CAROLINA THEATRE INVITED TO HOST NEW FILM SCREENING SERIES

Durham's Carolina Theatre is posting some great news lately.  Not only did it announce this week that it is profitable for the first time since 2008, but today it announced a new screening series that makes it a must see for locals and visitors alike.

From their announcement:

The Carolina Theatre has been invited to host an exclusive new film screening series presenting the biggest independent films for one advanced screening in Durham before they’re in theatres nationwide. 

Each month, The New York Film Critics Series will premier one of the hottest new independent films days or even weeks before they are available anywhere else in the Triangle. Following each screening, we’ll broadcast a high definition interview with the directors and actors, live from New York City.

The series begins Tuesday, December 10 at 7PM with American Hustle, directed by David O'Russell and staring Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence. New films will be announced each month. "

Yes, this means that in Durham people can stay ahead of the curve on new releases.  Given the destination's reputation for being a documentary film mecca with The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, and as a back drop for many major motion pictures in the past, this seems only a fitting addition to the roster of film-related attributes.

Stay on top of all the happenings here with the Durham Event Calendar.

Full Frame Starts Thursday

Durham is home to The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival which begins on Thursday, April 4th. Filmmaker Dawn Porter’s critically-acclaimed “Gideon’s Army” will be the Opening Night Film.

Director of Programming Sadie Tillery said, “I love that over the course of four days, we have the opportunity to showcase the numerous innovative and exciting ways the documentary form
continues to excel and evolve. Some films are showing for the first time anywhere, while other titles have received accolades at other prestigious festivals. In the end, I simply hope these
exceptional works will resonate with audiences as genuinely as they have with me. I’m honored to be a part of bringing non-fiction’s best of the best to Durham.”

The festival will feature its “Full Frame Tribute” program, featuring the past films and
a new world premiere film from Academy Award® winning filmmaker Jessica Yu, and a
“Thematic Program” curated by filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev.

One of the nation’s premier documentary film festivals, Full Frame celebrates its 16th annual
festival this April. For the first time, Full Frame is a qualifying event for consideration for
nominations for both the Academy Award® for Best Documentary Short Subject and The
Producers Guild of America Awards.

The “Invited Program” features 24 films screening out of competition. Included in this list are
the festival’s “Center Frame” screenings, which feature moderated panel discussions following
the films and take place in Fletcher Hall at The Carolina Theatre.

See the full schedule of festival events on their website where tickets and passes can also be purchased.  Stay informed about all events occurring in Durham year-round with the Durham Event Calendar.

Film Festivals in Focus

Film is important to Durham, and has been for decades.  Since the 1950 movie Bright Leaf, Durham has taken on a roll in film both as a subject and a backdrop, as well as a venue for them to be showcased.  Bull Durham, arguably the most popular sports movie of all time, served as all three.

As of this past weekend, Durham's newly renovated Carolina Theatre played host the to the world premier of the most recent film to make it to the big screen that was shot in Durham, Main Street.  Critical acclaim or not, success or not, it's production brought revenue to the community and exposure to the destination.

The Carolina's renovations, however, are a hit and include both cosmetic as well as functional enhancements resulting in a more user-friendly and luxurious experience.  A return visit is in order for those who've not been recently.

Below is a list of film festivals and series held in Durham annually, and each are linked to their respective websites to make seeing them easy to plan.  Coming up this weekend is the Escapism Film Festival, and it looks to be exactly that - a great escape.

