The Content + Intent Documentary Institute
Working Films Residency at MASS MoCA
(Wilmington, NC. December 18, 2007) – It’s that time of year again! Working Films is accepting applications for its five-day residency for documentary filmmakers at MASS MoCA. The residency, which is called the Content + Intent Documentary Institute, will take place March 12-16, 2008 in North Adams, MA. Applications for admission to the Institute may be found online at www.workingfilms.org (or you can contact Anna Lee at alee@workingfilms.org). The application deadline is January 25, 2008.
Ensuring that a film’s release has an impact is as important as its production. The Content + Intent Documentary Institute will guide approximately ten filmmakers and advanced film students through the development of outreach plans for their film projects. Linking the documentaries-in-progress to organizations committed to progressive social change will be a key component of the Institute. Participants will create an audience engagement plan for their films, identify community partners, and develop support materials, including effective timelines, budgets, and implementation strategies. Working Films will offer insight on the development of web sites, fundraising tactics and press strategies.
Filmmakers accepted to participate in the Institute must submit a $500 enrollment fee to attend. (Some scholarships are available.) The enrollment fee covers housing costs and some meals. Attendees will reside in MASS MoCA’s artist housing which is within walking distance of the training site.
Working Films will announce accepted applicants on February 7, 2008.
About Working Films
Based in Wilmington, NC, Working Films is a national nonprofit that connects documentaries to social change through a variety of ways. Their services range from coordinating rough-cut community feedback screenings, to developing strategies for a documentary’s outreach, to constructing collaborative campaigns between filmmakers and organizers. Working Films is also the only national media outreach organization offering free consultations on using films for social justice to independent filmmakers, with over 400 to date. For more information on Working Films, please visit www.workingfilms.org.
About MASS MoCA
Housed on a restored 19th century factory campus in North Adams, Massachusetts, MASS MoCA is the largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts in the country.
I've always been better in the middle. Beginnings and ends just don't suit me, so when Cucalorus 13 faded and ended this past week, I was sad. I've been putting off this last post, savoring the outlandish memories (Tuaca Jousting!! and the Taylor 5??), as long as I can.
So what did happen at Cucalorus 13? WHO KNOWS!?!
Cucalorus is something more than just a film festival. Over 90 artists from around the world converged here in the port city for four days, sharing their work, trading ideas and creating community. Unlike other international film festivals, where the big moments are planned, ticketed and catalogued - the big moments at Cucalorus are hidden between the cracks. The great serendipities at Cucalorus are the reward for those who truly participate, for anyone whose willing to wait out the awkward moments - and we have plenty of those!
One of those awesome moments happened in the backyard at Jengo's Playhouse at the end (like 4am - the bitter end) of the festival. I'm not sure how it all started, but I do remember a Superkiiiiid jumping around, wrapped in a busted, blow-up Tuaca bottle. Whether this had anything to do with what happened next is a mystery. Nonetheless, the very new sport of Tuaca jousting made its debut. The press even got in on this one as Village Voice film critic Aaron Hillis emerged with a well-honed technique for this impromptu sporting event with an intensity which kept me on the sidelines. That man can do amazing things with a blow up bottle!
Equally impressive (and planned) was this year's rendition of Dance-a-lorus - the festival's annual live mixing of film and dance. Filmmaker Matthew Bonifacio was so inspired that he immediately phoned a choreographer back home in New York to get started on his plans for an entry into next year's Dance-a-lorus. Matthew was also one of the famed Taylor House 5 - he was the Taylor House 'golden boy' and according to rumor, a special batch of cookies was whipped up in his honor. All the nailing, the flushing and trashcan fussing will remain the stuff of legend, but you could ask Cullen Hoback how to ride a bike, if you really want to know more....
Anyone who braved the cold wind on the Cape Fear for the festival's Kickoff Carnival was sweetly rewarded. A blow up slide (all fests should have one) proved to be a perfect match for the hot Tuaca cider being served and there were more than a few amazing moments as Stefano Giannotti (clearly the star of Cucalorus 13), Ron Franklin and Cucalorus emcee Matt Malloy played guitar and sang away the night with a cruise ship sailing off in the background. A sold-out screening of Anders Morgenthaler's PRINCESS capped off an unforgettable day one at the fest.
Thursday kind of cruised along with a hefty schedule of events - five or six ongoing at any given time. The Screenwriting workshop with Rich Leder and Duncan Brantley was the high mark of my day. Reports from the screening aftermath of SOLDIERS OF CONSCIENCE were equally impressive as director Gary Weimberg entertained and challenged the crowd. Erica Dunton's REDMEANSGO sold-out quickly, but keep an eye on the Jengo's Playhouse calendar for an upcoming run of her film in our micro-cinema.
