10 can't-miss movies and performances at Wilmington's Cucalorus Film Festival

Wilmington's Cucalorus Film Festival, the celebration of independent film and fringe-fest-style performances that got its start at the old Water Street Restaurant downtown back in 1994, returns for its 29th year this week. The actors' strike is all but over and a return to film production locally and nationwide is impending, so it should be an even headier vibe than usual.

With dozens of screenings and performances scheduled for Nov. 15-19 at Thalian Hall downtown and Jengo's Playhouse on Princess Street, figuring out what to see at Cucalorus can be daunting. But don't worry: We're here to guide you.

One thing this year that will ease audience choices about what to see (and, by extension, what to miss), said Cucalorus director Dan Brawley, is that most features and shorts blocks will screen on multiple days.

Programming the festival in a post-COVID world is different than it used to be, Brawley said, largely because "the pandemic shifted the culture of how we watch movies. Also, everyone is now a filmmaker, and everyone has a cinema inside their home."

Those changes, he said, "have encouraged us to be more creative" in what they show to ensure the audience gets a special experience, one they couldn't get at home or even the multiplex.

Below, I've highlighted two good options for each day of the festival. But don't just take my word for it. I always recommend that, in the spirit of Cucalorus, you attend at least one block of short films, and go to at least one screening with absolutely no idea of what you're getting yourself into.

For passes, tickets and a full schedule, go to Cucalorus.org; tickets for screenings at Thalian Hall can be purchased at ThalianHall.com. Happy Cucalorus!

Filmington: Cucalorus Film Festival to spotlight Wilmington works, and a local 'Ted Lasso' connection

WEDNESDAY

'Black Barbie: A Documentary'

With 2023 being the most Barbie-tastic summer ever, thanks to Greta Gerwig's pink-hued blockbuster about the iconic doll, director Lagueria Davis's documentary couldn't come at a better time. It takes a look at Mattel’s 1980 release of the first Black Barbie and how it impacted a generation (and why it took so long). "Black Barbie" is a product of the Cucalorus Works-In-Progress series. 6:45 p.m. Nov. 15, Thalian Hall studio.

'A Song for Imogene'

Feature debut of Wilmington production company Honey Head Films. The story centers on a rural woman trapped in a toxic, abusive relationship, and the harrowing lengths she must go to escape its confines. Stars Kristi Ray, written and directed by Erika Arlee. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at Thalian Hall, 10:15 Nov. 16 at Jengo's Playhouse.

THURSDAY

'Rissi Palmer: Still Here'

Documentary about one of only four Black women to ever hit the Billboard country charts. The Grammy-nominated Palmer is from Durham, and "Still Here," which was directed by Dilsey Davis, screened earlier this year on PBS. 10:30 a.m. Nov. 16, and 1:30 p.m. Nov. 18, Thalian Hall studio.

Dance-a-Lorus

Enduring festival favorite features on-stage collaborations between Wilmington dancers, filmmakers and choreographers. This year is the 17th for Dance-a-Lorus, making it a tradition within a tradition. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16 at Thalian Hall.

FRIDAY

'Scala!'

Doc about legendary London movie house that pushed the envelope with its screenings, showing a range of sexploitation flicks, offbeat horror, kung fu films and LGBT-centric stories at a time when such fare was hard to find. 4 p.m. Nov. 17 at Jengo's Playhouse, 4 p.m. Nov. 19 at Thalian Hall.

'Sisters'

Touching comedy from director Mar Novo centers on three Mexican-American sisters who reunite after years of estrangement to complete a pilgrimage through rural Mexico in honor of their grandmother. Cristo Fernández ("futbol boy" Dani Rojas of "Ted Lasso" fame) plays a local with a dark past who helps the sisters. Fernández and some actresses from the film will be in attendance for a Q&. 7:45 p.m. Nov. 17 at Thalian Hall, 4:30 p.m. Nov. 19 in the Thalian studio.

SATURDAY

'Riddle of Fire'

If you want to take your kids to Cucalorus, this feature that played Cannes and has been compared to "The Goonies" might be your best bet. It's about a trio of video-game-loving friends who go on an epic quest after a simple errand leads them astray. 4 p.m. Nov. 18 at Thalian Hall.

'Last Straw'

Leave the kids at home for this one. University of North Carolina Wilmington film school alum Alan Scott Neal's horror flick stars Jessica Belkin ("American Horror Story," "Pretty Little Liars") as a waitress who has to fight for her life after the late-night diner where she works is invaded by masked assailants. It premiered earlier this year at a horror festival in Spain and has also screened at festivals in Austin and Los Angeles. 7 p.m. Nov. 18 at Thalian Hall.

SUNDAY

'For Nick, From Dad'

UNCW alum Nick Damore's documentary about his father, Leo Damore, a New York Times investigative journalist and best-selling author who killed himself in 1995 when his son was 10. The heartbreaking title of the film is taken from the label on a cassette Damore's father left him, a cassette Nick didn't listen to until he was 18. 4:15 p.m. Nov. 15 at Jengo's and 1:30 p.m. Nov. 19 in the Thalian Hall studio.

'Booger'

Bring your Cucalorus experience to a close with writer-director Mary Dauterman's body-horror shocker (Variety called it "sometimes excruciating," but in a good way) about a grieving woman (Grace Glowicki) who may or may not be turning into a cat. 8:15 p.m. Nov. 19, Thalian Hall studio.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Cucalorus Film Festival 2023 in Wilmington, NC: What to see