Cucalorus Film Festival Flies into 28th year with Butterfly in the Sky, Darwin’s Smile and Our Father, the Devil
November 9, 2022 / Wilmington, NC – The official schedule for the 28th annual Cucalorus Film Festival has been released and tickets are now on sale for all events. This year’s festival will take place Nov. 16-20, 2022 in downtown Wilmington and will showcase 136 films, beginning with the Wilmington-made opening night feature film, The Devil’s Stomping Ground. Other features include thought-provoking documentaries like the closing night film, Rise and Rebuild: A Tale of Three Cities and the strange-but-true tale of The Pez Outlaw. From dark comedies like Sick of Myself to the crowd-pleasing Sarcastic Fringehead comedy shorts block, this year’s lineup has something for every filmgoer. Screenings take place at Thalian Hall, on campus at UNCW and also at the recently renovated community cinema, Jengo’s Playhouse.
Film selections range from Butterfly in the Sky, a documentary about the beloved children’s literary TV show Reading Rainbow, to Our Father, the Devil, a psychological thriller about trauma, power, guilt, and the devils hiding within us all. Featuring Oscar-worthy performances, Our Father the Devil has taken home awards at every festival, including Best Narrative Feature at Sidewalk Film Festival and the Audience Award at Tribeca Film Festival. Director Ellie Foumbi will be in attendance during Cucalorus and will participate in Q&A sessions following both screenings.
As always, the festival offers up a sweet selection of short films curated into blocks named after weird animals like Leafy Seadragon (docs about land) Pleasing Fungus Beetle (short docs about family), and of course our annual short comedy showcase, this year is called Sarcastic Fringehead.
Taking cinema beyond the screen, the Cucalorus Performances program welcomes Isabella Rossellini back to Wilmington to perform her one-woman show, Darwin’s Smile. This ultimate Bus to Lumberton experience has been 25 years in the making, tickets are limited, so grab yours now at cucalorus.eventive.org. Fan favorite Alex Tatarsky returns to the stage with her new show Dirt Trip. Julia Desmond’s Acme Revue brings a dynamic combination of visual art, comedy and music.
Our new Conversations program highlights the ability filmmakers have to generate discussion and connection within their storytelling. This year’s Conversations program explores Black history in Wilmington with wilmingtoNColor, the OUT Dance Project, and The Making of the Nuevo South, a television series about the Latino immigrant experience in the South.
The full lineup of films is available at cucalorus.eventive.org/schedule. Grab a Pegasorus Pass to gain access to the whole film festival, plus parties, conversations and other events. Access to Darwin’s Smile is not included in the Pegasorus Pass.