-13, 2026, and will include 25 short films in competition alongside filmmaking workshops and industry talkbacks.
CARY, N.C. (August 4, 2026) – BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival returns Sept. 10-13, 2026, for its ninth year celebrating the art of short films from independent filmmakers from around the world. Produced by The Cary Theater, BEYOND received short films and screenplay submissions from independent filmmakers worldwide that will compete for more than $6,000 in prizes. All festival screenings take place at The Cary Theater in downtown Cary, N.C.
“This year’s festival features 25 films in competition from the U.S., Chile, Iran, and Lithuania.,” said Lani Simeona, festival director and operations and program supervisor at The Cary Theater. “We’re honored to provide a platform for North Carolina and student filmmakers to showcase their outstanding work alongside filmmakers from all over the U.S. and the world.”
SPECIAL PROGRAMMING
Opening Film – FREE JOAN LITTLE
DIRECTED BY: YORUBA RICHEN (USA | 2025 | 36 min.)
Free Joan Little tells the story of the 1975 groundbreaking case of Joan Little who was the first woman in U.S history to be acquitted for using deadly force to resist sexual assault. At 20 years old, Joan (pronounced Jo-Ann) Little was incarcerated in North Carolina when she killed a white jailer who she said tried to rape her. Her trial drew international attention, becoming a rallying point for civil rights, women’s rights and prison reform. With rare archival footage, contemporary interviews and the folk anthem that carried her cause, Free Joan Little captures the spirit of resistance that made history.
Presented in partnership with the Southern Documentary Fund.
Live Screenplay Reading – DREAM MEANINGS
SCREENPLAY BY: REBECCA KANE
STAGE DIRECTION: DEBRA GRANNAN
Charlotte flips through a book of the meaning of symbols in our dreams, trying to figure out what a frequently occurring umbrella means, and how she can get rid of it. With her sister’s help, she quickly figures out that what’s tormenting her in the night can’t be found in a book.
Dream Meanings is the 2026 Grand Jury Winner for Best Screenplay.
FILMS IN COMPETITION
A GRIEVING HEART (12:17 min.)
DIRECTED BY: WENDY CONG ZHAO
An immigrant woman examines her past in the wake of her American ex-boyfriend’s death. The film explores how love and loss impact the ways she confronts her identity, memories, insecurities, and regrets.
ATHENS BY KALEIDOSCOPE (3:51 min.)
DIRECTED BY: CHRISTOPHER FLIPPO
An ode to Athens, Georgia in three parts.
BARRIGA LLENA, CORAZÓN CONTENTO (FULL BELLY, HAPPY HEART) (16:31 min.)
DIRECTED BY: JORDANA RUBENSTEIN-EDBERG, MARSHALL HANIG
The film interweaves migration journeys, home-made meals, and the everyday acts of care that bind a community together.
CLOSING SHIFT (9:39 min.)
DIRECTED BY: M-ALAIN BERTONI
KC and Reggie just want to go home for the night, but unhappy customers make the closing shift at the movie theater take a horrifying turn.
CVNT (16:33 min.)
DIRECTED BY: NICOLE HIGGINS
A struggling single mother turns to a bizarre side hustle to make a better life for her baby daughter.
DASHING (5:00 min.)
DIRECTED BY: GINGER CRAGHEAD-WAY, WILL JONES, CATE SLAUGHTER
Sparks fly between a food delivery driver and her latest customer. Will they be able to find each other again?
ESCALATION (32:40 min.)
DIRECTED BY: AJ SCHNACK
A data-driven, nonfiction short film documenting the surge of U.S. incidents where law enforcement has targeted journalists since May 25, 2020.
GATORVILLE (19:03 min.)
DIRECTED BY: FREDDIE GLUCK
As childhood memories are made and fade in the same instant, siblings Lily and Bodhi diverge at the dawn of a life beyond their home, a Colorado alligator sanctuary. Their bond, forged by the exotic nature of their remote high desert landscape, begins to change as Lily enters her teenage years.
I WANTED TO HEAR YOUR VOICE (12:00 min.)
DIRECTED BY: JAMES PELLERITO
After eight years of caring for his mother with severe dementia, a son struggles through their daily care routine. Recorded voicemails document the progression of the disease, underscoring the frustration, isolation and burnout that comes with intensive caregiving.
JASMINE. HOME. MOTHER. (15:00 min.)
DIRECTED BY: Ugnė Skonsmanaitė
On a surreal game show where stories are currency, a woman battles a system that censors her every word, fighting to reclaim the memory of her family, her homeland, and the jasmine that once bloomed there.
LAY LEFTY DOWN (14:58 min.)
DIRECTED BY: TRAVEN RICE
Two women unexpectedly unite through stories of grief and laughter, after their family throws a surprise memorial for a left breast.
