Click here for a list of all Longleaf 2022 Official Selection films
Click here for a list of Longleaf 2022 award winners
Click here to review some special events at Longleaf 2022

 

To everyone’s excitement, Longleaf 2022 was held as an in-person festival after two years of virtual events!  During the two days, we screened 68 films—narrative and documentary shorts and features, animated films, high school student films, music videos, and more—all with a North Carolina connection. Out of those, more than two dozen were premieres of some sort, and 19 were awarded prizes on Saturday evening, recognizing excellence in film production. In addition, more than 700 people supported the festival, which included 12 two-hour film blocks and our usual slate of events—a reception, two workshops, and our customary Wrap Party—through their attendance.  Movies-N-Moonlight, our popular outdoor screening, almost happened but was moved to Daniels Auditorium just before an evening of showers began!

The films at Longleaf 2022 were of outstanding quality and demonstrated special insights into our challenging times, relating to perseverance, heart, creativity, and resilience.  Because of those insights, Longleaf has been fortunate to relay many impactful stories regarding race and community, supporting one of our strongest beliefs:  that the art and craft of filmmaking help connect us and offer avenues for insight as well as entertainment.  To help share these stories, Longleaf, for two years, waived submission fees for directors who identified as BIPOC.  Also, for 2022, Longleaf recognized films made by historically underrepresented filmmakers who chose to be considered for two new awards, the African American Cultural Celebration Prize and the Latin American Communities Prize.

Those awards and other top festival prizes (including best poster, chosen by audience vote for the first time) were given out by host Lana Garland at our annual awards ceremony:

• African American Cultural Celebration Prize: Matt Scott Jones, Veneers
• Latin American Communities Prize: Jose Gonzalez, Ouroboros
• Judges’ Choice Winner/Documentary Film: Barry Thornburg, From the Soul
• Judges’ Choice Winner/Narrative Film: Andy Brewster, Caesura

Adding more terrific insights and perceptive conversations to the festival were our presenters, whose workshops were meaningful and fun!  Film Secrets of the State Archives, led by state archivist Vann Evans and film historian Marsha Gordon, revealed some of the state’s archived film gems and showed how these films can provide inspiration for filmmakers.  Meanwhile, Our Strange New Land: Narrative Movie Sets in the American South featured photographer Alex Harris and filmmaker Roni Nicole Henderson Day, who shared experiences related to her short film, And the People Could Fly, and discussed their collaboration with Margaret Sartor on the book Our Strange New Land: Narrative Movie Sets in the American South.

While Longleaf is only “a weekend” to attendees and filmmakers, the film festival is, in many ways, a year-round program, with retooling during the summer, launching and opening for submissions in August, responding to submitters, juror reviews, general inquiries, and potential presenters, and tending to chores—which includes participating in social media every single day.  Due to those continuing efforts, all accounts grew in followers: we reached more than 7,000 people via Facebook and more than 5,000 on Instagram during the festival’s run; on Twitter, Longleaf had about 15,000 impressions.

Of course, Longleaf 2022 is indebted to other individuals and organizations who help throughout the year:

• our 2022 judges—Jill Boniske, Laura Boyes, Alisa Johnson, Craig Lindsey, Frank Thompson, and Lawrence Toppman—who devoted many, many hours to reviewing all submitted films and sharing their feedback to create our Official Selection catalog; and
• the generous support of this year’s sponsors: INDY Week, the-freelance-editor, Dagtype Films, Empire Properties, First Bank, and Towne Bank.

Longleaf 2022 wrapped at The Big Easy, just down Fayetteville Street from our host space at the Museum of History, with laughter, hugs, and questions about plans for what’s next.  All that, and Longleaf 2023, will come—right . . . after . . . a . . . week-long . . . nap . . .

Again, thank you for being a part of Longleaf 2022.

 

Click here for a list of all Longleaf 2022 Official Selection films
Click here for a list of Longleaf 2022 award winners
Click here to review some special events at Longleaf 2022