A very well-attended screening of Daniel Karslake's FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO at 9am on Friday proved, once again, that understanding and equality for the LGBT community is the hot cause of the day. But easily the most inspirational event on Friday was a sold out screening of WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED - a film about the Tillery Resettlement Community in Halifax County, North Carolina. As if the film's story of struggle against racism and the demand for a rightful homeplace weren't powerful enough, the Joyful Sounds Gospel Choir delivered a handful of tearjerking spirituals that brought most of the audience to tears.
Certainly on the top of everyone's must-see list was Anton Corbijn's CONTROL - and the packed balconies at Thalian Hall stressed from the eager film and music fans who filled the audience to watch the tragic story of Ian Curtis. I even encouraged my dad to see this film - he's an attorney whose never heard of Joy Division, and he loved it! A big thanks to my friend Matt Hulse for insisting that this film be part of my Scottish experience this year at the Edinburgh Film Festival.
OK, so there was also something else going on during the first three days of Cucalorus 13. A little something called the Superkiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiids! No shit. They just started happening. A little bit on day one, here and there. But by Friday, anyone who wasn't too busy looking at themselves in the mirror or worrrying that they were too important to be at a quirkridden festival like Cucalorus had noticed that something amazing was happening all around them. Part comedy routine, part performance art, part total freakin wackfest, this laugh-tagious duo brought a new level of irreverence and fun to Cucalorus. From a homemade Ouija board to an impromptu birthday party for Seth Wochensky (whose birthday is sometime in December?), the Superkiiiiiiids kept everyone on their toes and busting a gut. The Superkiiiiids were the refreshing towellete that kept Cucalorus clean and moist for four days straight. Did someone say breath mint? Maybe next year!
I'll dispense with any more play-by-play analysis. Anyone who attended the festival in its entirety was so buzzed by Saturday that an entirely new atmosphere seemed to surround the day's events. Maybe you'd fallen in love with a pair of Polish eyes from Current or maybe you'd had a full dose of Stefano and the Superkiiiiiiids, but whatever your memory or your moment, you were a part of something. You'd forgotten about why, when, how many and how much, and you'd started belonging to a new family of creative spirits, a group of people who still think that change is possible and that the world is a great place, despite the killing and killing for money. So on Saturday night, in downtown Wilmington, when two white kids started rapping with scarves on their heads, you didn't wonder what the fu??? Instead you stood up and waved your pinky in the air. Didn't you? And then, two moments later, when an Italian man on his first trip to America joined a college student beat boxin' - you stared in wonder at what we have become. We are Cucalorus. No more, no less.
Thanks to all you sukkers out there who joined Cucaloria.
13 is in the books, but 14 is in the works. Bring it on!
And to those who rokk, thanks, you know who you are. So smile awhile for me!
So what did happen at Cucalorus 13? WHO KNOWS!?!
Cucalorus is something more than just a film festival. Over 90 artists from around the world converged here in the port city for four days, sharing their work, trading ideas and creating community. Unlike other international film festivals, where the big moments are planned, ticketed and catalogued - the big moments at Cucalorus are hidden between the cracks. The great serendipities at Cucalorus are the reward for those who truly participate, for anyone whose willing to wait out the awkward moments - and we have plenty of those!
One of those awesome moments happened in the backyard at Jengo's Playhouse at the end (like 4am - the bitter end) of the festival. I'm not sure how it all started, but I do remember a Superkiiiiid jumping around, wrapped in a busted, blow-up Tuaca bottle. Whether this had anything to do with what happened next is a mystery. Nonetheless, the very new sport of Tuaca jousting made its debut. The press even got in on this one as Village Voice film critic Aaron Hillis emerged with a well-honed technique for this impromptu sporting event with an intensity which kept me on the sidelines. That man can do amazing things with a blow up bottle!
Equally impressive (and planned) was this year's rendition of Dance-a-lorus - the festival's annual live mixing of film and dance. Filmmaker Matthew Bonifacio was so inspired that he immediately phoned a choreographer back home in New York to get started on his plans for an entry into next year's Dance-a-lorus. Matthew was also one of the famed Taylor House 5 - he was the Taylor House 'golden boy' and according to rumor, a special batch of cookies was whipped up in his honor. All the nailing, the flushing and trashcan fussing will remain the stuff of legend, but you could ask Cullen Hoback how to ride a bike, if you really want to know more....
