Cucalorus announces full schedule for 30th annual film festival

Wilmington, NC- The full film schedule went live today for the 30th annual Cucalorus Film Festival, taking place in downtown Wilmington from November 20 to 24 at Jengo’s Playhouse, Thalian Hall and other downtown venues.“This year’s festival feels like a reunion of sorts. We have some of our favorite performers like Shirley Gnome, Roxana Barba, and Alexandra Tatarsky coming to share new work in the cabaret-style Filmmakers Lounge. Many of the shorts blocks will screen on the main stage at Thalian Hall, a throwback to the first festival where we screened 16 short films. And the lineup of features is really outstanding, including the Friday Night feature, Operation Taco Gary’s, which was shot last year here in North Carolina and stars Simon Rex, who will be joining us for the festival,” said Cucalorus Chief Instigating Officer, Dan Brawley.Dance-a-lorus hits the stage at Thalian Hall on Thursday, November 21 with short dance works by Wilmington’s top choreographers like Linda Larson and Kevin Green. Also Thursday, brother and sister duo Ashley and William Tyner (2023 Works-in-Progress Lab alumni) tackle the impact of George Floyd’s murder in The People’s Way, a powerful documentary about inner healing and Black liberation. On Friday, the award-winning, bizarre, experimental comedy Universal Language turns ordinary-day Winnipeg into something special and screens on the main stage at Thalian, along with an all-star list of narrative features like Messy, Lone Wolves, Lady Parts, and Duino. On the slightly more serious side, Michael Premo’s award-winning film Homegrown tells the stories of three men caught up in the frenzy of support for Trump’s 2020 stolen election lies.Saturday afternoon, Thalian Black gets a taste of the extraterrestrial with They’re Here, a comedic documentary that explores human connection and perception with–of course–alien encounters. Academy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson portrays Lilly Ledbetter, the fair pay activist who battles for equality all the way to the Supreme Court in Lilly, screening on the main stage at Thalian Hall.In keeping with the theme of the 30th anniversary (celebrated with a pearl), this year’s shorts blocks are aptly named after oysters. Check out Sugar Shack shorts for the weirdest and most absurd films; Blue Point shorts for animation and Coffin Bay for comedy. The full film schedule is available at cucalorus.eventive.org/schedule. All-access Pegasorus passes are on sale while supplies last. To gain access to the whole film festival, parties, conversations and other events, be sure to purchase a pass!Cucalorus is sponsored by the Wilson Center, North Carolina Arts Council, North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, City of Wilmington, University of North Carolina Wilmington, New Hanover County, National Endowment for the Arts, North Carolina Arts Council, GigSalad, WSFX, nCino and over 60 local businesses.Cucalorus is a multi-disciplinary organization supporting emerging and innovative artists through an annual film festival, regional festivals, a residency program, a community cinema, an outdoor film series, and youth education programs. Cucalorus brings people together to celebrate, discover, and create. The annual festival provides a non-competitive environment to support independent filmmakers, performance artists, and community organizers who use storytelling to transform our world. More information is available at www.cucalorus.org. ###