The Footcandle Film Festival is an annual event held every September in Western North Carolina, organized by the Footcandle Film Society. It features a diverse selection of unique, challenging, and entertaining films, including narrative and documentary features and shorts, as well as children's films. The festival includes screenings, a 60-hour filmmaking competition called FilmLAB, a scriptwriting competition, and a filmmaker symposium. Awards are given in various categories, with prizes totaling several thousand dollars. The 2026 edition will take place from September 18 to 27 at the Hickory Community Theatre in Hickory, North Carolina.