Mullen & James Humanities Hall
9/25/25, 7:00 PM
Screening
Small Town Mountain Strong Documentary
Facilitated By
Dr. Don Diefenbach
Mass Communication
This session will explore the documentary film project currently in production entitled, “Small Town Mountain Strong,” presented by the filmmakers, Founder and Creative Director, Katie Hawkins, and Production Director, Cory Locatelli of Here for Good Films followed by a screening of scenes from the work. Don Diefenbach of the Mass Communication Department of UNC Asheville will then moderate an audience conversation with the filmmakers. “Small Town Mountain Strong” is a feature-length documentary focusing on rebuilding and resilience in the communities of Western North Carolina heavily impacted by Helene. Hawkins is originally from Old Fort, which is one of the communities hard-hit by the storm. Diefenbach was living in the Riverknoll Community of East Asheville on the Swannanoa River at the time of the flood and lost his home in the storm. The Riverknoll community is also profiled in the film.
Link to the project website, which includes a trailer
Katie Hawkins presently serves as the Creative Director for Here for Good Films. Katie began her career in film over a decade ago overseas before moving to Atlanta where she worked on various film sets and agencies, gaining experience and developing a deep understanding of the film industry while capturing story driven video for brands like Spanx, Dell, and Rolling Stone Magazine.
Cory Locatelli currently serves as the Production Director for Here for Good Films. Cory began his career in film as a producer much in part to his love of people, relationships, and organization. Cory has produced videos for brands like Tik Tok, Delta, and Sales Force ranging from social media spots to international episodic series.
Dr. Don Diefenbach is Professor of Mass Communication at UNC Asheville. He teaches video production, media effects, and film studies courses. His video production credits include educational, corporate and nationally broadcast programming. Diefenbach is co-author of “Video Production Techniques: Theory and Practice from Concept to Screen” published by Routledge.