In 2015, the Polk County Film Initiative was created out of a shared love of filmmaking. Passionate about connecting aspiring filmmakers with mentors, PCFI birthed the Next Generation Filmmakers Program, an after-school get together of elementary - high school students. Young artists were taught everything from the basics of screenwriting, through production, and into post. 

Thrilled with the excitement and support they received by the town of Tryon, PCFI then launched the Tryon International Film Festival, a way to giving budding filmmakers a place to screen and premiere their films, quality judges and mentors, and access to an incredible community. 

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That these filmmakers were getting a tour of one of the most beautiful small towns in the country, and provided with the resources to shoot their next project here was merely a bonus.

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Today, PCFI partners with the surrounding community to offer filmmaking education by filmmakers from all over the world to local and visiting artists. Our passion still burns bright, and our Education Institute fuels our mission. ​