Anyone who braved the cold wind on the Cape Fear for the festival's Kickoff Carnival was sweetly rewarded. A blow up slide (all fests should have one) proved to be a perfect match for the hot Tuaca cider being served and there were more than a few amazing moments as Stefano Giannotti (clearly the star of Cucalorus 13), Ron Franklin and Cucalorus emcee Matt Malloy played guitar and sang away the night with a cruise ship sailing off in the background. A sold-out screening of Anders Morgenthaler's PRINCESS capped off an unforgettable day one at the fest.
Thursday kind of cruised along with a hefty schedule of events - five or six ongoing at any given time. The Screenwriting workshop with Rich Leder and Duncan Brantley was the high mark of my day. Reports from the screening aftermath of SOLDIERS OF CONSCIENCE were equally impressive as director Gary Weimberg entertained and challenged the crowd. Erica Dunton's REDMEANSGO sold-out quickly, but keep an eye on the Jengo's Playhouse calendar for an upcoming run of her film in our micro-cinema.
A very well-attended screening of Daniel Karslake's FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO at 9am on Friday proved, once again, that understanding and equality for the LGBT community is the hot cause of the day. But easily the most inspirational event on Friday was a sold out screening of WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED - a film about the Tillery Resettlement Community in Halifax County, North Carolina. As if the film's story of struggle against racism and the demand for a rightful homeplace weren't powerful enough, the Joyful Sounds Gospel Choir delivered a handful of tearjerking spirituals that brought most of the audience to tears.
Certainly on the top of everyone's must-see list was Anton Corbijn's CONTROL - and the packed balconies at Thalian Hall stressed from the eager film and music fans who filled the audience to watch the tragic story of Ian Curtis. I even encouraged my dad to see this film - he's an attorney whose never heard of Joy Division, and he loved it! A big thanks to my friend Matt Hulse for insisting that this film be part of my Scottish experience this year at the Edinburgh Film Festival.
OK, so there was also something else going on during the first three days of Cucalorus 13. A little something called the Superkiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiids! No shit. They just started happening. A little bit on day one, here and there. But by Friday, anyone who wasn't too busy looking at themselves in the mirror or worrrying that they were too important to be at a quirkridden festival like Cucalorus had noticed that something amazing was happening all around them. Part comedy routine, part performance art, part total freakin wackfest, this laugh-tagious duo brought a new level of irreverence and fun to Cucalorus. From a homemade Ouija board to an impromptu birthday party for Seth Wochensky (whose birthday is sometime in December?), the Superkiiiiiiids kept everyone on their toes and busting a gut. The Superkiiiiids were the refreshing towellete that kept Cucalorus clean and moist for four days straight. Did someone say breath mint? Maybe next year!
I'll dispense with any more play-by-play analysis. Anyone who attended the festival in its entirety was so buzzed by Saturday that an entirely new atmosphere seemed to surround the day's events. Maybe you'd fallen in love with a pair of Polish eyes from Current or maybe you'd had a full dose of Stefano and the Superkiiiiiiids, but whatever your memory or your moment, you were a part of something. You'd forgotten about why, when, how many and how much, and you'd started belonging to a new family of creative spirits, a group of people who still think that change is possible and that the world is a great place, despite the killing and killing for money. So on Saturday night, in downtown Wilmington, when two white kids started rapping with scarves on their heads, you didn't wonder what the fu??? Instead you stood up and waved your pinky in the air. Didn't you? And then, two moments later, when an Italian man on his first trip to America joined a college student beat boxin' - you stared in wonder at what we have become. We are Cucalorus. No more, no less.
Thanks to all you sukkers out there who joined Cucaloria.
13 is in the books, but 14 is in the works. Bring it on!
And to those who rokk, thanks, you know who you are. So smile awhile for me!
Holy fatcats! Cucalorus just got superkiiiiided.
Dan's pikks 3:
Hey festy friends. I've gotten a little backed up on my time staring at this little machine here - with over 90 filmmakers in attendance I'm getting to meet all the great makers whose films we've been raving about at Jengo's in the past several months. So my time has been well spent. If you haven't made it out yet, today's the day!
I'm getting started at Thalian with breakfast at the cafe (yeah, they've got breakfast too!) and then heading in to see FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO. Despite Ben Steelman's slam, I think this is one of the best films in the festival. No one is telling this side of the story and the film does a great job of analyzing some of the historical mis-interpretations in the bible. Abominations are great!
In order to save a little time, the rest of my picks will be brief:
WE ARE TOGETHER - audience award winner in Edinburgh, playing with the best short in the fest I WANT TO BE A PILOT
WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED - a great North Carolina story, massive gospel activity before and after
WAITER - just damn funny, and then it gets funnier and then your face hurts from so much funny - like a European Superkiiiiid
THE LEGACY - I'm becoming a big fan of Gela Babluani, had odd thriller in Cuc 12 called 13 TZAMETI
CHIAYI SYMPHONY - Stefano Giannotti is the biggest hit of Cucalorus 13, you gotta meet this awesome man from Italy
RIBEYE SHORTS - horror and hacking in Meg Lansaw's favorite block of the fest!
