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Be a part of something MIGHTY!!!
August 7-9, 2026 @ The Historic & Beautiful SUNSET THEATRE Downtown Asheboro, NC
The 2026 Schedule
(updates made daily until the event, check back before attending)
FRIDAY AUGUST 7th, 2026
11:30am-12:15pm
Adventures In Theatre Presents:
‘How I Became A Pirate And Other Giggle Sea Adventures’
A live play from ages 4-7
12:15-1pm
BONUS SCREENING BLOCK A
'Wheel Gone Kid' Episodes 1-5
Directed by Wayne Kelly
37mins - Comedy Family
1pm-3pm
SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT BLOCK 1
Conversations With A Queen
On Stage Filming Conversation With Mr. Rozzi
& our Guest Of Honor, Cheryl "The Pearl" Cook
3pm-5pm
SCREENING BLOCK 1
MNVCH 'Bad Actress'
4mins - Music Video
Directed by Patricia Rigney
11mins - Comedy
‘Tandem’
Directed by Darryl Jones
14mins - Drama/Romance
'Shaping An Imagined Space'
Directed by Bruce dePyssler
30mins - Documentary
'Reflection'
(World Theatrical Premiere)
Directed by Austan Brown
20mins - Drama
Directed by Juliana Rodriguez
10mins - Drama
Snoff The Maker, Mawpy Ft. Veteran Eye 'Times Up'
Directed by Snoff The Maker
3mins - Music Video
5pm-6pm
SPECIAL ENGAGMENT BLOCK 2
In Theatre Lobby
Meet & Greet With Guest Of Honor,
Cheryl 'The Pearl' Cook
In Theatre Auditorium
Concert/Comedy Hour Sound Check
6pm-7pm
SCREENING BLOCK 2
Mr. Rozzi 'New Year, New Ideas'
3mins - Music Video
Directed by Sean Haitz
13mins - Horror/Comedy
‘Not From Here’ (Theatrical Premiere)
Directed by Juliana Rodriguez
16mins - Sci-Fi/Drama
Morgan McPherson 'Afraid To Sleep'
4mins - Music Video
7pm-8pm
SWORD CORE COMPONENT BLOCK 1
Mighty Comedy Night 4
Presented by TFoxx
Hosted by Major Keysss
Sounds by DJ Soulful Desire
stand up by
TONY RODRIGUEZ
JC ALLEN
LEAH LYNN
JORDAN B.
8pm-10:30pm
SWORD CORE COMPONENT BLOCK 2
Opening Night Ceremony & Concert
Opening Night Ceremony & Concert
Hosted by Cheryl "The Pearl" Cook
performances by
Mr. Rozzi w/Hiromenbipp
Barry Yow
Sean Haitz of the Cosmic Jetties
Donna Hughes
Morgan McPherson
J. The Artist
Kal Tek
Chad Wayne & Jazz BG
10:30pm-11pm
Bonus Screening Block B
MVNCH 'A Disappointment'
4mins - Music Video
‘Violet Light: Dhalia's New Friend'
Directed by Jesse Terrell
3mins - Fantasy/Surreal
'Tucked In'
Directed by Lar Collicott
6mins - Suspense
'Bad Brew'
Direcetd by Sara Mitchell
7mins - Fantasy/Supernatural
Honey Davenport 'Come To Daddy'
5mins - Music Video
SATURDAY AUGUST 8th, 2026
Doors Open At 9:30am
10am-12noon
SCREENING BLOCK 3
Mr. Brandon Shepherd 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'
4mins - Music Video
'Faith And The Christmas Star'
Directed by Abby Davenport
23mins - Animated/Family
‘Doc Watson, One Of The People’
Directed by Elias Shack
34mins - Documentary
‘Yard Saleing’
Directed by Tom Logan
29mins - Mystery/Drama
Elle McKenzie 'Selling Out'
2mins - Music Video
12noon-1pm
SPECIAL ENAGEMENT BLOCK 3
Viral Content Creators
an on stage conversation with
TODD "NAPPY BUFFALO" NORMAN
MAJOR KEYSSS
BEN JONES
BJ OWENS
1pm-3pm
SCREENING BLOCK 4
Big Tex4s ft. Ziglah & Buck Hennessey 'Can't Fold Mine'
5mins - Music Video
'3AM'
Directed by Ryan Camp
9mins - Horror
'Routine Questions'
Directed by Joya Joseph & Melissa Lozoff
4mins - Drama
Directed by Nicole Cates & Matthew Wood
15mins - Drama
Directed by Ashley Zahorian
13mins - Crime Drama
'Unquiet'
Directed by Jesi Lyn
3mins - Performance/Experimental
'The Letter'
Directed by Aaron K. Crocker
3mins - Suspense
'Another Letter'
Directed by Aaron K. Crocker
7mins -Suspense
'Where Did You Sleep Last Night?'
