Free 2016 Longleaf Film Festival in Raleigh May 13-14

A still from Walker World, an official selection of the Longleaf Film Festival

The annual Longleaf Film Festival takes place at the North Carolina Museum of History on May 13-14, 2016. Numerous short films and features, in both the documentary and narrative categories, will be screened during the two day event. Many of them were made in North Carolina and/or deal with NC topics. 

This is the second year for the festival, which last year drew 170 entries from 25 countries. More than 400 people attended the screenings of the 41 films selected by the jurors.

The festival begins on Friday, May 13, with a program of short films running from 3 to 5 p.m. Topics range from a doc examining events during the American Revolution to a biopic of Durham's first female deputy sheriff. A second set of films screen from 5 to 7 p.m., highlighted by a documentary about the proliferation of North Carolina craft beer, a short showcasing the National Hollerin’ Contest at Spivey’s Corner, and more.

Screenings resume on Saturday at 11 a.m at three locations within the museum. Seating is limited to 35 people in two of the venues, so an early arrival is advised. One stand-out is Voices of the Lumbee, a documentary feature about the ongoing struggles of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.

Films continue throughout the afternoon and evening, followed by an awards ceremony at 8:30 p.m. Except for several workshops and other events for filmmakers, which require advance registration, all the festival events are free and open to the pubic.

A full schedule and listing of selected films can be found at  LongleafFilmFestival.com.