As director of the Cucalorus Film Festival for more than a decade now, Dan Brawley has been instrumental in growing the festival’s presence on the national scene and shaping it into one of the Southeast’s premiere cultural events. When the curtain rises on Cucalorus this November, it will mark the 16th installment of the festival, known for its eclectic assortment of international, regional and local films as well as its collaborative, performance-based events. We caught up with Dan to ask a few questions and get a snapshot of his life as a festival director.
CPJ: First of all, for our readers, could you take a moment to describe what you feel distinguishes Cucalorus from your standard issue film festival?
DB: Cucalorus is an experience. We don’t give out awards, you don’t come here to sell your film and we’re not rolling out the red carpet. Cucalorus is simply a gathering of artists. We’re just trying to bring people together. What happens is a temporary community of creative people who are interested in sharing and collaborating. Another result is that people aren’t afraid to take risks. We give people a good chance to really make an ass of themselves, you know what I mean. We encourage people to walk just beyond their comfort zone. That makes for a different kind of festival. I think over the years filmmakers appreciate the more relaxed approach we take and they appreciate being surrounded by artists. Because of the competitive nature of the festival circuit a lot of filmmakers get worn out and need a little boost. There are a handful of festivals out there that really focus on creating an authentic experience for filmmakers. Part of that experience is getting to interact on a real personal level with the audience. You can’t get that kind of connection at larger festivals.
CPJ: Talk a little bit about a few of the most memorable moments from previous years of Cucalorus.
DB: The most memorable moments in Cucaloria are obscure and fuzzy. They’re the little breeze that blows and reminds you of something but not quite anything. The best parts for me are the really awkward moments, when something real is happening and there are about 400 people in the room. Those kinds of things happen every year because we’re always trying to do something but not really knowing what in the hell we’re doing.
CPJ: What do you feel is the most rewarding thing about your job from year to year?
DB: Getting to do some pretty weird stuff in front of an audience – especially when they think they’re just coming to see a film. Did I mention that there might be awkward moments at Cucalorus?
CPJ: What challenges do you feel are most difficult to navigate in running the festival?
DB: Over the past ten years, one of the big challenges has been contending in the massive sea of festivals that popped up all over the country. Every town in America decided to have a film festival and now it’s like totally ridiculous how many festivals there are giving awards away like ice cream samples. We’ve simply tried to stay focused on creating an authentic experience for filmmakers and audience members – all built on collecting the most provocative and innovative films and filmmakers together for a weekend of sharing and moonshine.
CPJ: What would you say is particularly emblematic of a “Cucalorus” film, or what do you strive for in building the overall shape of the program?
DB: We try to blow that idea right out. We’re putting high school students right next to academy award winning directors. We hope that what you get is totally unexpected.
CPJ: In addition to noteworthy international films, there always seems to be significant representation from local/NC filmmakers in your programs—can you talk a little bit about how this dynamic enhances or alters the festival experience for you?
DB: I think this is one of the places where Cucalorus has really distinguished itself. We’ve been able to bridge the gap between being exclusively regional and being international. At least a quarter of our program is international and at least a quarter is from the Southeastern United States. A dozen or more artists come from overseas as well and they really dig finding out more about our region and what kind of films we make and such.
CPJ: OK, last question. Which films are you especially excited about in this year’s program?
DB: As an artist, I’m drawn to some pretty diverse stuff. We’re showing Gaspar Noe’s newish film “Enter the Void,” which is a pivotal piece of cinema, completely original and universal in a way that speaks to a new generation demanding something more powerful but without all the corporate nonsense. Michelangelo Frammartino’s “The Four Times” (“Le Quattro Volte”) hits on another sensibility altogether with its poetic and lingering atmosphere. But of course, I’m pretty much loving all 157 films in the festival in completely different ways.
