Highlands was founded in 1875. At 4118 feet the town escapes the brutal summer temps of the south. It’s rain forest-like characteristics give way to unique plants and wildlife. From Hellbenders, found only in pristine mountain water, to the elusive black panther which still prowls the mountains contrary to the opinions of some! And Theater Eleven Pictures is proud to called Highlands, NC home!
And we are so excited that the Highlands PAC has announced an annual film festival. It could be the highest film festival in the Appalachians! The Highlands-Cashiers Inaugural Film Festival will be held September 18 – 21, 2025 at the Highlands PAC.
Walter Chaw is a consultant for the festival. Chaw is a film critic and University of Colorado film professor. Bill Brezski will also be a guest contributor. Brezski is a renowned Art Director and Production Designer. Bill is recognized for his work on films like Aquaman, Jumanji: The Next Level, and The Hangover series, as well as TV shows including Growing Pains, The Nanny, and Sister, Sister, among others.
The Performing Arts Center
The Performing Arts Center in Highlands features a cutting-edge projection system with advanced presentation technology. There is no doubt the Highlands PAC will deliver an exceptional cinematic experience this fall.
They are inviting filmmakers to submit films across a variety of genres including Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Thriller, and Action/Adventure. The festival will showcase a carefully curated selection of new works alongside archival favorites. In addition to screenings, industry professionals will join as judges and mentors, offering guidance through a Director and Film Critic workshop scheduled for a long weekend at the end of September.
The Elizabeth Wright Prince House
The Highlands PAC is just a couple blocks from one of our primary shooting locations for Reckoning, the Elizabeth Prince House. We are so grateful to the Highlands Historical Society for allowing us to use this amazing, historical home in our 19th century film.
If you come to town for the Highlands Film Festival this September, you should pay a visit to the Elizabeth Wright Prince house and adjoining museum! It’s the oldest preserved home in Highlands, and a treasure to take in.
The Highlands PAC Film Festival
To get the latest on the festival you can check out their page on Film Freeway. You can also visit the upcoming festival website at highlandscashiersfilmfestival.com or follow them in instagram. Hope to see you in the mountains this fall! Films, black bears and wonderful people. It just doesn’t get better!
Film schools—especially private schools—are stealing the dreams of aspiring filmmakers. It’s unethical and must be addressed. A striking claim? Yes. But unfortunately, it’s true. This comes from someone who moved to Los Angeles and attended film school myself. The picture below shows me eagerly directing an actor during midterms.
Aspiring directors are unique individuals. They’re artists so consumed with movies they’ll gamble their life future to pursue the craft. These visionaries, if they succeed, gift us extraordinary films that whisk us away in a darkened theater, sparking joy, shivers, or deep reflection. The sad news? We’ll never see a film from most aspiring directors. And film schools are a large part of the problem.
Hollywood and Graduate Degrees
The entertainment industry shrugs at degrees and prestigious pedigrees. It’s a sea of hungry artists vying for attention. To stand out, you’ll need a towering peak of talent and grit, far grander than the mere molehill of a film school diploma.
Have doubts? Simply hit up IMDb Pro and begin calling studios. Tell them you graduated from USC or UCLA as a directing major and you were at the top of your class. See if it lands you a job anywhere in the same vicinity as directing narrative film. If you’re lucky, you can work as a PA and get coffee. But don’t get excited as there is no path from PA to director.
The Sobering Film School Statistic
What actually happens to directors when they graduate from film school? This obviously varies by individual, but someone who graduates from a well-known private film school will spend roughly $200K on their education. They’ll graduate with a thesis film that nobody cares about, and a shiny degree that will do nothing for their career.
At this critical moment reality clarifies in a way it will not have during school. The primary way forward as an aspiring director is to start making movies—But they’re self-funded.
The fancy equipment of film school is gone. Students willing to crew for free are also rapidly disappearing in their own scramble to make ends meet. All that remains is rent, bills and the financial vacuum of film production. And heaven forbid an aspiring director has school debt!
I will never forget seeing an upperclassman from film school serving sushi in Malibu years after graduation. This guy was no slacker. Everyone at school knew him as someone dedicated to the craft. Passionate about becoming a filmmaker.
