Dan Brawley shares what to expect at this year's Cucalorus Film Festival

Dan Brawley’s journey to becoming “Chief Instigating Officer” of the Cucalorus Film Festival, which will run Nov. 19-22 for its 32nd year, began during his undergraduate years at Duke University.

As an art student there, he said he discovered film through the library’s collection of notable international ’60s and ’70s works. He also studied art – sculpting and performance art – at a small arts college on the west coast of Ireland. Following college, Brawley worked at the Edinburgh Film Festival in the print traffic department.

“My work as an artist has sort of melted into my work at Cucalorus,” Brawley said. “That ... comes through in the way Cucalorus is organized and the kinds of artists we collaborate with.”

Key Takeaways

• The bigger picture: Cucalorus Film Festival has grown well beyond its beginnings as a single-night event in 1994, becoming part of Wilmington’s cultural identity and an international gathering for independent artists.
• The details: Cucalorus Film Festival runs Nov. 19-22. This year’s venues include Jengo’s Playhouse, Coastline Center at Aloft, Thalian Hall, The Pointe 14, Hi-Wire Brewing, and The Rift. The former Grouper Nancy’s space will become the GigSalad Lounge, hosting daytime workshops, discussions, and nighttime performances. Find ticket information, the schedule, and a film guide here.

Back stateside, Brawley said he was working on the Muppet movies when he met some people from the filmmaking collective Twinkle Doon. The group launched the Cucalorus Film Festival in 1994.  

“I kind of fell backwards into my role at Cucalorus during its formative years,” he said. “I just kept showing up. One day someone called the office phone and asked who was in charge? I looked around and no one else was there, so I said I was. That was 27 years ago.”

In 2022, MovieMaker Magazine named Cucalorus one of the “25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World.” Behind the scenes, Brawley, who founded Jengo’s Playhouse in 2003, is also the founding president of the Film Festival Alliance, an independent nonprofit that supports collaboration among mission-driven film festivals internationally.  

Read on to learn more about what to expect at the festival this year, and what Brawley said not to miss.

What kinds of films will be shown this year? Is there a particular theme this year?

“One of the emerging trends in this year’s programming is a focus on North Carolina films, partly in response to a boom in indie production across the state. Our two headliners were lensed right here in the Port City: Erica Dunton’s ‘Pretty Ugly’ and Lindsey Ryan’s ‘Capsized,’ both screening at Thalian Hall. The hub of the festival moves down to the Riverfront with three event venues at the Coastline Center at Aloft as well as pass pickup and box office services. The old Grouper Nancy’s restaurant space will be transformed into the GigSalad Lounge, the social center of the festival where we’ll host workshops and discussions during the day and performances at night.”

What’s one thing you want attendees to know before going to a show?

“Get there early! Passholders and ticketholders have to arrive 30 minutes in advance.  

And also, I suggest sampling a little bit of everything – hit Dance-a-lorus, one of our headliners, a documentary or two and at least one shorts block.”

Tell us about how the festival fits in with the Cucalorus Foundation.

“Cucalorus Film Festival was launched in 1994 by the filmmaking collective Twinkle Doon – a single evening dubbed as ‘an evening of celluloid art for open minds.’ The festival grew from there, and the foundation was officially launched in 2001 to support the festival’s success. Since that time, Cucalorus Film Foundation has evolved – launching several niche festivals, providing project funding, hosting residencies and running our community cinema, Jengo’s Playhouse. We work with more than 300 artists each year organizing screenings, doing professional development workshops, giving out grants, bringing artists to Wilmington for immersive residency experiences. One of our goals has been to create a full project life cycle support system for filmmakers that connects with our community for impact and engagement.”

What venues are participating in the festival this year?

“Jengo’s is sort of the heartbeat of the festival. We’ll be using Coastline Center as the festival hub and then additional screenings at Thalian Hall with a few special screenings added this year on Sunday at The Pointe 14. There are a handful of social events held at other venues like Hi-Wire Brewing and the Rift.  

Jengo’s is just really unique. It’s not a typical movie theater. It’s almost like a secret clubhouse. You never really know what will happen at Jengo’s, especially as the day turns into night. Last year’s late-night hit was the Butter Rodeo, an interactive performance organized by several alumni of our residency program. Jengo’s is an experience so best to just plan to stay up one night and see what happens. Who knows?!”

What’s something you love about the Cucalorus Festival?  

“I get excited about the people who come together. The die-hard Cucalorians who come every year and the new artists coming for the first time. When all our visiting artists blend in with the local community, for me at least, Wilmington really comes to life in some special ways.”