See you guys at the moooooovies!
And watch out for the Superkiiiiiiiiiiids!
Dan's pikks 3:
Hey festy friends. I've gotten a little backed up on my time staring at this little machine here - with over 90 filmmakers in attendance I'm getting to meet all the great makers whose films we've been raving about at Jengo's in the past several months. So my time has been well spent. If you haven't made it out yet, today's the day!
I'm getting started at Thalian with breakfast at the cafe (yeah, they've got breakfast too!) and then heading in to see FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO. Despite Ben Steelman's slam, I think this is one of the best films in the festival. No one is telling this side of the story and the film does a great job of analyzing some of the historical mis-interpretations in the bible. Abominations are great!
In order to save a little time, the rest of my picks will be brief:
WE ARE TOGETHER - audience award winner in Edinburgh, playing with the best short in the fest I WANT TO BE A PILOT
WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED - a great North Carolina story, massive gospel activity before and after
WAITER - just damn funny, and then it gets funnier and then your face hurts from so much funny - like a European Superkiiiiid
THE LEGACY - I'm becoming a big fan of Gela Babluani, had odd thriller in Cuc 12 called 13 TZAMETI
CHIAYI SYMPHONY - Stefano Giannotti is the biggest hit of Cucalorus 13, you gotta meet this awesome man from Italy
RIBEYE SHORTS - horror and hacking in Meg Lansaw's favorite block of the fest!
See you guys at the moooooovies!
And watch out for the Superkiiiiiiiiiiids!
Dan's Pikks III
Cucalorus gets a running start this year with screenings all day on Wednesday. The first screening of Cuc 13 will be our annual showcase of fest shorts held for area high school students. This free screening includes the best of the festival in terms of short films with filmmakers in attendance. Big thanks to the Landfall Foundation for sponsoring this year's edition of the student screenings.
Fittingly, the first public screening takes place at our quirky homebase, Jengo's Playhouse. With a new screen, a newly installed (digizoom!!) 6000 lumens DLP projector and a few secrets up its sleeve, Wilmington's only micro-cinema must be on everyone's list of Cucalorus activities. Tenderloin Shorts hits the screen at 11AM on Wednesday and includes the Golden Palm (Cannes) winner THE OATES VALOR. Another impressive short in this batch is Mark Craig's TALK TO ME which consists of a collection of old phone machine messages. When this one started, I didn't think it would draw me in. I kept thinking, I don't even like listening to my own phone messages. But Mark's friends, their messages and the way he cuts them together, makes for an amazing little narrative.
If you time it right, you can catch the Cucalorus shuttle down to Thalian in time to sneak in for THE LITTLE BOOK OF REVENGE - a smart, dark comedy that has all the appeal of a blockbuster without the cardboard characters and cliches. If you want to get your eyes on the opener for our highly anticipated Racial Rewind series, drop into Thalian Black for Jeremy Dean's DARE NOT WALK ALONE. I'll probably pick up a bite to eat on the mezzanine lobby - testing the festival cafe's savory offerings.
One of my favorite films in the festival is Alex Gibney's TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE. It'll make you so mad that you'll need a couple of shots of Tuaca to calm you down. Gibney disects the White House's torture campaign, looking at Afghanistan and Iraq as examples of the warmongers handiwork. A brief trip to Guantanamo Bay includes a visit to the gift shop, where you can buy Gitmo hats, T-shirts and sweats. WOW!
At 7:30pm on the main stage, Dance-A-Lorus reigns supreme. The third edition of this premier collaboration between choreographers and filmmakers promises to be more polished and precise than ever before. But if you'd rather stick to film, don't miss HOCHHAUS, a mini-feature from a German film student with high production values and great performances.
At 9pm, our Kickoff Carnival begins at Riverfront Park. Nate Lee's surf flick BAGGAGE will get things started, followed by eclectic muscial samplings from Matt Malloy, Stefano Giannotti and Ron Franklin. You'll have to come down to the river to find out if we've really gotten a ferris wheel. If we do, I'll be on it all night long!
At Midnight, Jengo's Playhouse will present Anders Morgenthaler's PRINCESS. This film hasn't played much outside of Europe, but it's full of eye-popping animation that you'll have to see to believe. Get a ticket to this screening while you can - with only 70 seats I'm sure this one will fill up fast. A little secret for all you blog readers - you can buy tickets online for Jengo's screenings - even though it says you can't in the magazine. Just go to a film's description and clikk on the buy tickets button. There are only 25 advance tickets for Jengo's screenings.