Durham Film Festivals

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival - Durham, April 

NC Latin American Film Festival – Duke University, November

BrickFlix LEGO Shorts Film Festival – Carolina Theatre, May

Strange Beauty Film Festival – Durham, February

Nevermore Film Festival – Carolina Theatre, February

NC Gay & Lesbian Film Festival – Carolina Theatre, August

Hayti Heritage Film Festival – Hayti Heritage Center, February

Escapism Film Festival – Carolina Theatre, October

Durham Riverkeeper Film Festival – Neuse River Foundation, January

Dancing for the Camera: International Festival of Film and Video Dance – American Dance Festival, June

Durham Film Series

Retrofantasma Film Festival – Carolina Theatre, October

The Tournées Festival – Duke University, Fall

Muslim Film Series - Duke University, Fall

Rights! Camera! Action! Film Series – Duke University, Winter

Screen/Society – Duke University, Fall

Movies in the Park – Durham Central Park, Spring

Festival Season Is Just Beginning

Any other community having just hosted the Bennett Place Civil War Surrender Commemoration, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, and the Doughman might look forward to taking the summer off, but not Durham. In Durham, the summer months are just as prolific with the Juneteenth Celebration, American Dance Festival, Festival for the Eno, the Bull Durham Blues Festival and the NC Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.

Durham's festivals are unique; they don't just fill the calendar, many have earned global reputations and continue to put Durham in the national spotlight. These signature festivals are a part of Durham's story. They are a part of Durham's incredible quality of life.

The New York Times recently called Durham a "major summer dance destination." The American Dance Festival, which runs throughout the months of June and July, is one of Durham's great cultural assets. Tickets for the 2011 season are available here.  For more events, visit the Official Durham Community Calendar, Durham's most comprehensive event calendar, a service of Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Proof That Festivals Can Leverage Community Improvement And Help Change Lives

Durham blogger and President Emeritus of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau shares his thoughts on the social and economic impact of home-grown festivals.

Proof That Festivals Can Leverage Community Improvement And Help Change Lives 
Bull City Mutterings
Reyn Bowman


We learn to expect the close partnership, such as the one between the world-acclaimed Full Frame Documentary Film Festival and the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB) to culminate with a publicizing of input-output-based estimate of economic impact including local tax yield.

But Full Frame’s executive director Deirdre Haj is proof that Festivals can be leveraged even further to improve lives and communities in other ways.

She’s a firm believer that, as an apprentice profession, filmmaking and particularly documentary filmmaking could be a perfect fit one day at Durham’s Holton Resource & Career Center. She’s partnering with the East Durham Children’s Initiative on a pilot project with the help of some grants from Durham Rotary Club (Downtown) and Durham-based Mary Duke Biddle Foundation and GSK.

Her passion and dream for an eventual Documentary Film Trade School in Durham, a community with an already significant resume as a film location, is informed by solid independent third-party research conducted on a program by the Adobe Foundation.

The research showed that after involvement in documentary filmmaking, “at-promise” youth, a term Ms. Haj prefers to “at-risk:”

• 84% of youth reported learning more about important issues of their own choosing,

• 86% of participating youth believing their work could make a difference,

• 91% saying their opinions matter, and

• 91% of participating youth are interested in continuing their education after high school.

Durham is fortunate to not only have a wider range of signature festivals than other communities but the fact that the majority are homegrown contributes to the community’s unique-sense-of-place and personality.

And as Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is proving, the difference they can make doesn’t stop there!

And DCVB’s role in this partnership is proof to those in the community/destination marketing arena that fostering and nurturing the sustainability of uniquely, home-grown festivals is a very relevant part of what visitor-centric economic and cultural development is all about.

Full Frame Visitor Spending A Great Start to 2011 Signature Festivals

The Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau calculates annually the spending and tax revenue generated by visitors to six of Durham's largest annual signature festivals.

With the conclusion of the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival last month, the 2011 event season is underway, and the impact continues to be substantial.

Full Frame visitors contributed $1.8 million to the local Durham economy with another $52,000 in tax revenue for local governments generated on those purchases.

“Spending by visitors to the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is substantial, but there is more than just the impact of the dollars spent," according to DCVB President & CEO Shelly Green.  "Full Frame receives great national exposure which garners a type of billboard effect within the documentary world. That leads to future visitation and even the relocation of some Indy Film Companies to the area.”

