The 31st annual Cucalorus Festival takes place November 19-23, 2025 in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina.
Cucalorus was founded in 1994 by the underground filmmaking collective Twinkle Doon. At the inaugural event, crowds wrapped around the block to see 16 local films screening at Water Street restaurant by the Cape Fear River. These days Cucalorus takes place every November, celebrating independent and international film for five days in historic downtown Wilmington, NC. MovieMaker Magazine has recognized it as “One of the Coolest Film Festivals in the World” & "50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee 2025."
