Papertown
Competition Feature: Documentary
Friday, September 18th 4:30pm - 6:00pm
A feature documentary following the closure of the Canton paper mill and what it means for the people of Haywood County and Western North Carolina. When the paper mill that sustained a small Appalachian town for over a century shuts down, its people face not only economic collapse, but a deeper question — who are they without it? Grammy-winning musician Dave Matthews is on the film as an Executive Producer.
Directed by: Lilian T. Mehrel
Genre: Documentary
Run time: 84 minutes
Connect: @papertownfilm
Meet the Filmmaker
Jeremy Seifert is an award-winning film director, cinematographer, producer, and editor whose documentaries have premiered at Sundance, SXSW, Berlinale, Hot Docs, Tribeca, and AFI DOCS. His is the director and producer of Papertown, a feature-length documentary with support from The Ford Foundation and Catapult Film Fund. He was Director of Photography and Producer on the 2026 SXSW film, We Are The Shaggs. Jeremy recently Directed and DP’d the debut episode of the PBS series Sacred Planet: The Heart of the World. He co-directed The Devil We Know, a 2018 Sundance documentary in competition and Netflix premiere. His short documentaries, The Church Forests of Ethiopia and Ark of the Apocalypse premiered with New York Times Op-Docs. His films GMO OMG and DIVE! Living Off America’s Waste won over 30 awards at festivals around the world and both debuted on Netflix.
Ultimately, this film isn’t about the mill or its closing. It’s a story about the people and community of a Southern Appalachian town named Canton, NC, and I can’t wait to introduce the world to characters like Matthew Boydston, Roger Frady, Gail Mull, Zeb Smathers, Jonathan Lovelace, and so many more. This is a human story of resiliency, the meaning and dignity of workers and good paying jobs, and the power of community and neighborliness, and the importance of home.
— Jeremy Seifert, Filmmaker
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