In addition to Full Frame, DCVB will measure the impact of American Dance Festival - June 9 through July 23; Festival For the Eno - July 2-4; Bull Durham Blues Festival - September 9-10; Centerfest - September 17-18; and World Beer Festival - October 8th. 

Combined these six festivals generated more than $12 million in visitor spending and $328,000 in local tax revenue in 2010.

Go Scvngr Hunting in Durham

Nope, that's not a typo up there in the headline...it's correct. Scvngr is a social gaming application for smartphones that is free to download and play. 

Social media is beginning to fill a variety of roles in society. Obviously, it is a great way to connect with others. It is also used to share information, opinions, and images. Scvngr is being used by destination marketing organizations to provide itineraries of things to do along with some fun ways to interact at those places. Think of things like looking for clues or facts, taking a picture of something, or even meeting a person at the location, and you'll be on target for what this application is all about. 

"We're really excited about the ways that this new tool can enhance the visitors' experience," said Sam Poley, Director of Marketing and Communications at the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau. "This gives us a great entree into the smartphone app arena that really provides great user service - the itineraries are going to be fun, informative, and engaging."

Poley further indicated that when the DCVB publishes its contributions to the application, a privilege for which the organization pays, the treks, as Scvngr calls them, will be fairly broad based and overview in nature. Future offerings will be more targeted to season, events, and even have the possibility to have some hyper-focused opportunities for conventions and meetings. He noted that use of the service for professional visitor meetings is on the rise.

There will ultimately be a way for local businesses to sponsor parts of this application, but Poley indicates that the offerings won't be ready until late summer. Local businesses will be alerted when opportunities come available.

"We expect to launch this in the second week of April," Poley said.  "We think it would be really great to have it live for Full Frame," he added referring to the documentary film festival that calls Durham home.

Two Durham Festivals Announce 2011 Lineups

Just announced! Two of the largest, nationally known festivals in Durham have announced their 2011 schedules!

This year’s Full Frame Documentary Film Festival will run from April 14-17 and will feature nine World Premieres, nine North American Premieres and seven US Premieres. Over all there will be 66 selections for the NEW DOCS program, 43 feature films and 23 shorts from all over the world.

Click here for a film schedule and film descriptions and visit their website for ticket and festival information.

Once Durham has caught its breath following the festivities of Full Frame, the American Dance Festival will take over Durham for six weeks in June and July.

“Something New, Something Treasured” is this theme for the 2011 American Dance Festival and the performances, to span from June 9 – July 23, have been announced. Mark your calendars to take part in this very treasured Durham festival.

For additional information about the 2011 American Dance Festival, ADF community programs, performing companies/choreographers, and to purchase tickets (starting May 9), visit their website.

Documentary About Local Artist to Show at Full Frame

Beverly McIver is not an average person. Despite her quiet demeanor, unassuming presence and contagious humility, she is a force of nature.

McIver is a Durham-based artist whose work has gained national attention, but her most recent moment in the spotlight is for another reason entirely - she is the subject of a documentary called Raising Renee that will be shown at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. It is about a promise that Beverly made to her mother - one kept unfailingly. The promise was to care for her disabled sister when her mother passed away, and since 2004, Beverly has done so.

At one hour and 25 minutes and the result of six years of filming by two Massachusetts film makers, the work chronicles the changes and choices Beverly has made to accommodate her sister; her need to leave NY as her career was taking off, her move to Arizona to teach, and ultimately back to Durham to take a position as the Suntrust Endowed Professor of Art at North Carolina Central University. It's been quite a journey. 

"It helped me grow as an individual and made me care for someone - that's what the film is about,"  McIver said by phone in her characteristically happy tone.

Her art moved from hobby to profession over the last 25 years - she sold her first piece to a co-worker she met while on a temporary job with whom she is still friends.  At the same time she grew as a person and artist whose works sell for tens of thousands of dollars.

As some would say in proper Southern parlance, Beverly is "good people," though she'd probably not be so self-congratulatory herself.

