Cutting Edge Action at N.C. Film Festivals

By attending some of the growing number of film festivals, film enthusiasts keep current with what's happening in North Carolina, as well as the wider world of film.

Many Oscar winning films have enjoyed their first screening in the region at North Carolina's film festivals.

While you can find a film festival in the state nearly every month of the year, spring and fall are the most popular seasons with several well-established festivals scheduled.

The Carolina Film and Video Festival hosted each February by the cinema and broadcasting school at UNC Greensboro is one of the oldest continuously operating film festivals in the country.

The North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem sponsors the annual RiverRun International Film Festival, in April this year.

In 2005, actor Cliff Robertson was on hand to receive the inaugural Master of Cinema award.

Durham's Carolina Theatre is a regular hotbed of film festivals with a series of events held in the historic hall each year, beginning with the Nevermore Horror and Gothic Film Festival, in February, and continuing through the Escapism Action Animation Adventure Film Festival in October.

One of the country's top documentary festivals, Full Frame, takes over Durham every April. The festival screens many of the top docs and attracts top filmmakers, Michael Moore among others. Members of the festival's very distinguished Board of Directors make regular appearances to showcase their own work and mingle with filmmakers.

Danny DeVito put in an appearance in 2006. Martin Scorsese, chairman of Full Frame's board, appeared in 2005, as did PBS doc favorites, brothers Ken and Ric Burns. Other board members include Frank Capra Jr., actors Martin Sheen and Patricia Neal, filmmaker Ross McElwee and novelist Walter Mosley, among other luminaries.

The festival also has some impressive sponsors, including the New York Times and HBO/Cinemax.

 

What is a film festival?

While the term "festival" is often used for any series of films, film festivals usually involve a schedule of films "in competition" that are submitted by their makers to compete for awards. These are grouped into various categories, including feature-length, shorts, and animated. Most often, there is also a program of "curated" films selected by the festival to illustrate a theme. Also, a festival usually screens films made by its guest of honor, often a well-known actor or director.

---

---

Fall Film Festivals

Two of North Carolina's major festivals take place in the fall.

The Asheville Film Festival holds its annual event in November. Screening many Oscar-bound films before their general release, and attracting filmmakers like Ron Howard, David Lynch and Ken Russell, Asheville's profile has risen quickly. Actress Andie McDowell, below, a local resident, acts as honorary hostess for the event.

Wilmington's Cucalorus International Film Festival, established in 1994, chose a different road, one compatible with its laid-back beachside setting.

Although it screens over 100 films a year, "Cucalorus is non-competitive, a true oddity among film festivals," says Dan Brawley, one of the festival's directors.

"Cucalorus is a more humble festival, with a little less glamour than many. We focus on bringing filmmakers together to trade ideas and hang out."

Moviemaker Magazine named Cucalorus "the best kept secret on the indie film fest circuit."

The Wilmington festival changed its timeframe this year, moving to November. Venues range from the 60-seat Jengo's micro-theater to stately Thalian Hall, oldest theater in the state.

North Carolina film festivals offer something for every film fan, from serious documentaries, to star-studded galas, to orgies of horror and animation.

Most important, they create opportunities for North Carolina's home-grown filmmakers to get their works seen on the big screen.

For more info on film festivals, visit our sister sites:

www.BestFilmFests.com

www.NCFlix.com