Hold Onto Me
As the Highland-Cashiers Film Festival moves toward its September 17-20 season, the shape of this year’s program is coming into sharper focus, and the signs suggest a festival with both mountain roots and international reach.
Artistic Director Joy Jorgensen reports that nearly all of the films have been selected, with only one title remaining in each category while contracts and distribution permissions are finalized. Of the eight films confirmed so far, she believes each will hold strong interest for Laurel readers. Films will begin appearing on the festival website soon, with passes available for purchase online.
Two titles already outline the range of what audiences can expect. The first is Papertown, a feature-length documentary directed by Jeremy Seifert about the sudden closure of the Canton paper mill and the consequences for Haywood County and Western North Carolina. For more than a century, the mill helped define Canton’s economy, rhythms, and sense of itself. When it closed, the community faced not only the loss of jobs, but a deeper question: who are we when the work that shaped us disappears?
The film’s regional urgency is matched by remarkable reach. Grammy‑winning musician Dave Matthews serves as an executive producer and contributes an original closing‑credits song performed with alternative country artist Sierra Ferrell. Jorgensen says the festival is honored to host the North Carolina premiere “right here in the mountains the film calls home,” making Papertown a particularly resonant selection for a festival built around the power of place.
Another confirmed film, Hold Onto Me, travels much farther geographically while exploring emotional terrain that is just as intimate. The feature follows 11-year-old Iris, who learns that her estranged father, Aris, has returned for his own father’s funeral. Determined to know him, she finds him at a dilapidated shipyard, where a fragile bond begins to form.
Hold Onto Me is a powerful scripted drama that uses a carefully written screenplay and professional actors to deliver a deeply intentional and emotional narrative.
Directed by Cypriot filmmaker Myrsini Aristidou, the film won the 2026 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic category, and Jorgensen notes that the festival is proud to showcase it in September.
Those selections expand on the spirit introduced to Laurel readers this summer. On August 15, audiences can enjoy a screening of The Gardener followed by a book signing with the director, Dabney Day. Then, step inside the world of The Gardener with a visit to the real Highlands garden where the film was shot.
The film, which premiered at last year’s festival, follows a powerful cosmetics heiress who retreats to a remote mountaintop garden cottage while fighting to protect her family legacy. An unexpected connection with a mysterious gardener leads her on a soulful journey of healing, self-discovery, and transformation. Tickets for the film include access to the garden, and transportation will be provided solely by the PAC.
As Jorgensen describes the festival as born from “a love of film, creativity, and community,” this year’s emerging slate reflects that mission. Whether examining Canton after the mill, a local garden where the movie was filmed, or a young girl reaching for connection across generations, the festival is asking audiences to look closely at the places and relationships that shape who we are.
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