Connect Beyond Is Back

A weekend of music, art, film and conversation. Lauded as "Asheville's version of SXSW" (Ashvegas), Connect Beyond Festival is made for those who are looking for a fully immersive experience.

Schedule 0f Events

April 5, 2025

12:00-1:00pm
Paddling The Same Canoe
Join Charly Louise, Iz Web, John Hornsby, Marie T. Cochran and Normando Ismay as they unveil their multi-part interactive art installation with a discussion after, led by DeWayne Barton of Hood Huggers. You can interact with the installation through the entire festival weekend!

1:00-2:00pm
Stand Up And Connect: Networking Mixer
Music by DJ Mad Mike Martinez. Snacks. Get drinks from the bar. Check out the art installations.

2:00-3:00pm
Short Climate Films
Presented by The YEARS Project, experience 2-3 short climate films (a few minutes each) before we dive into discussion.

3:00pm-4:00pm
From Climate Haven To Climate Crisis: Rethinking Asheville's Future
Where do we go from here? Join 2024 JC Woodley Environmental Justice & Storytelling Fellow Tiffany Womack as she moderates a discussion with top thinkers from Asheville and beyond. For years, Asheville was seen as a climate haven, safe from the extreme weather ravaging other parts of the country. But Hurricane Helene shattered that illusion, bringing record-breaking floods, landslides, and devastation. Now, we must confront a new reality—one where climate change directly threatens our infrastructure, housing, and overall resilience.

4:00-5:00pm
"They call you back" with tim z. Hernandez
Spend a creative hour with Tim Z. Hernandez, investigate researcher, documentary filmmaker, and award-winning author of THEY CALL YOU BACK (2024). Tim will engage attendees in a short reading from his work, a fireside chat, and writing exercise.

5:00-7:00pm
Grabdinneron yourown outsidethefestival,orgrab a beveragefrom thebar and a snack from our nosh table andcheck outthe artinstallation! Musicby DJ Mad Mike Martinez.

7:00-9:00pm
"A King Like Me" And Director Q&A
A KING LIKE ME follows members of the Zulu Club, New Orleans' first Black Mardi Gras krewe, as they work to bring the Zulu parade back to the streets for Mardi Gras Day 2022, in the face of a global pandemic, hurricane Ida and the loss of members due to COVID and gun violence. Join award-winning director Matthew O. Henderson for a thoughtful Q&A after the film.

9:00-10:00pm
The Wind Down
DJ Mad Mike Martinez keeps us company as we mingle, move, and wind down for the night after Festival Day One

April 6, 2025

Allday
Paddling The Same Canoe
Join award-winning artists Charly Louise, Iz Web, John Hornsby, Marie T. Cochran and Normando Ismay and experience their installation inside The Third Room. You can interact with the installation through the entire festival weekend!

12:00-1:00pm
Celebrating Small Victories
Festival director Jessica Tomasin will lead attendees in a workshop designed to inspire you and help you remember why you're here. We've all been navigating an incredible amount of change, uncertainty, and challenge, so finding ways to create small but meaningful wins can help restore a sense of progress, confidence, and stability. In this interactive workshop, we'll look at some practical strategies to give yourself some well-earned victories.

1:00-3:00pm
"The Bibi Files" And Q&A
From award-winning director Alexis Bloom ("Divide andConquer: The Story of Roger Ailes") and Oscar-winning producer Alex Gibney ("Taxi to the Dark Side"), THE BIBI FILES is a searing documentary about Benjamin Netanyahu, focused on high-level familial corruption, and the disastrous lengths a political leader will go to escape accountability.

4:00-5:00pm
Community Connections: Speed Networking
Want to make a difference but not sure where to start? Community Connections is a fast-paced, engaging speed networking event designed to connect you with the organizations, changemakers, and initiatives shaping your community.

5:00-6:00pm
Stand Up And Connect: Networking Mixer
Keep the conversation going, or take a break! Music by DJ Mad Mike Martinez. Snacks. Get drinks from the bar.

6:00-7:00pm
Stand Up And Connect: Networking Mixer
Keep the conversation going, or take a break! Music by DJ Mad Mike Martinez. Snacks. Get drinks from the bar

6:00-7:00pm
Think Global, Act Local
With challenges unfolding at national, state, and local levels, it's easy to feel paralyzed by the sheer scale of the issues we face. But meaningful change happens when we bridge the gap between big-picture advocacy and local impact. This panel will explore sustainable, accessible ways to take action—on broad societal issues AND on the challenges directly affecting our communities. Together, we'll discuss how to show up with purpose, avoid burnout, and create lasting change in ways that feel both manageable and impactful. Join us as we reimagine activism from the ground up! Moderated by City Councilwoman Kim Roney

7:00-9:00pm
The Wind Down
DJ Mad Mike Martinez keeps us company as we mingle, move, and wind down for the night after Festival Day Two. Thanks for coming to Connect Beyond Festival 2025!

Date:
April 5-6, 2025

Location:
Third Room, 46 Wall Street
Asheville, NC 28801

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