But there he was, serving sushi.
This isn’t a slam on him. It’s the unfair reality of the film industry.
How Do You Become A Filmmaker?
What gives? How does anyone do this? Early on in film school I saw the proverbial writing on the wall. I quickly switched to a double major in editing and sound design. Editing was still story telling, and working as crew was at least an action plan vs an attempt to self-fund movies. This helped but still delayed me by years in my goal of directing my own movies.
If someone came to me today and said, “Yo, Kyler! I wanna be a director.” I would tell them this: Learn this craft of filmmaking from development through post production, but don’t spend a lot of money doing that. This will produce two monumental benefits:
1) Learn Everything About The Craft
If you’re self-funding your films, scraping up the money to afford crew day rates is tough. In fact, messing around with that has a price tag of years. “No, you don’t understand. I’ll get people excited about the project who will work for credit or back end points.”
Nope, this isn’t a good strategy. Trust me. I’ve been in the trenches of indie filmmaking a long time. Crew have to make rent just like directors. If your gaffer gets paid gig, they have to bail. If you don’t know how to light your set when that happens, your production stalls. Multiply this across all the crew who makeup pre-production, production and post.
Directors who learn how to do it all are not reliant on crew. And this single discipline will place you light years ahead of other aspiring filmmakers. There are many times where I’m on set with only actors. This means I’m lighting, running sound, camera and directing—to name just a few of the tasks. Yet this is freedom because I can move forward without sinking financially or waiting on favors.
2) Don’t Spend Much Money On Film School
The problem with traditional film schools isn’t the education—it’s the crushing financial weight required for the education. Aspiring directors must learn the craft and learn it well. Sporadic YouTube sampling isn’t enough. Guided education is paramount, but it can’t be the primary financial requirement. Money must be saved to purchase gear and make movies. I can’t stress that enough.
With modern pricing on film gear, you can purchase a cinema camera, prime lenses, gimbal, lights, mics, editing suite—everything needed to make movies for substantially less than one year at a private film school. ZERO exaggeration. If an aspiring director can learn the craft of filmmaking without nuking tens of thousands of dollars, they can use the money to greenlight their career.
“Spectacular! I’ll simply access stellar training without spending much money. Is that even possible?”
Now it is—keep reading.
The New Write & Direct Online Film School
I’ve painted a dismal yet accurate picture of the film education industry. But this story has a good Act 3! And that’s the new online film school created in partnership with Theater Eleven Pictures called Write & Direct.
Write & Direct is online yet a very hands-on school that teaches aspiring directors the craft from Development through Pre-Production, Production and Post Production. Students will come up with an idea and step it through the entire filmmaking process. They will graduate with a thesis film that will have taught them more about the craft than many who sink tens of thousands of dollars into their education.
And that’s just the beginning! The school has a private community for help at every stage. It will also launch with an online studio platform for connecting with other filmmakers.
But most important? Write & Direct isn’t just about saving dreams and money. It’s about teaching the craft of filmmaking in a way that truly empowers directors to push the needle on their career and become one of the future directors who treats all of us at the cinema!
We are so excited to announce Theater Eleven Picture’s involvement with this school. Our latest production RECKONING is the guide used to help aspiring directors go from idea to end credits. Write & Direct launches summer of 2025. The above video talks about it more, or simply visit the school’s website: The new online film school.
Production continues in Highlands, NC for Reckoning! We’re shooting in cold temperatures and incredible locations thanks to the generosity of local families. Pictured below is a setup with our young actress who plays Rose Lawson. We’re inside a chicken coop where she hides Cavalry gold in the film. And this was a functioning barn! So we had friendly (and noisy) goats along with curious chickens. It’s the world of independent film!
A lot of the shoot takes place in a nearby cabin which historically was a sharecroppers cabin. It’s beautiful inside and out and we are forever grateful to the Garcia family for their generosity to our film production. This shooting location made the movie possible. Ultimately, so many locations from generous people made Reckoning what it is, but we definitely cannot imagine the Rose Lawson cabin anywhere else but here!
