More than 250 feature, short and documentary films selected from 1,754 submissions by independent filmmakers across the globe will play on screens around Wilmington throughout the week of Nov. 12-16, during the 20th Cucalorus Film Festival.
The life work and nearly 30-year legacy of Dino De Laurentiis in North Carolina will also be celebrated. De Laurentiis opened the first major film studio in Wilmington, bringing the industry in North Carolina.
Festival director Dan Brawley said De Laurentiis’ success story is a valuable lesson for independent filmmakers to study, especially given the uncertain nature of the state’s film incentive program.
“That makes it even more important to look back at what Dino did in the 1980s,” Brawley said. “He came here because of his vision as a filmmaker and Governor Jim Hunt saw an opportunity and really reached out to Dino. In the 1980s North Carolina was pretty much the last place in the world for an Italian film producer to wind up.”
Throughout the festival, selections of De Laurentiis’ vast catalogue will be screened, like “Crimes of the Heart,” “Flash Gordon,” “Hannibal,” “King Kong” and “War and Peace.” De Laurentiis’ wife and business partner, Martha De Laurentiis, will make an appearance after the Saturday, Nov. 15 screening of “Crimes of the Heart.”
“It is an incredible honor to have Martha attend Cucalorus,” Brawley said. “What Martha and Dino did in the 1980s really paved the way for the transformation of downtown Wilmington and the birth of the industry in North Carolina. I don’t even think you could encapsulate the impacts they have had on the history of North Carolina and how much that means to us who work in the film industry or any creative industry here.”
Brawley said Cucalorus itself embodies the spirit of the many independent filmmakers it serves with its ambitious goals despite limited resources.
“We are pretty ambitious and my team will tell you sometimes our vision is bigger than the resources we have so we are always pushing that envelope,” he said. “Like a lot of independent filmmakers, we have pretty big dreams.”
While they could have devoted programming to commemorating the 20th anniversary of the festival, Brawley said the focus would remain on the independent filmmakers featured. A small homage to the festival’s history will come in the form of television commercials for the festival aired during the past 20 years that will play before each screening.
“Some of them are pretty funny and I like to joke they are a great example of what happens when creative people have too much time,” Brawley said.
The prospect of tackling the list of more than 250 films during a five-day span can be daunting, but Brawley said patrons should use the program keys to identify screenings of interest. In addition, Brawley suggested attending at least three screenings to begin to take in the full experience of the festival.
One new venue for the festival will be the outdoor screenings at Riverfront Park in downtown Wilmington Friday, Nov. 14, with “Flash Gordon,” and Saturday, Nov. 15, with “King Kong.”
“Our title sponsor, PNC Bank, really wanted to help us reach new people and open the doors so more people from the community could come out and enjoy the festival,” Brawley said.
While it would be hard to pick favorites out of the list of films he helped curate, Brawley did name a few screenings not to miss, like the feature documentary “The Age of Love,” about speed dating for 70- to 90-year-olds.
“It is really charming and for aging hipsters like me who are single it gives you a little bit of hope,” he said.
Although he had to keep the title of the film a secret, Brawley said the mystery film set to screen at 10 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, is one of his favorite films from the past 10 years.
With 88 submissions from independent filmmakers in Wilmington and 33 selected, Brawley said Cucalorus is helping to keep the spirit of the Wilmington independent filmmaker alive and growing — the spirit that De Laurentiis started.
One piece of the festival that will showcase the burgeoning population of creatives and entrepreneurs in the community is the 10 by 10 program, which will feature 10 short films from 10 young filmmakers. Those films will feature 10 Wilmington startups and entrepreneurs, and display the result of the filmmakers spending one week with their partner entrepreneurs.
“My sense is that Cucalorus is on the verge of a really unique opportunity,” Brawley said. “The festival and community has grown for the past 20 years and for the first time since the festival started the infrastructure of downtown Wilmington is changing, so I think there are going to be some new opportunities on the horizon.”
For more information about the 20th annual Cucalorus Film Festival, tickets and a full schedule, visit www.cucalorus.org
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