Brueilly explains his headliner film picks

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is part of a personal account by Ty Brueilly on why he chose these two films to highlight the last day of this weekend’s Sunset Film Festival. To see the full account and the latest version of the festival’s schedule, visit www.filmandfashionbybrueilly.com/mttsawards.

Ty Brueilly 
For Randolph Hub

ASHEBORO — Each year, while I engage in the curating and scouting aspect, there are films that really stand out, ones that are completely polished and captivating with a level of boldness that holds a special place in our programming. These films I feel my community are in need of seeing and experiencing in a theatre, so they are precisely picked to be our headlining films. ...

This will be just the third time the Boonerang documentary has been shown in a theatrical setting, and ‘The Sight Unseen’ was just shown at the pop culture mecca San Diego Comic-Con, which is not only an incredible crossover for the film, but also makes for one heck of a treat for our festival audience, and I’m not just picking them, I travel to meet with these filmmakers and build a relationship with not only them, but their film.

The Bradley Pearce-directed “Boonerang: Returning To The High Country” is an hour long documentary chronicling the 2025 Boonerang Music & Arts Festival in Boone, NC with a component of the film focused on the impact of Hurricane Helene and how it unified the High Country  community. A lifelong North Carolina resident, Bradley Pearce is an award-winning visual storyteller and documentary filmmaker who has been creating professional video & photo content since 2007. 

Having lived in Boone, NC for college from 2003-07, my wife (also an Appalachian State alum) and I have enjoyed returning to the area frequently over the years like many others who choose to “Boonerang.” ...

I use the word serendipitous a ton these days. I ended up being in Boone for the 2025 Boonerang festival and passed out flyers and information on our film festival to anyone that had a camera at the event. One person even told me they were filming a documentary on Boonerang and then fast forward to a few months ago my wife and I watched this film in the submission deck and we drove up there with our family to attend its second screening and show support, building a stronger tie for our festival. It was an incredible feeling, because most times when someone says they are working on something of that magnitude it takes years, but Bradley did it in less than a year.

With Shawn, I met him at the Hip Hop Film Festival in Harlem in 2023 and we hit it off ... so when he had a showing in Charlotte, I drove down to see him and the film and decided then it was necessary to put in our festival, I want more than to just choose films for the headliners, I want to communicate in person, so they have a face with the city of Asheboro and our fest.

Directed by Shawn Antoine II, “The Sight Unseen” is a 40 minute hybrid documentary/drama film revisiting the real life and miraculous events of 1971 in the Bronx, when 6-year-old Sharon Wilson discovered a glowing cross in her apartment bathroom window — a phenomenon that drew crowds from across the community and became a moment of collective awe and curiosity. Now, more than five decades later, Sharon reflects on her vivid memories. 

Shawn Antoine II is a documentary and experimental filmmaker whose work centers on memory, identity and the preservation of underrepresented Black histories. Raised in Harlem, Shawn draws deeply from his personal experiences and cultural heritage to tell stories that amplify voices often overlooked in mainstream media.

These headlining films will show Sunday, Aug. 9, from  6 to 8 p.m. Each director will be in attendance for networking, introductions and a scheduled Q&A open conversation following the showings.