The 13th annual Real to Reel International Film Festival promotes a diverse assortment of thought-provoking flicks at Kings Mountain's historical Joy Performance Center. This year's four-day event — which kicks off on Wednesday, July 18 — screens independent films from across the globe. The fest will showcase seven feature films and 17 shorts, including The Darkness Is Close Behind, a 21-minute flick about a young boy sucked of his youth when forced to take responsibility for his younger brother, because of his dad's meth habit. Also on the schedule is Money and Medicine, a timely documentary about how to improve health and medical care. The fest concludes with Tiffany Shlain's 2011 Connected: An Autoblogography about Love, Death & Technology. The documentary, about a personal quest to forge meaningful connections in today’s tech-dominated world, premiered at Sundance Film Festival. Q&A's and guest speakers follow several of the films. For details on film titles and screening days/times, visit www.realtoreelfest.com.

Anita Overcash

Price: $6 for individual screenings; $25 for a festival pass