Bull City Reels: Durham Video Production Outlook
Durham video production teams have a short but juicy docket this fortnight. From risqué shorts at The Fruit to family-friendly screenings downtown, plus state incentives and a key road shutdown, here’s how to keep cameras rolling and trucks moving between September 11 and 24.
HUMP! Film Festival Hits The Fruit – Sept 20
Dan Savage’s HUMP! Film Festival returns for one midnight-ish show at The Fruit, showcasing DIY erotic shorts that draw press, influencers and curious cinephiles. Expect long entry lines—excellent crowd-reaction B-roll—and a brisk merch table that can double as product-placement backdrops.
Sensory-Friendly Brave at Carolina Theatre – Sept 20
The Carolina Theatre continues its Sensory Friendly Film Series with Pixar’s Brave at 11 a.m., lights up, sound down, snacks welcome. Crews shooting family or accessibility-centric content can gather authentic atmosphere without additional releases.
Duke Filmcraft Workshops – Sept 14 & 15 / 21 & 22
Duke’s Cinematic Arts studio hosts free, open-seat Filmcraft sessions on consecutive Sundays and Mondays covering writing, directing and camera ops. Student crews often need gear and mentors—perfect networking for micro-budget producers hunting fresh PAs.
Permit & Incentive Cheat-Sheet
- City policy: No permit for quick run-and-gun exteriors; block a lane and you’ll file through Durham’s online portal and notify Police five days out.
- Parks: New DPR permit ($ 25–$ 75) plus proof of insurance for commercial shoots; ten-day lead.
- State rebate: North Carolina still offers a 25 % refund on in-state spend, with no current cap reached for FY 2025
- Registration: All productions should log with the NC Film Office for help wrangling DOT, drone and state-property clearances.
Logistics – Alston Avenue Overnight Closure
NCDOT will shut Alston Avenue between Gann and Main from 7 p.m. Sept 12 to 6 a.m. Sept 13 for median-wall work, rerouting N.C. 55 traffic via N.C. 147. Late-night load-outs from downtown should add 20-minute buffers or detour via Fayetteville Street.
Bonus Crowd Shots – Bulls Homestand Sept 9-14
The Durham Bulls wrap their season with themed nights—College Night (Sept 9) to Fan Appreciation Day (Sept 14)—packing 10 k-plus fans and fireworks. Document extra-inning cheers or branded hand-offs without separate city permits (the ballpark handles them).
What’s Quiet—and What’s Next
Full Frame Festival’s fall road-show won’t land until October, and DPR’s Movies in the Park resumes Oct 4, so this period’s slate leans on single-night events instead of multi-day fests. Keep eyes on Carolina Theatre: its Universal Monsters series starts Sept 26 and could soak up fog–machine rentals fast.
