Nine days and counting

OPENING NIGHT.
Don't miss Dance-a-lorus. No really, if you only attend one cultural event this year, attend Dance-a-lorus. This creative explosion merges dance and film for an unforgettable stage performance at Thalian Hall on Wednesday, November 12 at 7:15pm. It's also the debut of a collaboration that I've been working on with Suzanne Palmer, Stephen Sellers and Rob Hill called "We're so busy thinking we know too much." We decided last year to make Dance-a-lorus the marquee event that opens the festival and we couldn't be happier. Dance-a-lorus is a great example of how Cucalorus is different from other film festivals and it's all about collaboration and experimentation. Get a ticket now!

MOSAIC MADNESS.
One of the hidden gems at this year's festival is a film called In A Dream by Jeremiah Zagar and Jeremy Yaches. We screened Jeremy's first film Delhi House at Cucalorus back in 2003 while he was still a student in Boston. This film follows Jeremiah's father Isaiah, whose spent most of his life covering buildings in Philadelphia with mosaics. And I mean covering - outside walls, floors, ceilings, any spare surface at all is covered with mosaics. The result is totally out of this world. I was simply mesmerized as the camera carried me through room after room of stunning mosaic overload. The film follows Isaiah as he goes through a rough spell with his wife and his oldest son. This is a great, personal film that will leave you in awe of this man's artistic persistence.

SPECIAL THANKS.
While most of you are glued to your TeeVees watching election stuff, the staff at Cucalorus are busy tying up loose ends as the festival approaches. I have to give a big thanks to two people today. The first is Beth Steelman, the development director who changed everything. When Beth came on board a few years ago, we just had a little festival with a little budget. Her impact on Cucalorus has been truly monumental. Simply put, Beth Rocks. The other big thanks goes to Joel R. Wells, whose impact has been equally large. Joel R has so many jobs that we can't fit them all on a business card. If you see either one of these people at the fest, give them a big thanks.