The Indigo Moon Film Festival kicked off its 9th year Friday night in downtown Fayetteville.
The fest features over 80 independent feature films and shorts. Each is followed by a discussion and Q&A with the filmmakers themselves.
Many filmmakers see the festival as a great starting point for anyone looking to become a film buff.
“First and foremost, if you come to see our movies this weekend, I want you to remove the fact that you had fun in your entertainment,” Brian Russell said.
Russell is a filmmaker and the director of Not the Same Clarence, which is featured in this year’s festival.
“The second thing is that you may see something that you didn’t think about before,” he said. “Maybe you’ll experience something that you’re familiar with, but from a different point of view, maybe you’ll understand the world in a slightly different way or connect with somebody else’s perspective.”
The festival runs through Sunday, Oct. 13. It will wrap up with an award ceremony, recognizing the best films of the weekend.