Discover Cinematic Treasures the Way They Were Meant to Be Seen

East Tennessean Jim Reed was born and raised in the city of Kingsport, in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, about a 90-minute drive from Boone.

He moved to the historic South Georgia city of Savannah in the mid-1980s as an early student at the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design, where he studied film and video production.

A lifelong cinema enthusiast, rare movie collector and entertainment journalist, Reed founded and ran the Psychotronic Film Society of Savannah from 2003 through 2023.

One of the first notable "psychotronic" film societies (organizations devoted to celebrating and showcasing underappreciated and/or marginalized motion pictures that are often hard to easily categorize) in the world, the PFS of SAV remains that fabled coastal enclave's longest-running, most eclectic and most award-winning community cinema organization. Its unpredictable and trendsetting screenings were named a "Must-Do" when visiting that destination city's arts district by no less than the New York Times.

Jim established the Boone Film Society after relocating to the Greater Boone Area in 2024, with hopes of further diversifying and enhancing the High Country's existing alternative and independent cinema scene.

Executive & Artistic Director Jim Reed explains:

"On returning to the Blue Ridge Mountains after decades away, I realized that while Boone already boasted a growing independent cinema scene, certain types of films remained underrepresented. In a twist of fate, most of the types of motion pictures yet to gain a foothold (or find an enthusiastic, reliable fan base) in the Greater Boone Area dovetailed with what I specialized in curating and presenting during my time in Savannah!

I feel the experience and sensibility that made that Psychotronic Film Society such a beloved cultural institution can be retooled and put to similar use in and around Boone, hopefully engendering a great deal of happiness among regional movie lovers.

The PFS of SAV was routinely named 'Best Local Film Series' and 'Best Indie Film Venue' in the annual Readers Poll of our largest alternative weekly newspaper.

It was also repeatedly named Runner-Up for 'Best Film Festival,' which made sense, because the winner was always the annual Savannah Film Festival.

Launched in 1988, that glitzy, week-long event is held at multiple large venues and boasts a fairly amazing guest list packed with household names from across the world of cinema.

Approximately 60,000 people (!) attend the SFF each year, and it's become a well-known showcase for features and shorts that often go on to nab Oscars, BAFTAS, Independent Spirit Awards and other major industry accolades.

So, in addition to holding all manner of one-off screenings year-round, the Boone Film Society (BFS) also aims to launch an annual Boone International Film Fest (BIFF) that will be smaller in scope - yet similar in mood and tone - to the immensely successful Savannah Film Festival.

The goal of the BIFF is to create an entertaining and educational cultural event that can appeal to a broad array of attendees (both locals and visitors), while simultaneously serving as a significant, repeat source of revenue and economic stimulus for our local business and hospitality community during the city's slow season."

As a non-profit cultural arts institution that proudly serves the local community, both the Boone Film Society and its major annual undertaking, the Boone International Film Festival, are funded through donations, memberships, grants, ticket sales, merchandise and fundraising events - all of which combine to support and facilitate its programming and operations.

We actively seek tax-deductible underwriting from visionary small businesses, corporations, cultural arts organizations and -most importantly- private citizens in the Greater Boone Area and High Country who realize the enormous potential that exists for an ongoing, year-round series of noteworthy public cinema events, as well as a massive, week-long juried competition, showcase and celebration of top-notch motion pictures from around the world.

If you wish for yourself, your family, your business or your organization to be aligned with such endeavors (and receive the tremendous amount of community goodwill that can come from such an association), we welcome you with open arms and would love to discuss the details of our various sponsorship packages and amenities.

Simply contact us directly through this website.

We offer very reasonably priced Annual Memberships in the Boone Film Society for Individuals, Couples and Families.

These Annual Memberships help immensely to support the day-to-day operating expenses of this ambitious cultural arts organization, while providing our generous members with a number of valuable, exclusive benefits and amenities not available to folks who simply purchase individual tickets to specific screenings or events.

Best of all, a portion of each Annual Membership qualifies as a TAX-DEDUCTIBLE CHARITABLE DONATION.

How cool is that?