Leading North Carolina law firm Brooks Pierce, which has a deep media and entertainment practice, is pleased to sponsor the Cucalorus Film Festival for the fourth straight year. Thomas Varnum, a partner in the firm's Wilmington office, serves as the 2016 board chair of the Cucalorus Film Foundation, which organizes the annual festival.
"I am fortunate to work for a law firm that allows me to merge my personal interest in film with my practice," said Varnum. "I am grateful for Brooks Pierce's support of Cucalorus and look forward to another successful festival year."
Recognized as "One of the Coolest Film Festivals in the World" by MovieMaker Magazine three years in a row, Cucalorus is an independent, award-winning film festival held each November in downtown Wilmington. The festival, which is celebrating its 22nd year, features more than 200 independent and international films and attracts thousands of directors, critics and film fanatics from all over the world.
In addition to organizing the festival, being held this year from November 9 to November 13, the Cucalorus Film Foundation also supports emerging and innovative creative professionals through a residency program, a summer camp for teen filmmakers and extensive community outreach.
Varnum is an intellectual property, entertainment and business attorney who helped establish Brooks Pierce's Wilmington practice in 2013. An avid supporter of the North Carolina film industry, Varnum has served on the Cucalorus Film Foundation board of directors since 2013. He graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel HIll and earned his law degree from the University of California at Davis School of Law.
