Cucalorus Response

So, Cucalorus.

I’m still glad that I chose to volunteer, even though it ended up being a very long weekend. Everything did not turn out how I expected, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. On Thursday night I volunteered at Thalian Hall in the Black Box. I screen coordinated and ushered for the shorts block Paw Paw Shorts. I was excited because I got to meet and talk to each of the filmmakers who showed up at the screening: Kevin Yee, Mary Margaret Folds, Victoria De Leone, Laura Hart McKinny, and John McKinny. Unfortunately, apparently there was a “formatting issue” with Mary Margaret Folds’ Don’t Drink the Water, so it cut out about a minute before the film was supposed to end. I pulled the filmmaker out of the theater when I realized what had happened and reassured her we were doing everything we could to fix the problem while coordinating with the projectionist to figure something out. I still felt terrible for her though, and she was clearly very upset, and rightly so. The projectionist eventually found the original copy of the film and promised to play it at the end of the block, but Mary Margaret Folds had already left with the seven crew members and actors she had brought with her to the screening. That experience was not fun, but now I know that if I were a filmmaker presenting at a festival, I would show up to the screening early and request to have my film tested before the screening to make sure there would be no technical issues.

The other two days I volunteered were much more fun. On Friday I screen coordinated for the feature films Burning and 8 Slices in Thalian Hall. Both films were fantastic. Unfortunately, I did not get to talk to the creator of Burning because he did not attend the festival, but I did get to talk to 8 Slices’ writer/director, Nick Westfall, and producer Amber Adams. Both were kind and excited to be there which made me even more excited to be there. Although, I was surprised to realize that Nick was a little nervous about going out on stage to help introduce the film and answer questions afterward. Granted, there were over 400 people in the theater, but it still surprised me that he would be nervous talking about/answering questions about his own film.

On Saturday, I worked the Station Main Theatre. I was supposed to be working with a fellow screen coordinator at this venue, but something happened with the schedule and he had to go to Thalian so I ended up coordinating these three screenings alone: Pink, The Saint Bernard Syndicate, and United Skates. Also, none of the ushers showed up for the first screening, so I ended up screen coordinating, ushering, and doing lighting for Pink, which was actually kind of fun. Also, I was very proud of myself because not only did I talk to the director of Pink, Austin Herring, as I originally intended, but I also spoke to the sound designer, Joe Miller, who also attended the screening. I was happy to find out as a musician myself that he has a background in music as well (he got his Bachelor’s in music before getting into film). I felt uncomfortable about going up and talking to him at first, but he was very nice so I’m glad that I did. Also, as a filmmaker, and more specifically as a filmmaker interested in sound design, I learned that it is important to go up and talk to people who share your interests because it will always be appreciated. After the film, a whole group was standing around talking to the director and producer, but Joe was sitting down by himself waiting for the others to wrap up their conversation. After I talked to him, he told me that he appreciated me taking the time to express my appreciation for his work, and it was fun talking to him and understanding where he came from as a musician turned sound designer.

I talked to the director of The Saint Bernard Syndicate as well, but my favorite experience was screen coordinating for United Skates. I have a special love for documentaries that only grew after I interned with Working Films in Wilmington, so I was already excited to see this film. The director was unable to attend the screening, but her sister who is the film, Naadira Brown, was able to make it. Naadira was so kind and communicated with me well about what she needed from me before the screening which I really appreciated. The film itself was definitely my favorite of the eight screenings I attended throughout the festival. The music and story were great, and I could feel the audience’s energy even from within the partially-enclosed room that housed the lighting controls. Additionally, Naadira gave me a hug and expressed her appreciation for helping the screening run smoothly which I loved.

On Sunday, I attended two screenings with a friend because I wanted to enjoy the festival not as a volunteer. We went to the Cherimoya shorts block and Wild Nights with Emily. Both screenings were interesting to say the least. However, just attending the screenings made me realize how much more I learned/got to experience as a volunteer than as an attendee. The overall experience wasn’t exactly what I expected (the entire thing wasn’t as organized as I anticipated; the staff act like they’re super organized when really they’re not), but it was a valuable experience for me. I loved the fact that I got to meet other filmmakers (some local too…8 Slices was filmed in Holden Beach). I accomplished my intentions/challenges by talking to all the filmmakers who attended the screenings I was coordinating, I spent time talking to other volunteers, especially the ushers, and I explored several venues including Thalian Hall, Station Main, the Connect Theater, and the Cameron Art Museum. I watched plenty of short films as I intended, and my experiences as a volunteer for Cucalorus I’m sure will inform some of my decisions regarding the video race and after party for Visions.

*As a volunteer, I received a film pass, so I didn't get any tickets for the screenings I attended. However, here is a picture of my pass, and a few other pictures I took during the festival*