Our Producer Joins Camera Crew
The days were cold and the nights even colder! But faithful friends and family made the production happen. I’m so grateful for each individual who helped with this movie possible. The shot below takes place towards the end of the film. Rose and the Cavalry soldier await the arrival of a notorious outlaw named Ghost. Sandi Boudreau is a producer on the film, but tonight she’s also 2nd AC. Only on independent films does a producer join the camera crew!
Overall, the production for Reckoning is moving along at a solid pace! It’s a lot of legwork and long hours with a skeleton crew. Yet the freedom of story telling outside the studio system also holds distinct advantages that often lend to less pressure and more creative freedom. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
We’re finally at Day 1 of our shoot at the historic landmark in downtown Highlands known as the Elizabeth Wright Prince House. Nothing will put actors in the 19th century mood more than this location!
We feel crazy blessed to shoot crucial scenes for our film here. Pictured below are Terri Crain Goodman and Journey Boudreau. They share an actress to actress moment during the shoot. Terri plays Addie Crain and Journey plays Rose Lawson in the film.
The Prince house serves as Addie’s home in the film. Addie runs the local post office and mercantile store and she receives a letter for Rose Lawson from the US Cavalry in response to Lawson’s report of stolen gold. The letter announces a Cavalry soldier will soon visit.
The pic below shows us during a take in the Prince House kitchen. Kyler Boudreau operates camera, Aniah McKim is 2nd Assistant Camera and Jehelena McKim is production sound mixer. A unique thing about this film production is local friends helped that had never been on a film set before! This film was done to show the Write & Direct film school model which empowers new directors to not be reliant on experienced crew when they don’t have the budget. We’re super grateful for Aniah, Jehelena and others who helped out on this project!
The Board Pays A Visit
It was super cool to have a visit from the head of the board during our shoot. They were probably stopping by to ensure we weren’t doing anything too 19th century crazy in this treasure of a home! In all seriousness, both Harry and Lance from the Highlands Historical Society were beyond kind and helpful with all aspects of this production. We will forever be in their debt.
We’re also grateful to the nearby Weichert Real Estate office for allowing us to use their facility for costuming and makeup. And of course any bathroom needs for cast and crew as a 19th century home is only equipped with bed pans!
We can’t say enough about this house and adjacent museum that allow visitors a glimpse into Highlands, NC history. You might be surprised at what this town used to be like! Thank you Highlands Historical Society—our film is complete with your generosity.
There is nothing like day 1 of an independent film production. Day 1 of any film production is a big deal, but with indie filmmaking, a lot of responsibility rests on the director. In addition to normal director tasks, today it’s call times, craft services, transportation, camera operation and production sound mixing. ARGH. But it’s exhilarating.
Oddly day 1 of shooting is also page one of the script. Not normal, but just how it happened this round. At the beginning of Reckoning, two men stumble across an abandoned cabin that’s also the current hideout of an outlaw name GHOST. Unfortunately it doesn’t go well for one of these mountain men. But hush! No more spoilers.
Our two actors on horseback are Kayren Hinkle, owner of Whitewater Equestrian, and Rick Roepke, a family friend from Bowling Green, KY. Kayren not only allowed us to shoot for free on his property with his horses, but he was willing to be in the film! Rick and his wife Kathy drove down from Kentucky to participate. Both men did incredible!
Filmmaking Detail: Even though the opening of Reckoning happens in one physical location, we had to shoot the scene in three separate areas to get the cabins, horses and confrontation scene all the way they needed to be!
If you’re in the Highlands/Cashiers area and want to enjoy horses, nature and incredible guides, Whitewater Equestrian is the place! Check out their website. And when you get there, make sure Kayren gives you an autograph—He’s famous now!
It’s not every day you stumble across an Appalachian town situated at over 4100 feet above sea level! But such is the case for Highlands, NC. At this elevation you escape the bugs and heat and enjoy a plethora of wildlife including bob cat, black bear, otter, fox, coyote and even the elusive black panther! Old journals from the 19th century speak of the panthers when their numbers were great. Now only the occasional fortunate individual happens across one in their path.
