- BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival screens virtually Sept. 24-27.
- Documentarians Josh & Rebecca Tickell to receive inaugural “Beyond Ordinary” filmmaker award.
- Festival hosts 30 films and 3 workshops free to patrons.
- “Beyond Ordinary Award” honors the filmmakers of the critically-acclaimed documentaries, FUEL and KISS THE GROUND for their career achievements and environmental advocacy.
CARY, N.C. (September 24, 2020) – BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival will take place Sept. 24-27 with 30 short films, three virtual workshops, and more. A highlight of this year’s virtual lineup is a special screening of FUEL, the 2008 Oscar® shortlisted feature documentary and Sundance Film Festival Audience Award winner, directed by Josh Tickell and produced by Rebecca Harrell Tickell. The filmmakers will also receive the festival’s inaugural “Beyond Ordinary Award,” honoring their critically-acclaimed body of work, including their latest film, KISS THE GROUND, narrated by Woody Harrelson. Celebrating its third anniversary, BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival will host all screenings and filmmaking workshops free to patrons who register and access the festival online via www.beyondthefilmfestival.com.
“While Cary’s hometown film festival will carry on under very unique circumstances this year, we are thrilled to provide cinema lovers with another year of exciting programming and free access to all film blocks and workshops,” said Joy Ennis, BEYOND’s festival director. “We are especially excited to welcome directors Josh and Rebecca Tickell to our festival and present them with our first ‘Beyond Ordinary Award’ for their advocacy in creating thought-provoking documentaries that change the global narrative around important environmental issues. Audiences can look forward to a lively discussion with them about their trailblazing film, ‘Fuel,’ which focuses on alternatives to fossil fuels—like used fast-food cooking oil—as well as their upcoming film, ‘Kiss The Ground’ when actor Ian Somerhalder will join them to talk about a revolutionary, yet relatively simple solution to our global warming crisis.”
Said the Tickells in a joint statement, “We are honored and proud to be the first recipients of the ‘Beyond Ordinary Award.’ Making documentaries can sometimes be a long, lonely process, so we thank Joy and BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival for recognizing our efforts and sharing in our journey of telling stories that make a difference for our planet and for people everywhere.”
“With documentaries such as ‘Fuel’ and ‘Kiss The Ground,’ Josh and Rebecca are working for the good of humanity. They are expert filmmakers who back their politics with unassailable science, solid journalism, and entertaining storytelling,” said actor and environmental activist Ian Somerhalder. “Josh and Rebecca are worthy of all honors, and I congratulate them on their ‘Beyond Ordinary Award.’”
Details for the 2020 BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival lineup are below.
Beyond Ordinary Awards Presentation
Q&A with Josh Tickell, Rebecca Harrell Tickell and special guest Ian Somerhalder
Saturday, Sept. 26, at 7:00 p.m.
Award-winning directors Josh Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Tickell will receive the festival’s “Beyond Ordinary Award” for their achievements in documentary filmmaking and environmental activism with critically-acclaimed films such as FUEL; the 2011 Cannes Film Festival Official Selection, THE BIG FIX; PUMP, a follow-up to FUEL about alternatives to fossil fuels; and GOOD FORTUNE about billionaire philanthropist John Paul DeJoria.
The pair directed their latest film, KISS THE GROUND narrated by Woody Harrelson, which unveils a game-changer: We can reverse global warming and the Earth’s soil is the solution. By regenerating earth, we can completely and rapidly stabilize our planet’s climate, restore lost ecosystems, and create abundant food supplies. With epic footage shot on five continents, striking visuals from NASA and NOAA, and stunning animation, the documentary conveys this critical message through the voices of leading scientists, ecologists, and experts including Nobel Laureates in climate, members of the International Panel on Climate Change, top scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), as well as environmental activists such as Gisele Bundchen, Tom Brady, Jason Mraz, Ian Somerhalder, Patricia Arquette, and Rosario Dawson. As an urgent call to action in addressing the world’s climate crisis, KISS THE GROUND artfully illustrates an accessible, relatively simple solution to humanity’s greatest challenge. Originally intended for a world premiere at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival followed by a theatrical release, KISS THE GROUND debuts this week on Netflix.
Facebook: facebook.com/kissthegroundmovie
Twitter/Instagram: @kissthegroundmovie
BEYOND will host a discussion about FUEL and KISS THE GROUND in a special Q&A with the Tickells and film actor Ian Somerhalder, followed by a special screening of FUEL.
Facebook: facebook.com/rebeccatickell, facebook.com/ecodude (for Josh Tickell)
Instagram: @joshtickell, @beccatickell
Special Screening of “FUEL”
Saturday, Sept. 26, following Beyond Ordinary Awards (8:15 p.m.)
Directed by Josh Tickell and produced by Rebecca Harrell Tickell, FUEL is a comprehensive and entertaining look at energy in America. Rousing and reactionary, the feature documentary is an amazing, in-depth, personal journey of oil use and abuse as it examines wide-ranging energy solutions other than oil, the faltering US auto and petroleum industries, and the latest stirrings of the American mindset toward alternative energy. Winner of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for Best Documentary, FUEL was later selected as a New York Times Critics’ Pick and made the Oscar short list of films considered for Best Documentary Feature.
Virtual Filmmaking Workshops
BEYOND’s festival schedule also includes three free virtual workshops for filmmakers:
- Lighting for Documentary Interviews with instructor Warren Gentry;
- Music in Picture: A Film Scoring Workshop with instructor Evan Hodges; and,
- A Screenwriting Masterclass with instructors Joy Goodwin and Ron Thompson.
Goodwin is a former New York Times theater critic who has produced Golden Globe, Sundance and Spirit Award-winning films. Thompson has produced many feature films such as: Rage in Harlem, Deep Cover, Hoodlum, Sister Act 2, and award-winning HBO Special America’s Dream, starring Danny Glover and Wesley Snipes.
Workshop registration is required, though festival access is free online: www.beyondthefilmfestival.com. In lieu of tickets, donations are requested to benefit the Food Bank of Central and Eastern N.C. to assist with COVID-19 relief.
About BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival
In year three BEYOND goes virtual featuring 30 independently produced short films alongside workshops for all experience levels, including a screenwriting masterclass. The festival includes filmmaker Q&As and a virtual table read of the screenwriting competition winner. Produced by the Cary Theater, BEYOND is presented by sponsors: ARRI, Cary Citizen, Cary Magazine, Digital P, Eventide, InkTip, Misner Public Relations, Script University, Slated, and WRAL-TV.
Located at 122 E. Chatham St., the Cary Theater is an art house for cinema and live performances. The theater is owned by the Town of Cary and operated by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources. For more information, please visit https://thecarytheater.com.
#BeyondFilmFest
Facebook: @thecarytheater + @beyondfilmfest
Instagram: @thecarytheater
Twitter: @carytheater
Media Contacts
Scott Misner, The Cary Theater Media Relations, (919) 412-3886
Joy Ennis, BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival Producer, (919) 462-2054
William Lewis, Cultural Arts Manager, (919) 462-3861
