HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The Southern Fried Film Festival returns to Huntsville for its fifth year, and the first night’s showing is decidedly space-themed.

The film “The Longest Goodbye” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. at the INTUITIVE Planetarium at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center on June 8. The film follows the real-life stories of a NASA psychologist and several astronauts as they grapple with the tension between their dream of reaching new frontiers and the need to stay connected to home.

After Thursday’s screening, the festival will showcase a variety of films over the following three days at the Studio Theatre at Lowe Mill. The events will also include live music and panels with the filmmakers.

“We are thrilled to provide our community with more than just an exciting film festival, we’re also offering unprecedented access to the master storytellers behind the films,” said Festival Director Trevite Willis. “With directors and producers in attendance, our audience will have a unique opportunity to hear firsthand from the creative minds behind the movies they love.”

Willis also said that they will be honoring Huntsville native Michael Luwoye with the inaugural Rising Star award. Luwoye, a Lee High School graduate, is best known for his roles in Broadway’s “Hamilton” as the title role, “Waco: The Aftermath,” and “Bluff City Law.” The award event will be at the Studio Theatre at Lowe Mill on Friday, June 9 at 7 p.m.

In March, the Festival received a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts, which would enable the festival to reach a larger audience, foster community development and provide the highest quality programming all the while spotlighting the importance of art as a key component of the quality of life in Alabama.

The Southern Fried Film Festival began in 2018 as the first independent film festival in Huntsville. The creators of the festival say they want to give audiences the opportunity to hear firsthand from the creative minds behind the movies they love each year.

Schedule of Events

Thursday, June 8

  • 6:30 – 10:00 p.m. “The Longest Goodbye”

Friday, June 9

  • 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. “Linoleum”
  • 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Rising Star Award Ceremony

Saturday, June 10

  • 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. “Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out”
  • 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. “This World is Not My Own”
  • 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. “Joyland”
  • 8:00 – 10:00 p.m. “Deadland”

Sunday, June 11

  • 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. “Lonely Castle in the Mirror”
  • 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. “Black Barbie”
  • 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. “An Electric Sleep” preceded by “The Seven Two Experience”
  • 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. “Little Richard: I am Everything”

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