Black Beach/White Beach: A Tale of Two Beaches[/caption]
The 23rd Cucalorus Festival takes over downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, from November 8 to 12 and will feature more than 70 documentaries, including the world premiere of Ricky and Cherie Kelly’s racially-charged motorcycle doc “Black Beach/White Beach: A Tale of Two Beaches” and the international premiere of Shawn Hitchins’ fiery, flamboyant stage show-doc “Ginger Nation.”
One of many films crossing the divide between Cucalorus Film and Cucalorus Connect is Thomas Lennon’s “Knife Skills,” about a French restaurant staffed entirely by men and women just out of prison. Lennon shared, “I knew Cucalorus was a creative festival. What I didn’t know is how deep its roots run in its community, its passion to connect each film to an audience in a way that packs the biggest possible punch. They really go the extra mile, which makes the festival even more exciting for us.”
Other documentary debuts include the U.S. premiere of “Forbidden Games: The Justin Fashanu Story” by Jon Carey and Adam Darke, chronicling the complex and troubled story of a talented (and openly gay) British soccer player. “The Power of Glove,” from Andrew Austin and Adam Ward, presenting the legacy of the notoriously “bad” Nintendo Power Glove, and “True Conviction” from Jamie Meltzer, depicting a detective agency run by exonerated men to free innocent people, both make their southeast U.S. premieres. “ACORN and the Firestorm,” directed by Reuben Atlas and Sam Pollard, will have it’s North Carolina premiere and documents the amateur journalists who posed as a pimp and prostitute hoping to expose America’s largest grassroots community organizing group via hidden-camera.
Cucalorus also includes 55 short documentaries, including the world premiere of Joanne Hock’s “Martin Hill: Camera Man,” honoring a curator of cameras that shot some of the most iconic films in Hollywood’s past. Other key short docs include “Water Warriors” by Michael Premo, “Under the Mask” by Alex Hoelscher, and “Lonnie Holley: The Truth of Dirt” by Marco Williams.
Black Beach/White Beach: A Tale of Two Beaches
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BLACK BEACH/WHITE BEACH, GINGER NATION, KNIFE SKILLS, Among Docs Featured at Cucalorus Festival
[caption id="attachment_24993" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Black Beach/White Beach: A Tale of Two Beaches[/caption]
The 23rd Cucalorus Festival takes over downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, from November 8 to 12 and will feature more than 70 documentaries, including the world premiere of Ricky and Cherie Kelly’s racially-charged motorcycle doc “Black Beach/White Beach: A Tale of Two Beaches” and the international premiere of Shawn Hitchins’ fiery, flamboyant stage show-doc “Ginger Nation.”
One of many films crossing the divide between Cucalorus Film and Cucalorus Connect is Thomas Lennon’s “Knife Skills,” about a French restaurant staffed entirely by men and women just out of prison. Lennon shared, “I knew Cucalorus was a creative festival. What I didn’t know is how deep its roots run in its community, its passion to connect each film to an audience in a way that packs the biggest possible punch. They really go the extra mile, which makes the festival even more exciting for us.”
Other documentary debuts include the U.S. premiere of “Forbidden Games: The Justin Fashanu Story” by Jon Carey and Adam Darke, chronicling the complex and troubled story of a talented (and openly gay) British soccer player. “The Power of Glove,” from Andrew Austin and Adam Ward, presenting the legacy of the notoriously “bad” Nintendo Power Glove, and “True Conviction” from Jamie Meltzer, depicting a detective agency run by exonerated men to free innocent people, both make their southeast U.S. premieres. “ACORN and the Firestorm,” directed by Reuben Atlas and Sam Pollard, will have it’s North Carolina premiere and documents the amateur journalists who posed as a pimp and prostitute hoping to expose America’s largest grassroots community organizing group via hidden-camera.
Cucalorus also includes 55 short documentaries, including the world premiere of Joanne Hock’s “Martin Hill: Camera Man,” honoring a curator of cameras that shot some of the most iconic films in Hollywood’s past. Other key short docs include “Water Warriors” by Michael Premo, “Under the Mask” by Alex Hoelscher, and “Lonnie Holley: The Truth of Dirt” by Marco Williams.
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11 Indie Filmmakers Awarded “Filmed in NC” Grants
Eleven indie filmmakers have been awarded “Filmed in NC” grants, an initiative to support indie filmmakers in North Carolina. The grants are funded by the NC Film Office and awarded through the Cucalorus Film Foundation. The eleven projects awarded range from narrative features to short docs and were chosen from 59 submissions.
Embracing the diversity of the film industry, the “Filmed in NC” Grants are supporting five female directors, three projects from African American filmmakers, and one genderqueer filmmaker. Filmmakers will present a portion of their ongoing work at the 23rd annual Cucalorus Film Festival, taking place November 8 to 12, 2017.
Grant recipients are:
Alex Nomick for Sweet Nothing, a narrative about a college student struggling with his sexuality;
Alicia Inshiradu for What The River Knows, a short chronicling the six months of a young married couple’s tragic life;
Anna R. Jones for Chairman Jones – An Improbable Leader, a documentary about North Carolina’s first African American school board chairman;
Anthony Reynolds for Times Like Dying, a feature about a vengeful farming family;
Brendan & Jeremy Smyth for Mohmmed, a poetic look into forgotten refugees;
Christopher Baker for Sarah’s Big Day, about a girl and her imaginary friend;
Joanne Hock for Martin Hill: Camera Man, a documentary about an obsessed hoarder of filmmaking tools;
Katina Parker for A Love Supreme: Black, Queer and Christian in The South, documenting the journey to reconcile Black Queer Christians with their families;
Laura Hart McKinny for Extraordinary Ventures, a story of employment of teens and adults on the autism spectrum;
Molly Lewis for Paradise: Downhill Skateboarding, about the downhill skateboarding culture of Western North Carolina;
Ricky Kelly for Black Beach/White Beach: A Tale of Two Beaches, about the racial tensions that arise in Myrtle Beach during two national bike festivals every spring.