18 years later, local documentary film festival still packs out auditoriums


WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Film enthusiasts were in for a treat this weekend.

Paula Haller hit the jackpot on her choice of film’s at this year’s One-day Docutime Film Festival. Haller says “Buzzworthy” was an Oscar-nominee and it was on the list of film’s to air Saturday at the festival.

Haller says she searches months to find films that address culture and her festival tends to attract travelers, educators and historians. She says she wants to offer films people wouldn’t normally see.

“I spend six months looking for good films,” Haller said.

The day-long event includes screening of a group of documentary short films and 3 features including “Our Time Machine.”

“The protagonist of the film is a performance artist in China and his father has impending Alzheimer’s,” Haller said. “He’s losing his memory and, since he is a performance artist, he is going to create this wonderful stage play with memorabilia that will hopefully encourage the father’s memory.”

Haller says this is the 18th year of the annual festival. She says, when the festival first started years ago, films were screened at Screen Gems.

“We started at Screen Gems in the screening room because that was 18 years ago, before the internet was really up and running,” Haller said. “It was before DVDs, so we showed it there… Then, the fire marshal kicked us out and I came here and they gave us this wonderful room.”

Saturday’s event sponsored by WHQR Public Media and the UNCW Department of Film Studies was held at the UNCW King Hall Auditorium.

 

Categories: Local, New Hanover, News

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