Cucalorus 16 Screeches to a Climactic Close

Blog

Cucalorus 16 has come and gone and we’re all clinging to the memories of the 16th annual festival. We hope you had as much fun as we did. Amidst screening films from narrative to docs to international to experimental to animation, Cucalorus showcased films from all over. Be it live music before a show, or Invisible’s performances in Thalian Hall, music entertainment could be found in abundance throughout Cucalorus 16.This year we screened more music videos than ever before, showing them first at the Kickoff Party at the Soapbox where Itlian filmmaker Stefano Giannotti and Sandman “The Rapping Cowboy” from ‘Roll Out Cowboy’ performed. At The Visual Soundwalls party at Front Street Brewery we showed the Nutweevil Shorts music video block again featuring music videos from Das Racist, Peaches, The Richter Scales Wax Tailor.
Did you catch the performance art running around Cucalorus this year? If you made it to Dance-a-lorus, brilliantlove, or John Dilworth’s Irrational Reactions, you would have seen why people talk about Cucalorus events for years to come. Seeing John Dilworth rolled up in a carpet screaming only jump started the awesome presentation from the creator of Courage the Cowardly Dog and Dirdy Birdy.

Dolphin Glide was screened for the first time ever at Cucalorus 16, and Cash Crop, Breaking and Entering, and Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff drew large crowds. International documentaries had a big draw as well with ‘The Red Chapel’ filling up Thalian Main Stage to capacity, and ‘A Film Unfinished’ and ‘Brother Towns’ giving new perspectives.

Hope you got a chance to check out all the awesome support from all of our great sponsors this year! Whether you sipped on Catdaddy or Midnight Moon moonshine or Front Street Brewery beer, grabbed some Shrimp and Grits from Press 102, or caught a bag of chips from Good Health Natural Foods, we hope that our sponsors helped you have a great time because they sure helped us have one! If you didn’t catch the chip tossing, Jengo’s Playhouse offered bug tossing with crispy maggots and crickets flung threw the air into excited audience member’s laps.

How many exciting visitors to Wilmington did you meet this year? We hope everyone got a chance to interact with Ed and Andy from ‘Skeletons’, their British wit had everyone in stitches all weekend long. Arin Cromley, a Cucalorus alum, had a camera glued to his side and a smile on his face as he documented the festival. Many more filmmakers came from various shorts including Josephine Decker who returned with her short film ‘Squeezebox’, Ryan Davis from ‘Pink Triangle’ and Nick Leopold from ‘The Gatherers’. Interacting with visiting filmmakers is one of the most exciting parts of Cucalorus! Here’s what a few of them said about this festival we love so much:

  • “Thanks for letting me join the Cucalorus family”- Cole Spector, ‘Honeymooners’
  • “I just wanted to thank everyone involved with the festival. I was proud to be a part of it. Thanks for making it so great!” –Leo Hageman, ‘Twice as Bright’
  • “THANKS SO MUCH for having us at Cucalorus 2010!! We had an AMAZING time….screening was packed…Chris [‘Sandman’] rocked the Q & A and Kick-Off Party. So fun!!!!” – Elizabeth Lawrence, ‘Roll Out, Cowboy’
  • “It was so much fun at Cucalorus!” – Laura Israel, ‘Windfall’
  • “Thanks so much for showing me a great time! I got a great vibe from your city and was happy to show my film there. Thank you, also, for subjecting me to Enter the Void :)” -Jamie Travis, ‘The Armoire’
  • “It’s been a GREAT festival! I had lots of fun, met great people and most of all watched some very GOOD films :)” – Luis Reggiardo, ‘Oro Verde (Green Sea)’

Thanks for making Cucalorus 16 a creative success. WE couldn’t have done it without you!