I'll try to pitch in again tomorrow with my picks for Saturday.
Until then, here are 4 filmmakers who rokk on Wednesday:
Amy Belling - THE SADDEST BOY IN THE WORLD (screens with HOCHHAUS)
Nikias Chryssos - HOCHHAUS (Nikias couldn't make it to the fest, but he still rokks)
Nathan Daniel - THE MANTIS (Tenderloin Shorts)
Penny Lane - SHE USED TO SEE HIM MOST WEEKENDS
Cucalorus gets a running start this year with screenings all day on Wednesday. The first screening of Cuc 13 will be our annual showcase of fest shorts held for area high school students. This free screening includes the best of the festival in terms of short films with filmmakers in attendance. Big thanks to the Landfall Foundation for sponsoring this year's edition of the student screenings.
Fittingly, the first public screening takes place at our quirky homebase, Jengo's Playhouse. With a new screen, a newly installed (digizoom!!) 6000 lumens DLP projector and a few secrets up its sleeve, Wilmington's only micro-cinema must be on everyone's list of Cucalorus activities. Tenderloin Shorts hits the screen at 11AM on Wednesday and includes the Golden Palm (Cannes) winner THE OATES VALOR. Another impressive short in this batch is Mark Craig's TALK TO ME which consists of a collection of old phone machine messages. When this one started, I didn't think it would draw me in. I kept thinking, I don't even like listening to my own phone messages. But Mark's friends, their messages and the way he cuts them together, makes for an amazing little narrative.
If you time it right, you can catch the Cucalorus shuttle down to Thalian in time to sneak in for THE LITTLE BOOK OF REVENGE - a smart, dark comedy that has all the appeal of a blockbuster without the cardboard characters and cliches. If you want to get your eyes on the opener for our highly anticipated Racial Rewind series, drop into Thalian Black for Jeremy Dean's DARE NOT WALK ALONE. I'll probably pick up a bite to eat on the mezzanine lobby - testing the festival cafe's savory offerings.
One of my favorite films in the festival is Alex Gibney's TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE. It'll make you so mad that you'll need a couple of shots of Tuaca to calm you down. Gibney disects the White House's torture campaign, looking at Afghanistan and Iraq as examples of the warmongers handiwork. A brief trip to Guantanamo Bay includes a visit to the gift shop, where you can buy Gitmo hats, T-shirts and sweats. WOW!
At 7:30pm on the main stage, Dance-A-Lorus reigns supreme. The third edition of this premier collaboration between choreographers and filmmakers promises to be more polished and precise than ever before. But if you'd rather stick to film, don't miss HOCHHAUS, a mini-feature from a German film student with high production values and great performances.
At 9pm, our Kickoff Carnival begins at Riverfront Park. Nate Lee's surf flick BAGGAGE will get things started, followed by eclectic muscial samplings from Matt Malloy, Stefano Giannotti and Ron Franklin. You'll have to come down to the river to find out if we've really gotten a ferris wheel. If we do, I'll be on it all night long!
At Midnight, Jengo's Playhouse will present Anders Morgenthaler's PRINCESS. This film hasn't played much outside of Europe, but it's full of eye-popping animation that you'll have to see to believe. Get a ticket to this screening while you can - with only 70 seats I'm sure this one will fill up fast. A little secret for all you blog readers - you can buy tickets online for Jengo's screenings - even though it says you can't in the magazine. Just go to a film's description and clikk on the buy tickets button. There are only 25 advance tickets for Jengo's screenings.
I'll try to pitch in again tomorrow with my picks for Saturday.
Until then, here are 4 filmmakers who rokk on Wednesday:
Amy Belling - THE SADDEST BOY IN THE WORLD (screens with HOCHHAUS)
Nikias Chryssos - HOCHHAUS (Nikias couldn't make it to the fest, but he still rokks)
Nathan Daniel - THE MANTIS (Tenderloin Shorts)
Penny Lane - SHE USED TO SEE HIM MOST WEEKENDS
Dan's Picks II:
Just to keep things interesting, I'm going to start with Thursday, picking and stabbing around at the schedule for the hidden gems. If you haven't already, rip that schedule out the middle of the Cuc 13 mag and get your pens out...
So it's pretty easy for me here - the Blue Velvet tour is one of the few things at the festival that I haven't already seen. Francine DeCoursey leads this location tour and anecdotal journey through Wilmington aboard the Wilmington Trolley. Meet at Thalian at 9am and grab breakfast at the festival cafe before getting on board for the first ever Cucalorus Blue Velvet Tour.