Directed by Jennifer Eagle
3mins -Performance/Experimental
Directed by Chrissy Hogue Bartels &Rob Underhill
6mins - Drama
MVNCH 'Sanpaku Eyes'
4mins - Music Video
3pm-4pm
SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT BLOCK 4
PhotoSophia w/Chuck Egerton Ph.D
A profound self-reflection exercise and
engagement that all in attendance can participate
4pm-6pm
SCREENING BLOCK 5
J. The Artist 'Unwind'
Music Video - 4mins
Directed by Glenn Lissner
6mins - Horror
'Settlement'
Directed by Fiona Maria
7mins - Student Short/Horror
'The Shark'
DIrected by Aristides Raptis
4mins - Crime/Drama
'Alyssa'
Directed by Robert Christopher Massa
4mins - Suspense/Surreal
'Zombie Speed Dating'
(World Theatrical Premiere)
Directed by Rob Underhill & Glenn Lissner
6mins -Comedy/Romance
'Exit Strategies'
Directed by C.S. Young Jr.
18mins - Thriller
'Good Behavior'
Directed by Caleb Dillon
20mins - Crime Drama
'Stange Music Boxes'
Directed by Snoff The Maker & Luse Kanz
8mins - Music
6pm-7pm
SPECIAL ENGAGMENT BLOCK 5
Meet & Greet with
'The Mutilator' & 'Mutilator 2'
Director, Buddy Cooper with cast & crew
(Cult Classic Double Feature Meet & Greet with Director and Cast)
7pm-11pm
SWORD CORE COMPONENT BLOCK 3
DEADLY DOUBLE FEATURE
(YEAR 3)
'The Mutilator' [1984] & 'Mutilator 2' [2023]
with special three short film introduction & post screening on stage Q&A panel
w/open conversation
(Third Annual Happy Fright Films, Film By Brueilly Cult Classic Double Feature)
VEILEN 'The Flood'
4mins - Music Video
Directed by Sean Haitz
13mins - Horror/Comedy
'The Litterbug'
Directed by Jesse Womack
9mins - Horror/Comedy
'Buzzby'
Directed by Andrew Huggins & Jonathan Smathers
5mins - Comedy
Directed by Buddy Cooper & John Douglass
86mins - Horror
Directed by Buddy Cooper
82mins - Horror
SUNDAY AUGUST 9th, 2026
Doors Open At 9:30am
10am-12noon
SCREENING BLOCK 6
Morgan McPherson 'Try Again'
5mins - Music Video
‘Somethings I Just Know: The Jackie Dove Miller Story’
Directed by Gauri Singh & Rob Underhill
42mins
Directed by Peter Holland
35mins - Documentary
Directed by Robert Wesley Fillion
29mins - Thriller/Suspense/Supernatural
Living Fast 'Running Across Steel'
4mins - Music Video
12noon-1pm
Special Engagement Block 6
Festival Pro Tips & Pitch Hour
w/ Ty Brueilly, Rigarrao Productions & Tremayne Goff
1pm-2:30pm
SCREENING BLOCK 7
J. The Artist 'Somebody Else'
4mins - Music Video
'Elephants'
Directed by Cassie Bryant Hay
15mins - Drama
Directed by Patricia Rigney
11mins - Comedy
Direted by Joseph Galyean
18mins - Drama
Mr. Adams, Veteran Eye & Snoff The Maker 'New Beginnings'
5mins - Music Video
2:30pm-4pm
SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT BLOCK 7
Community Awareness Films
'It Happens Here. One Addiction. Two Stories.'