Look for the film during Full Frame at The Carolina Theatre from April 14th to the 17th. 

February is for Film Festivals

Durham, NC is a great location for movie lovers. Whether it’s visiting the sites of favorite movies, or attending film festivals, Durham has something unique to offer and that’s evident with the three very different film festivals held in Durham later this month.

Running from February 17-19, the Strange Beauty Film Festival features “adventurous and striking short films from around the world that are strangely beautiful and/or beautifully strange.”  Held at Manbites Dog Theater, this film festival is in its second year and is Durham’s newest. Weekend passes are sold out so view the schedule online and purchase tickets at the same time.

Celebrating its 17th year, the Hayti Heritage Film Festival will run from February 17-20. The Hayti Heritage Film Festival “embodies the richness of Black culture while recognizing universal themes and the similarities that exist among all cultures.”  The festival will kick off with a community film day discussion with questions and answer time that is free to the public. For schedule and ticket information, visit http://www.haytifilmfest.org/.

If a weekend of horror and Gothic films sounds appealing, check out the Nevermore Horror and Gothic Film Festival at The Carolina Theatre. Created in 1999, Nevermore is “dedicated to screening brand new horror features from around the world.”  In its 12th year, this festival is not for the faint of heart. Schedule and ticket information can be found on the festival’s website.

Also stay tuned for information about two more Durham film festivals later in 2011: Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, April 14-17 and the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, August 11-14.

Duke and Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Formally Join Forces

For the average movie-goer, the annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival will continue to be a four-day event where the latest and best nonfiction cinema from around the world will be shown each spring. In 2011, that means nearly 100 films, chosen from about 1,200 submissions, will be aired in downtown Durham from April 14 to 17.

Behind the scenes, the organizational structure for Full Frame will formally shift, with the Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) at Duke University providing an institutional home for the festival. Full Frame will continue to operate out of its offices at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham with the same mission, staff and budget.

“While our connection to Full Frame goes back to its origins, we’re looking forward to working even more closely with the festival as we move ahead with exciting plans for year-round programming and other joint projects,” said CDS director Tom Rankin.

Duke President Richard H. Brodhead noted that the university and Full Frame “have been partners since the very beginning of the festival.  By broadening and deepening our relationship, the documentary arts will play an even greater role in the intellectual life of the university, and will bring that same vibrancy to the loyal and devoted fans of the leading documentary film festival in the country.”

The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival started in 1998 as the DoubleTake Documentary Film Festival, a project of the CDS. Five years later, the festival took a new name (Full Frame) and began operating as an independent nonprofit, a result of its tremendous growth and success.

Even after the change to nonprofit status, CDS continued its close association with the festival, and Duke became a lead sponsor. As Full Frame’s submissions and audiences grew, these affiliations developed further, to the extent that bringing the festival more formally into the overall organization of the CDS “made sense in order to take advantage of shared goals and long-term missions,” Rankin said.

“After the festival’s most successful season in recent history, it is a thrill to return Full Frame to its roots,” said Deirdre Haj, executive director of Full Frame. “At the same time, our future depends as much as ever on the support of filmmakers, audiences, funders and the local community as we move forward.”

In addition to getting to view top international films, festival-goers get to enjoy the presence and accessibility of top filmmakers, Rankin said. Over the years, that has included D.A. Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus, Steven Soderbergh, Ken Burns, Rory Kennedy, Liz Garbus, Jehane Noujaim, Steve James, Ross McElwee, Laura Poitras, George Stoney, Barbara Kopple, Marco Williams, Judith Helfand, Werner Herzog and Mira Nair.

Submissions for the 2011 Full Frame Festival are currently being accepted (go to www.fullframefest.org for details).

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The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University was founded in 1989 to teach, present, produce, and support documentary photography, film, radio and writing. For more information about CDS, go to http://cds.aas.duke.edu.

For more information about the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, go to www.fullframefest.org.