So now it's getting tough. The choices are spread pretty wide across the board as the middle of the day hits. EVERYTHING'S COOL is a winner for the earth conscious and IRA AND ABBY is a rock-solid, mainstream love story - either one is win, win.
I'll probably have to hit around a few of the meaty shorts blocks in the afternoon. Veal shorts has some amazing, experimental work, including another installment from video surveillance fiend Bill Noland. The Flank Shorts on the main stage deliver with some crowd-pleasing, 35mm shorts. And the Prime Cut shorts prove that the short-subject documentary genre is alive and well. I think I'll pop back-and-forth between these screenings, hopefully dodging around that whole 'paper ticket' thing. Yikes!
For anyone whose not into the shorts thing - KOMMA is an outstanding, atmospheric film with one kick-ass performance-art scene that makes the whole film worthwhile. And it's screening at Lumina Theater, where the 35mm print will look oh, so sweet.
So now it gets ridiculous. I couldn't possibly pick a clear path this night. I'm guessing that Wilmington's caught on that Erica Dunton is the hottest thing going, so her film REDMEANSGO will be sold out and packed to the rafters. (But don't miss her party later....) Wrightsville Beach will have descended on Lumina to catch Patrick Trefz's unconventional surf doc THREAD - and to catch up with surfer, photographer and doc subject Michael Halsband, who will be in town from NYC. I think I'll find a comfy seat at 6pm, a little before the madness begins, to watch SOLDIERS OF CONSCIENCE - a non-preachy doc that really touches deep in its investigation of conscientous objectors. Director Gary Weimberg will be in attendance. I can't wait to find out what he had to do to get "official permission" from the US Army. Scary.
I'll be too tired to do much at this point. Dropping down at the festival cafe for some food and maybe grabbing the last free Tuaca Sample in the Moving Arts Expo sounds like a good idea. I'll have to watch from the mezzanine lobby as the crowds pile in to see THE MEMORY THIEF and MONSTER CAMP. Both the filmmakers will be on hand for these screenings.
TRAFFIC LIGHT PARTY!
Erica Dunton's clever film turns into an even more clever party at the Cellar on Thursday night at 9pm - immediately following the screening of RedMeansGo. So here's the deal:
Just to keep things interesting, I'm going to start with Thursday, picking and stabbing around at the schedule for the hidden gems. If you haven't already, rip that schedule out the middle of the Cuc 13 mag and get your pens out...
So it's pretty easy for me here - the Blue Velvet tour is one of the few things at the festival that I haven't already seen. Francine DeCoursey leads this location tour and anecdotal journey through Wilmington aboard the Wilmington Trolley. Meet at Thalian at 9am and grab breakfast at the festival cafe before getting on board for the first ever Cucalorus Blue Velvet Tour.
So now it's getting tough. The choices are spread pretty wide across the board as the middle of the day hits. EVERYTHING'S COOL is a winner for the earth conscious and IRA AND ABBY is a rock-solid, mainstream love story - either one is win, win.
I'll probably have to hit around a few of the meaty shorts blocks in the afternoon. Veal shorts has some amazing, experimental work, including another installment from video surveillance fiend Bill Noland. The Flank Shorts on the main stage deliver with some crowd-pleasing, 35mm shorts. And the Prime Cut shorts prove that the short-subject documentary genre is alive and well. I think I'll pop back-and-forth between these screenings, hopefully dodging around that whole 'paper ticket' thing. Yikes!
For anyone whose not into the shorts thing - KOMMA is an outstanding, atmospheric film with one kick-ass performance-art scene that makes the whole film worthwhile. And it's screening at Lumina Theater, where the 35mm print will look oh, so sweet.
So now it gets ridiculous. I couldn't possibly pick a clear path this night. I'm guessing that Wilmington's caught on that Erica Dunton is the hottest thing going, so her film REDMEANSGO will be sold out and packed to the rafters. (But don't miss her party later....) Wrightsville Beach will have descended on Lumina to catch Patrick Trefz's unconventional surf doc THREAD - and to catch up with surfer, photographer and doc subject Michael Halsband, who will be in town from NYC. I think I'll find a comfy seat at 6pm, a little before the madness begins, to watch SOLDIERS OF CONSCIENCE - a non-preachy doc that really touches deep in its investigation of conscientous objectors. Director Gary Weimberg will be in attendance. I can't wait to find out what he had to do to get "official permission" from the US Army. Scary.
I'll be too tired to do much at this point. Dropping down at the festival cafe for some food and maybe grabbing the last free Tuaca Sample in the Moving Arts Expo sounds like a good idea. I'll have to watch from the mezzanine lobby as the crowds pile in to see THE MEMORY THIEF and MONSTER CAMP. Both the filmmakers will be on hand for these screenings.