50mins
'We Are Invictus'
16mins
4pm-6pm
SWORD CORE COMPONENT BLOCK 4
Mightier Than The Sword Awards Ceremony.
Includes both film festival awards and Asheboro Area Arts, Culture and Entertainment.
6pm-8pm
SWORD CORE COMPONENT BLOCK 5
Headlining Films
‘Boonerang:Returning To The High Country’
Directed by Bradley Pearce
60mins - Documentary
Directed by Shawn Antoine II
40mins - Drama
8pm-11pm
SCREENING BLOCK 8
Grand Finale
'Blood Thirsty'
Directed by Nachela Knox
71mins - Horror
Directed by Keith Lakean Powell
22mins - Episodic/Thriller
Directed by Toya Moyer
16mins - Comedy
Directed by Julian Rodriguez
45mins - Thriller
'7eventh 7irkle'
Directed by Ty Brueilly
16mins - Experimental
Festival History
In January 2024, Asheboro area artist and visionary, Ty Brueilly brought Asheboro it's first ever International Film Festival and it extended so much life and culture to downtown, thanks to teamwork with the historic Sunset Theatre and the City Of Asheboro.
It was well attended and well received by close to 1,000 attendees!
Now in our third event year, the MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD AWARDS at SUNSET FILM FESTIVAL will take place once again at the historic and beautiful Sunset Theatre, from August 7-9, 2026 and will continue the tradition of giving our audiences the opportunity to see a wide array of films from film-makers all around the world.
Although the main intentions for our screening blocks are dedicated to finding films made in or around North Carolina, we also include documentaries, music videos, shorts, late night horror content and urban comedy from all over the world. 100 film titles were included in both the 2024 & 2025 schedule, mostly short films, and we are currently working on screening our submissions so far for the 2026 schedule.
Intimate Q&A panels are held following each film with representation, along with some meet and greet sessions are planned. Exclusive Asheboro Undecided & Comedy Hurts podcasts are planned for live filming on stage.
Past interviews have been with former Rolling Stone Music Editor, Mark Kemp and our guests of honor, Richard & Anastasia Elfman in 2025 and The Creative Businessmen sitting down with our guest of honor Allen Danziger (original 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre') and cast/crew members of 'Cannibal Comedian' in 2024.
The opening night networking event, is dedicated to ice breaking and meeting fellow filmmakers and the opening night reception is a celebration with live music and a comedy hour.
The award segment of our event is a formal award ceremony, for the films that are programmed into the festival with awards chosen by and given by three distinct groups of judges, who remain anonymous.
Another component of the award ceremony are cultural awards for the arts, entertainment, journalism and activism within the community of Asheboro, a way for visiting filmmakers and audiences to get to know what Asheboro has to offer.
Our Story
Mightier Than The Sword Records was established in Boone, North Carolina in May of 2005 by Asheboro native, Tyler "Ty Bru" Brueilly. Since then it has expanded and branched off into MIghtier Than The Sword Records, Photography & Literature, eventually sprouting off Heart's Core Art Store & Film and Fashion by Brueilly.
We are proud to have created countless international award winning pieces of art, both visual and performance that has most recently been showcased and awarded in major film festivals and gorgeous theaters all around the world.
In 2023, one of Brueilly's works, 'A Night In Charlotte With Sweeney Ty' was screened at the world famous TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, and since that moment, Brueilly has been motivated to take what he has learned attending and being awarded at dozens of film festivals in 2023 and bring that to his own film festival, which just so happens to be in his own hometown at Sunset Theatre, donwtown Asheboro.
Meet The Team
Get To Know MTTS
