The Sundance of the South — establishing the Carolinas as a destination for cinema discovery, welcoming films about the American South from filmmakers around the world.
QUEEN opens with a pop-up event in Fall 2026 — a first, smaller gathering to introduce the festival before its full launch. The complete juried festival — features, shorts, documentaries, and a week of screenings, panels, and industry meetings — arrives in Fall 2027, building a permanent home for Southern cinema and the filmmakers who make it, wherever they're from.
A development lab and fellowship for the next generation of Southern filmmakers — mentorship, workshops, and hands-on craft training tied directly to the festival.
Enter the Lab →The craft journal of record for cinema professionals across the South — quarterly reporting and criticism on Southern auteur filmmakers in NC and SC.
Read CinemaCarolinas →Details on the Fall 2026 pop-up event and submissions for the Fall 2027 festival will be announced here first — reach out and the team will follow up directly.
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