Cucalorus awards a total of $11,000 to 12 North Carolina filmmakers for indie film
project support
Wilmington, NC- Cucalorus Film Foundation is excited to announce that 12 North Carolina-based filmmakers have been awarded financial support from the Filmed in NC Fund. The Filmed in NC Fund is made possible through a partnership with the NC Film Office, and by a gift from Artless Media in conjunction with The Magnifying Glass. This multi-partner initiative supports narrative, documentary, and experimental film projects, both features and shorts, at all stages of production with a focus on growing support for female, African American and Latinx storytelling.
“Funding for indie projects is such an important part of having a healthy film industry in North Carolina. We received a record number of entries this year from the mountains to the coast, proof that film is thriving in our state and that a new generation of filmmakers are out there generating economic activity and sharing the stories that bring us together,” shared Cucalorus Executive Director Dan Brawley.
A special reception to recognize the filmmakers will be held at 4:30 PM on Thursday, November 21 at Thalian Hall, during the 30th annual Cucalorus Film Festival. The Filmed in NC reception is free and open to the public and will be held in the Filmmakers Lounge, inside Thalian Ballroom.
The 2024 recipients are:
- Cassia Sherrill for River Warrior, a documentary feature about an Appalachian, off-grid farmer who went full force into her next adventure - kayaking 1,895 river miles from her neighborhood creek in Lansing, NC all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.
- Clarke Phillips for Suga Brown, a narrative feature about a mother facing extreme challenges to ensure her baby is delivered without the mandatory genetic modifications her government demands.
- Dawn Dreyer for Smooth, a documentary short about a neurodivergent athlete, tracing the journey from girlhood to menopause through the relationship with two coaches, then and now.
- Evelyn Garcia for Gabriela, a narrative short about a young, undocumented Guatemalan woman, dreaming of joining a Country Club swim team in the American South.
- Jennida Chase for The Motherlode, a documentary feature about an unprecedented immersion into the arts, illuminating the invisible labor of women and exploring the intersection of art and motherhood.
- Justin Robinson for GERMAN SOUL, an episodic project about an obsessive Black ethnobotanist, chasing down the German ghosts hiding in Southern cuisine, rendering new perspectives and possibilities for culinary sovereignty.
- Kristi Ray for A Midwife Solution, a documentary short about a network of "Underground Midwives" in North Carolina, who are answering the call in secrecy to protect and serve an entire generation of home-birthing families.
- Michael A Betts II for Blerd Nation, an episodic project about a nerd-driven exploration into the fantastic, revolutionary world of Black Nerd Culture in America.
- Madison Hill for For a Brief Moment, a documentary short about the uncertainties of death and dying through the perspective of a North Carolina based death doula.
- Olivia Schindler for FEVER, a narrative short about a young frontiersman on a desperate hunt for food, and the nightmarish bond made between his prey and his rapidly deteriorating father.
- Shahin Nemat Gorgani for Gorgeous, a narrative short about a young boy, caught between his estranged parents' silence decides to embark on a curious journey of self-discovery.
- Victoria Bouloubasis for Lo Mejor Está Por Venir, a documentary feature about a formerly undocumented family returning to Argentina, prompting the eldest daughter, Barbara, to question why they left.
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