The Elizabeth Wright Prince House
The Prince house, located near the center of town at 524 N. 4th Street is a historic gem. It’s the oldest remaining house built in 1877. The Elizabeth Prince house is part of the Highlands Historical Society’s Historic Village and serves as a living history museum with period-appropriate furnishings with another museum located adjacent to the building.
The history on the Prince home is rich. You can visit the Highlands Historical Society website to get the detailed information and view photographs dating back to 1913! In brief summary, Frank and Annie Wright bought the house in 1913. Their second child, Amelia, was born in the home. Just three years later Frank died at the age 35 of typhoid fever from a contaminated well. Frank’s brother, Jim Wright, acquired the house in 1919. Elizabeth Wright Prince (sister of Jim) transformed the home into a boarding house in 1935.
Reckoning Granted Permission to Shoot
In 2022 Kyler Boudreau reached out to the Highlands Historical Society to inquire about shooting a few scenes of an independent film called Reckoning at the Elizabeth Prince House. Kyler and his wife Sandi moved to Highlands as full time residents in 2021. Their upcoming film is set in the 19th century North Carolina mountains and tells the story of a young girl who must stand up to an outlaw that killed her parents. More on Reckoning.
Kyler and two members of the Highlands Historical Society board met at Calders Coffee to discuss the details. The board graciously agreed to allow us to shoot at the Elizabeth Write Prince House! What an incredible gift that will transform the production value of our film.
A massive thank you to the Highlands Historical Society for granting access for our film. And thank you for preserving treasures locations like this for current and future residents to take an accurate, nostalgic view into the past. If you haven’t visited this museum, it’s time to change that! The Prince house is located directly across the street from the gas station and just down the road from First Citizens Bank.
When production ensures we’ll post an update here on the progress of the film!
The opening of Reckoning has two men on horseback investigating a couple loan cabins. We posted in the local Highlands, NC Facebook group to see if there were any kind souls with horses. What we didn’t expect was the generosity of Whitewater Equestrian!
Keryn not only agreed to the shoot, but graciously gave us a tour of his operation. Not only do they have horses and beautiful Appalachian trails and streams, but a cabin originally built by none other than Daniel Boone! Keryn also took us to an ancient path cut deep into the forest floor that bore the feet of traveling Seminole Indians. They would disfigure trees to point others in the right direction—some of these tree trunks still remain!
We’re blown away by the kindness and generosity of the people in Western, NC! And a final bit of good news: Keryn has also agreed to be in the film! We’ll put up a post during production to show him in action. Until then, if you have the hankering for a good time on horseback, you now know where to go.
A crucial pre-production task for any film is location scouting. Reckoning is our first film to shoot in the Highlands/Cashiers area. We moved here as full time residents in the fall of 2021. Though it’s our first time to live in North Carolina, my grandfather was born near Marshall, NC. So in a way I’m returning to my roots. Not only do we love the area and the towns of Highlands and Cashiers, we’ve been blown away by the kindness of locals eager to help in our endeavor to shoot an independent film.
Reckoning is a 19th century tale set in the town of Little Cataloochee. Before moving to the area, location scouting was underway and the incredible Cashiers Historical Society was put on the hopeful list. The great news? We visited the location and spoke with Sandi Rogers who thrilled us with a “Yes, you can shoot here.” WOW! What an opportunity.
Sandi kindly showed us around. There are remarkable buildings on the property. The Zachary-Tolbert House, Colonel John’s Cabin, the School House…and more! The grounds are open to visitors all year with certain events like apple pie baking, summer camp and more!
There are also wooded walking trails that lead to points of interest like the Tolbert and Zachary Springs, the Tolbert Rock, and an early privy. They’ve even discovered pottery, square head nails and Civil War-era coins.
The grounds are beautiful and this place is hands-down worth a visit. Just grab a coffee at Bucks and then maybe 3 minutes down the road you’ll find yourself at this amazing place. Or check out their website for more info: https://www.cashiershistoricalsociety.org/
We’re so grateful! Reckoning will be all the better thanks to the Cashiers Historical Society.
