Wilmington’s 30th annual Cucalorus Film Festival opened last night, and the film faithful packed Hi Wire Brewing on Princess Street for an opening night party to celebrate.
People lined up for a free sampling of oysters — the delectable bivalves are the theme of this year’s festival — and at one point a trio of what appeared to be communist Cucalorus commandants marched through the assembled crowd bearing a giant red banner, a little bit of trademark festival kookiness.
Down Princess Street at Cucalorus headquarters Jengo’s Playhouse, a throng lined up hoping to score seats to an 8:45 p.m. screening of sexy romp “Messy,” which screens again Sunday morning at Thalian Hall.
People always ask me for advice on what to see at Cucalorus, and I’ve got some right here with this overview. But I also tell people to see at least one thing at Cucalorus you have no idea about walking in; it might just blow your mind.
Now on to the weekend.
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30th annual Cucalorus Film Festival:What to see, where to party, local films
Weekend weather outlook
It’s going to be a gorgeously sunny weekend, if a little chilly. Highs in the 50s on Friday, warming up to mid-60s on Sunday, with lows in the mid-to-low 40s.
Go | See | Do
In addition to Cucalorus — you can get a good overview of options right here — there are plenty of non-Cucalorus options in Wilmington this weekend as well.
For starters, the University of North Carolina Wilmington stages the last weekend of its musical “Head Over Heels,” featuring the music of The Go Go’s; the Festival of Trees opens at the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher; and Fourth Friday Gallery Nights holds sway with a slew of openings downtown. Link to full list below.
Cucalorus and beyond:14 things to do in Wilmington this weekend
The Dish with Port City Foodies
A Peruvian restaurant in Wilmington is getting new owners; food writer Allison Ballard has the scoop.
Plus, we’ve got a list of where Yelp thinks you can find the best area seafood, and a trio of new eateries is set to open in Porters Neck.
Getting to know Paul Teal
Beloved Wilmington actor Paul Teal, who passed away last week at the age of 35, had a national profile thanks to roles on “One Tree Hill” and other shows and film. I took a look at what Teal meant to Wilmington’s theater community.
In memorium:Heartbroken Wilmington theater community reacts to the sudden death of actor Paul Teal, 35
News you can use
Wilmington Police Chief Donny Williams strikes back against his critics with some accusations of his own.
Plus, deer numbers are creeping up on Bald Head Island, which isn’t necessarily great news for the deer, and we peek warily ahead at the impending return of Black Friday.
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