BY AMY FUHRMAN

There are family ties deeply entwined with this year’s Full Bloom Film Festival.

Now in its ninth year, the festival has selected filmmaker Ross McElwee as recipient of the Buzz Award, which celebrates achievement in filmmaking. McElwee’s 2003 documentary, “Bright Leaves,” will be screened during the festival, which takes place September 5-7 in Downtown Statesville.

A professor emeritus at Harvard University who has received numerous awards and screened films at Cannes, Venice and Sundance, among other festivals, McElwee has had a distinguished career spanning more than 40 years.

“Bright Leaves” describes a journey taken across the tobacco terrain of North Carolina by McElwee, whose great-grandfather created the famous brand of tobacco known as Bull Durham. The film acknowledges the complicated process of exploring a Southern family legacy that is tied to the tobacco industry, McElwee said.

For McElwee, whose father was from Statesville, the Full Bloom Film Festival screening ties in with the film’s themes of family, legacy and homecoming.

“‘Bright Leaves’ is absolutely about both legacy and notions of home. The film is drenched in it – both present tense and going back several generations,” McElwee said. “My father was born and grew up in Statesville, and I have strong ties to cousins who still live there. Thanksgiving continues to be celebrated in the Big House on West End Avenue. I don’t always make it down there in person, but am always there in spirit.”

Inspiration for the film came in part from McElwee’s cousin, John, who believed the Gary Cooper melodrama “Bright Leaf” was based upon their great grandfather, John Harvey McElwee. “That opened the door, and I rushed right in with my filmmaking, never looking back,” he said.

In a review of the documentary, film critic Roger Ebert wrote “Bright Leaves is not a documentary about anything in particular. That is its charm. It’s a meandering visit by a curious man with a quiet sense of humor, who pokes here and there in his family history and the history of tobacco.”

McElwee’s use of voiceovers and his spontaneous filming style have been warmly received by critics and audiences. Even with a global audience when the film premiered at Cannes, he said, the themes resonated.

“There is something about the ties that bind one to family that apparently strikes a somewhat universal chord in ‘Bright Leaves.’”

Iredell Arts Council Director John Koppelmeyer said McElwee fully embodies the qualities the Buzz Award is intended to celebrate.

“The Buzz Award is a way to highlight the talented people who are involved in the film industry and have local connections,” Koppelmeyer said. “This year’s recipient of the Buzz award, Ross McElwee, is the epitome of this. He’s an award-winning filmmaker who also had a long career at Harvard University. And he’s part of the McElwee family, whose roots are deep in our town. We are honored to recognize his many achievements.”

The festival’s commitment to celebrating filmmakers is one of the aspects that makes it truly unique, said FBFF Committee Chair Charles Ashe.

“We have hosted and entertained countless filmmakers from all over the world and Statesville has truly embraced our mission with open arms,” Ashe said. “We could not provide such a festival without our beautiful downtown as the backdrop, our amazing sponsors and dedicated partners throughout our community. Every year we continue to outdo ourselves, and our 2024 Festival is sure to capture your heart and open your eyes to new experiences and content through film.”

Continuing the theme of family connection, McElwee’s wife, Hyun Kyung Kim, will also have her documentary feature showcased during the festival. “Defectors” is “an emotional exploration of the destructive impact of the Korean War upon a North Korean defector’s family, as well as three generations of the filmmaker’s own family.”

“I am looking forward to my homecoming, and am very pleased to be given the Buzz Award,” McElwee said. “My wife’s new documentary will also be screened at the festival. “Defectors” is about her family. And so together, our appearance at Full Bloom constitutes a sort of family affair,” he said.

LEARN MORE

The Full Bloom Film Festival is a boutique festival experience in the heart of Downtown Statesville. To learn more and to purchase tickets, visit www.fullbloomfilmfestival.org.