TRAFFIC LIGHT PARTY!
Erica Dunton's clever film turns into an even more clever party at the Cellar on Thursday night at 9pm - immediately following the screening of RedMeansGo. So here's the deal:
it is a traffic light party with the following dress code:
red - if you have a partner
green - if you want one
and yellow if you're not sure!
I'll end the night resting at Jengo's Playground and chatting with host Joel Fernando, who will certainly have something up his sleeve to keep me going all night long. And then, Captain Dan vanishes into the night. See you on the morrow.
Oh yeah!
Five Filmmakers who rokk on Thursday:
Erica Dunton - REDMEANSGO
Gil Kofman - THE MEMORY THIEF
Madi Piller - TORO BRAVO
Cullen Hoback - MONSTER CAMP
Jacob Hatley - CHINA
Dan's Picks.
Over the next few days, I'll be posting my daily picks for the festival. Just a little rundown on where I'll be during Cucalorus and a special nod to my favorite filmmakers. I'll also be highlighting a few of the over 90 artists who will be in attendance.
To kick off my picks, I want to announce a couple of great things happening throughout the festival:
Moving Arts Expo
Our hands-on, head heavy look behind the scenes of the artform. The Expo has a full schedule of workshops and panels, several hours of face time with industry business leaders and a Tuaca sampling from 6p-7p each day. Everyone should stop by the Expo to meet, greet, drink and eat. The Moving Arts Expo is located in the Thalian Ballroom.
Festival Cafe by the Balcony on Dock
The festival cafe (located adjacent to the Moving Arts Expo in the Thalian Ballroom) will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. I'll definitely be hanging out in the Moving Arts Expo to grab a quick bite to eat during the festival. It'll be like a restaurant in the middle of a tradeshow. Pretty cool, huh?
Lumina Theater
Cucalorus welcomes a new venue this year, adding UNCW's Lumina Theater at the Fisher Student Center as our fourth festival screen. Easily Wilmington's finest venue for cinema, this state of the art theater is another indication of how serious UNCW is about film. A little disclosure here - UNCW is the presenting sponsor of the festival. But our decision to use Lumina was all based on the venue itself. Lumina is an outstanding 360 seat, stadium-style cinema with a great image. The lineup for Lumina during Cucalorus is outstanding - a selection of the finest international films, some great Amercian indies and four of the best doc features in the festival. I'll definitely be hitting Lumina once each day, even if it's just to stick my head in and look at the sweet, sweet image on that big, big screen.
On the more practical side....
Cucalorus will operate a festival shuttle service for all festival attendees. The shuttle will pick up every 20 minutes at each venue, taking festgoers from Lumina to Thalian to Jengo's and back again.
Check back tomorrow for Dan's Picks II, topics to include:
• Traffic Light Party - what's that all about. Green, green, go, go.
• Jengo's Playground - trivia, video installations, random and organic.
• 5 filmmakers who rokk!
Over the next few days, I'll be posting my daily picks for the festival. Just a little rundown on where I'll be during Cucalorus and a special nod to my favorite filmmakers. I'll also be highlighting a few of the over 90 artists who will be in attendance.
To kick off my picks, I want to announce a couple of great things happening throughout the festival:
Moving Arts Expo
Our hands-on, head heavy look behind the scenes of the artform. The Expo has a full schedule of workshops and panels, several hours of face time with industry business leaders and a Tuaca sampling from 6p-7p each day. Everyone should stop by the Expo to meet, greet, drink and eat. The Moving Arts Expo is located in the Thalian Ballroom.
Festival Cafe by the Balcony on Dock
The festival cafe (located adjacent to the Moving Arts Expo in the Thalian Ballroom) will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. I'll definitely be hanging out in the Moving Arts Expo to grab a quick bite to eat during the festival. It'll be like a restaurant in the middle of a tradeshow. Pretty cool, huh?
Lumina Theater
Cucalorus welcomes a new venue this year, adding UNCW's Lumina Theater at the Fisher Student Center as our fourth festival screen. Easily Wilmington's finest venue for cinema, this state of the art theater is another indication of how serious UNCW is about film. A little disclosure here - UNCW is the presenting sponsor of the festival. But our decision to use Lumina was all based on the venue itself. Lumina is an outstanding 360 seat, stadium-style cinema with a great image. The lineup for Lumina during Cucalorus is outstanding - a selection of the finest international films, some great Amercian indies and four of the best doc features in the festival. I'll definitely be hitting Lumina once each day, even if it's just to stick my head in and look at the sweet, sweet image on that big, big screen.
On the more practical side....
Cucalorus will operate a festival shuttle service for all festival attendees. The shuttle will pick up every 20 minutes at each venue, taking festgoers from Lumina to Thalian to Jengo's and back again.
