Cucalorus awarded $25,000 grant
By Ashlea Kosikowski | February 5, 2021 at 4:58 PM EST – Updated February 5 at 7:33 PM
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – The Cucalorus Film Foundation will receive a $25,000 Grants for Arts Projects award to support the Cucalorus Film Festival.
According to a release from Cucalorus, the money from the National Endowment for the Arts will help to support more than 75 independent filmmakers whose work will be screened at the annual film festival in Wilmington.
Cucalorus will celebrate its 27th year in Wilmington in 2021. Thousands attend the event each year.
The festival has expanded since it was founded in 1994. Now, it features more than movies; Cucalorus also showcases live performance, community advocacy and social justice.
The “Connect” portion of the festival features panel discussions on current issues.
More than 1,000 projects were selected for NEA grants.
“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support this project from the Cucalorus Film Festival,” said Arts Endowment Acting Chairman Ann Eilers, in a press release. “Cucalorus is among the arts organizations across the country that have demonstrated creativity, excellence, and resilience during this very challenging year.”
“We’re so honored to be recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts as a leader in showcasing media makers and creating original programs where the general public can experience the work of visionary filmmakers,” said Cucalorus Executive Director Dan Brawley. “This funding is a catalyst for further investment and helps us to build a sustainable economic environment for indie filmmakers.”
Brawley and his team made a commitment a few years ago to make sure the festival was inclusive.
Half of all films at the festival are made by women; half of the films are also created by artists of color.
Copyright 2021 WECT. All rights reserved.
