Widow of Hollywood East founder reflects on Wilmington’s big screen legacy

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A movies starts with a bag of popcorn, and industry starts with a chance.

Back in the early 1980s, Wilmington did not have a film industry, but Dino De Laurentiis took a chance and created what is now known as Hollywood East.

“How Dino got here was by looking at the beautiful photo of (Orton) plantation,” De Laurentiis’s widow and producting partner Marth De Laurentiis said Saturday during a visit to the 20th annual Cucalorus Film Festival for a screening of “Crimes of the Heart,” which was one of the first movies made in Hollywood East back in the 1980s.

“He loved living here,” Martha De Laurentiis said. “Our first place was actually down in Carolina Beach. Then we lived on Wrightsville Beach.”

From beach life to city life, the area has it all.

“Filmmaking was very easy and accommodating for us to bring in famous people from around the world, as well as training local hires to establish a film career,” Martha De Laurentiis said.

Last summer state legislators cut back film incentives, which could have a impact on the industry as we know it.

“I think it will impact it a lot, but then again, there’s a whole change going on,” said Joe Dunton.

Dunton plays an important role around town, and he says we have survived this before.

“You can actually make really good films with $250,000 now that can be shown on Netlfix,” Dunton said. “There’s a whole new market that never was.”

As credits roll on movies, many film workers know it’s not time to roll the credits on the industry.

More than 240 screenings were held across Wilmington as a part of this year’s Cucalorus Film Festival this weekend. The five-day event shows independent films from artists all around there world.