Check back tomorrow for Dan's Picks II, topics to include:
• Traffic Light Party - what's that all about. Green, green, go, go.
• Jengo's Playground - trivia, video installations, random and organic.
• 5 filmmakers who rokk!
Willkommen de Cucalorus
Starting out as an intimate gathering at a riverside eatery, Cucalorus has become a world-wide convergence on film -- an intersection of spirit, art, and creativity. Keeping pace with an explosion in the arftorm, we bring together the most innovative artists of our time, many making work that would have been inconceivable thirteen years ago. In the same way that photography forced artists in the past century to break down boundaries, the digital revolution in film has forced filmmakers of all kinds to reach beyond. In doing so, they change the face of cinema.
With the multiplication of screens in our world, from phones to laptops to airplane drop-downs, cinema takes many forms. We even have screens in our pockets! WOW! Our devotion to the image is profound. The pinnacle of this image-based religion is the film festival. Each film plays its part as a sacrifice laid down at the festival altar. Cucalorus is then like a priest-fest, where the protectors of the cinematic pantheon assemble on the Cape Fear River to share their secrets.
We invite you to commune with us in the temple of cinema. Dip a nugget of reality into the pure water of god’s blood and receive nirvana through your eyes and ears. Our cinematic darkness is an escape, a spiritual cloak to shield us from the chaos of communication. Overloaded on our newfound connectivity, human consciousness is poised to explode. Our little world doesn’t get smaller and smaller, the human spirit gets larger and larger. The immense fear and uncertainty of that transformation is overwhelming. Yet, inside the temple, cloaked in darkness, we see again the world anew.
Dancing in the chaos, children are singing their way through hell. Horses run round and round, and men are like gods riding beasts. Other men, riding waves, worship the water spirits. Monkeys with guns run rampant.The money hungry bandits who own them ruin the planet with their exploding buds. And yet we smile and wink. A lonely beaten man plays horrible music alone, a small tin can for his release. And there, the Jedi lives, hidden and silent. But then, just one man stands up and says: Why? Why shoot now and question later? Why leave people to die in deserts? So this revolution begins. Peace becomes a word of power.
People question killing people.
So where does that leave us? A few of us, in a blumetal barn on Princess Street, want to change the way you see the world. At the festival this year, we will make you sing, even before the lights dim down, we’ll drag you out of your seat to join our motley chorus of chaos. We burn deep into the night, searching for the force of the universe, touching it briefly in a stream of 0s and 1s twisted through fine polished lenses in the hands of collective genius. Spinning madly, small machines convert digits into experience.
Wrapped in darkness, everything will be OK. In this experience, we believe.
- Dan Brawley
Director
With the multiplication of screens in our world, from phones to laptops to airplane drop-downs, cinema takes many forms. We even have screens in our pockets! WOW! Our devotion to the image is profound. The pinnacle of this image-based religion is the film festival. Each film plays its part as a sacrifice laid down at the festival altar. Cucalorus is then like a priest-fest, where the protectors of the cinematic pantheon assemble on the Cape Fear River to share their secrets.
We invite you to commune with us in the temple of cinema. Dip a nugget of reality into the pure water of god’s blood and receive nirvana through your eyes and ears. Our cinematic darkness is an escape, a spiritual cloak to shield us from the chaos of communication. Overloaded on our newfound connectivity, human consciousness is poised to explode. Our little world doesn’t get smaller and smaller, the human spirit gets larger and larger. The immense fear and uncertainty of that transformation is overwhelming. Yet, inside the temple, cloaked in darkness, we see again the world anew.
Dancing in the chaos, children are singing their way through hell. Horses run round and round, and men are like gods riding beasts. Other men, riding waves, worship the water spirits. Monkeys with guns run rampant.The money hungry bandits who own them ruin the planet with their exploding buds. And yet we smile and wink. A lonely beaten man plays horrible music alone, a small tin can for his release. And there, the Jedi lives, hidden and silent. But then, just one man stands up and says: Why? Why shoot now and question later? Why leave people to die in deserts? So this revolution begins. Peace becomes a word of power.
People question killing people.
So where does that leave us? A few of us, in a blumetal barn on Princess Street, want to change the way you see the world. At the festival this year, we will make you sing, even before the lights dim down, we’ll drag you out of your seat to join our motley chorus of chaos. We burn deep into the night, searching for the force of the universe, touching it briefly in a stream of 0s and 1s twisted through fine polished lenses in the hands of collective genius. Spinning madly, small machines convert digits into experience.
Wrapped in darkness, everything will be OK. In this experience, we believe.
- Dan Brawley
Director
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