LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION.

• Author: Maurer, Kevin
• Position: STATEWIDE: East

Anti-incentive state lawmakers may have dented Wilmington's film industry, but the city is pressing ahead with an innovative festival that gains momentum every year. The Cucalorus festival, once synonymous with film, has branched out to include dance, comedy, music and a tech program called Connect Conference. Lead organizer Dan Brawley expects about 20,000 to attend the Nov. 8-12 event, which launched in 1994 with 16 short films. This year, more than 250 films will be screened, while 35 stage productions and 35 Connect Conference talks and panels are on tap. "In the past three years, with the evolution of Connect our whole brand has transformed," says Brawley, director of the festival since 1999. About 18,000 people attended last year's Cucalorus, which is a film-industry term for lighting devices that cast shadows or silhouettes.

"We think Cucalorus is an important part of defining the economic and cultural identity of the city," he says. "We want to put Wilmington on the map as an exciting, 21st-century destination for filmmaking, performance, creativity and...