LISTEN: LP’S & THE POWER OF MUSIC (13:42 min.)
DIRECTED BY: BLAKE KINSEY
Listen is a short documentary exploring the resurgence of vinyl records & physical media, digging deep into music’s power in our everyday lives.
MATCHMAKER (9:19 min.)
DIRECTED BY: JACK FLOYD
The perfect action hero has gone too long without a challenge and is yearning for a new adversary to give his life meaning again.
MR JESUS (15:38 min.)
DIRECTED BY: EMILY BEST
A down on his luck actor wakes up one morning to discover his image has been stolen to make a Gen AI Jesus, and now everyone thinks he’s the second coming.
NIGHT FEEDS (15:56 min.)
DIRECTED BY: RANA ROY
An Arab American mother drowns in postpartum as a night nurse unsettles her and war floods her screens. Her private paranoia bleeds into violence beyond her walls- blurring nightmare and reality… But is the madness in her mind or in the world around her?
NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED (15:16 min.)
DIRECTED BY: MAX ZAMPIERI
Former child farmworker Yesenia takes us on an intimate journey through the overlooked world of immigrant and child labor in North Carolina and America’s agriculture.
OH HAPPY DAY! (12:00 min.)
DIRECTED BY: IVAN ROME
A timid little guy, smitten by a sweet soul named Jazmyn, lacks the confidence to tell her how he feels. He tries in his own way to get her attention, but after many failed attempts, decides to risk it all during his Easter speech.
SINCERELY, SAGE JO (22:32 min.)
DIRECTED BY: JACOB WILKINS
After life takes an unexpected turn, middle school sweethearts Megan and Mitchell Shelton find a new purpose through creating keepsakes for others’ important life moments.
SORROW DOESN’T SLEEP AT NIGHT (8:42 min.)
DIRECTED BY: JOSEFINA MONTINO, MARTIN ANDRÉ
A man secludes himself in the forest with his cat. The ghosts of his past begin to torment him, forcing him to face his fears and avoid being consumed by madness.
STILL STANDING (9:59 min.)
DIRECTED BY: VICTOR SUAREZ
The urban wildfire that tore through Altadena, California, in January 2025 was among the most destructive in history, destroying more than 9,000 homes and structures. Thousands more homes were left standing, but they are toxic. Despite the health risks, many insurance companies claim these homes are habitable.
SUMMER TRIANGLE (8:00 min.)
DIRECTED BY: MARYAM ESMAEILI, ALI BABAI
A young girl goes to the rooftop to find her cat and discovers a boy who is attempting suicide. She forces the boy to search for her cat with her in the last moments of his life.
THE BOYS AND THE BEES (18:58 min.)
DIRECTED BY: ARIELLE C. KNIGHT
The Boy and the Bees chronicles the changing seasons in the life of the Ray Family as they pursue their dream of freedom; raising bees on a farm in rural Georgia while teaching their young sons what they need to steward the planet they call home.
THE GRANDFATHER PUZZLE (25:00 min.)
DIRECTED BY: ORA DEKORNFELD
What began as a simple quest to connect with my grandfather transforms into a complex exploration of identity, belonging, and the stubborn untidiness of historical memory.
THE RABBIT BALLET (4:13 min.)
DIRECTED BY: AALIA KHAN, KELSEY PRUDENTE, SAMUEL RODARMEL, LAYNE SOVEREIGN
Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, an eccentric rabbit controls and manipulates a young woman’s dance movements to achieve his ideal ballet.
WIZARDING WOES (2:21 min.)
DIRECTED BY: KHEYAL ROY-MEIGHOO, ISAAC FOSTER GAZMARARIAN
In a cozy cabin in the woods, the kind-hearted Jadhu wants to spend a quiet retirement learning magic but often finds himself in misadventures with his local woodland friends.
Individual tickets and ticket packages will go on sale Aug. 13 at noon. See our full schedule of films and workshops for filmmakers of all experience levels.
The 2026 festival is presented by sponsors: InkTip, Cary, N.C., Downtown Cary Park, The Mayton Inn, Misner Public Relations, Digital P Media, Southern Documentary Fund, and partners Happy’s Bar, Chatham Street Wine Market, and BREW Coffee Bar.
Located at 122 E. Chatham St., The Cary Theater lights up downtown with its mission to provide a unique setting for the community to experience art house cinema and live performances that enhance the cultural arts experience in Cary, N.C. Originally constructed in 1946 to serve as the Town’s first indoor movie theater, The Cary was restored in 2014 to create a vibrant space downtown that offers independent film, live music, comedy and improv, and other performances. The theater is owned and operated by Cary’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources.
Media Contacts:
Lani Simeona, The Cary Theater, Operations & Program Supervisor, (919) 319-4549
Scott Misner, Media Relations, (919) 412-3886
William Lewis, Cultural Arts Manager, (919) 462-3861
