Our Mission: To bring exposure to undiscovered talent and great cinema to Charlotte.

Our Story

Conception

The Charlotte Film Festival got “rolling” in December 2005 when filmmaker Louis Gurgitano decided that a world-class city like Charlotte should not miss out on the cultural wealth a film festival could bring.

A year earlier, Gurgitano had attended the Asheville Film Festival and was inspired by the significant turnout the event had enjoyed. Immediately after his return, and with no previous festival-organizing experience of any kind to his credit, Gurgitano began researching the project. Soon thereafter he created Indie Film Force, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to offering programs that foster an appreciation of independent film. Utilizing IFF as the umbrella under which to organize the event, Gurgitano began the work of bringing a film festival to the Queen City.

The First Year

Held September 15-17, 2006, in several uptown venues, with closing ceremonies at the Neighborhood Theater in NoDa, the Charlotte Film Festival proved to be a success despite naysayer predictions. To be fair, before the event took place, even the people directly involved with the project had doubts that a) they could pull of an event of the intended magnitude and b) that, even if they did, anyone would care to come.

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained” goes the saying, and uptown Charlotte was in for a treat. The first annual Charlotte Film Festival came to life on a beautiful fall day as film lovers and filmmakers met and mingled at the opening night gala in Transamerica Square, the red carpet event that launched it all.

When all was said and done, the festival saw over two thousand attendees enjoy events including world and regional film premieres, hip parties and inspired awards ceremonies. All told, eight awards were presented to the best films in the film categories documentary, narrative, short, and student. Filmmakers were present for post-screening Q&As and people interested in the art and craft of filmmaking had the opportunity to attend discussion panels and filmmaker demonstrations.

The Setting

“A true film festival atmosphere;” that’s all Gurgitano knew that he wanted when he began dreaming about the event. To him, this meant that all venues needed to be close to one another so that attendees could park their cars in the morning and walk easily from one screening to the next and enjoy all the amenities Uptown Charlotte has to offer.

And so it happened in 2006. With the exception of the awards ceremony, which was held in NoDa’s Neighborhood Theater, all screenings, parties, panels and demonstrations took place within walking distance of one another in the heart of town. The venues included Duke Power Theater at Spirit Square, Wachovia Theater at Imaginon, and Levine Museum of the New South.

The second-largest banking center in the U.S., Charlotte has the amenities of a large city, but retains the hospitality of a small southern town.

A Sense of Purpose

1. Bring culture to the community

Our goal is to provide the Charlotte community with an extraordinary cultural experience by screening the most important works of independent film.

What are the hallmarks of an important film?

• It provokes thought and discussion
• It brings attention to important issues
• It shows creative use of the film medium as an art

2. Provide exposure for filmmakers

The Charlotte Film Festival is committed to bringing exposure to the causes, innovations, and uniqueness of vision of the filmmakers whose films we showcase.

Passion for Culture

Charlotte has no shortage of movie theaters showing the latest Hollywood films. Although this material satisfies the demand for purely entertaining movies, there are many independent films, both from the U.S. and abroad, which don’t make it to the Queen City at all, and they run their cycle unnoticed by our community. Many of these films are deep character and social studies with great artistic and cultural value. They comment on the world and expose viewers to cultures with which we’d otherwise have no easy way of identifying.

The influx of personal ideas and points of view enrich our city by allowing residents to delve deeper and further examine concerns and by prompting them to consider views and issues of which they might not have been aware. It is for this enrichment of the community that the Charlotte Film Festival exists.

It is our reason for being.

Passion for Quality

The film selection process, which is overseen by the festival’s Programming Committee, judges films based on how well they address the following criteria.

Film Is Not the End of Our Story

In 2006, its inaugural year, the Charlotte Film Festival screened sixty-seven films. That alone would have been enough to constitute a significant first-year film festival. But our vision goes beyond that.

To the Charlotte Film Festival, a film screening is only the beginning of the experience. The enjoyment of independent cinema also includes discussing the work in order to fully grasp its substance. That is why we host Q&A sessions with the filmmakers after the screenings. At these sessions festival attendees can speak with the filmmaker and gain an in-depth understanding of the film.

Also, for local artists involved in, or thinking of becoming involved in, the art and business of filmmaking we offer discussion panels at which film industry professionals answer questions, hot topics are explored, and networking opportunities are born.

The Value of Our People

For our inaugural festival, some 75 volunteers came together to turn an event that could have been a logistical nightmare into a real success. Some worked throughout the year planning and developing every little detail of the event. Others came to help during the three days of the festival and brought it all home. The Charlotte Film Festival would not be possible without our dedicated volunteers.

Our Audience

In 2006, over two thousand people bought tickets to the Charlotte Film Festival. Most of them came from Charlotte and nearby areas, but about 30% traveled considerable distances to attend. Attendees came from as far away as New York and L.A., Canada and Germany.

But more important than where they came from and other statistical demographics, the festival audience is made up of everyday people who love great films and want choices. They crave variety. They are people who need a break from the Hollywood machine and are ready to be challenged mentally, emotionally, and ethically.