Full Frame Documentary Film Festival celebrates 20 years

DURHAM (WTVD) -- The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival started in 1998 with a few hundred documentary fans in Durham. This week the festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary with more than 10,000 attendees from around the world watching more than 100 films.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary the festival is looking back, showing a documentary from each of the previous 19 years as part of its thematic program. Here are a few of this year's thematic films.

Flag Wars, 2008 (Saturday, April 8 at 7:40 pm) The story of gentrification, class war, poverty, gay culture and free speech in a Columbus, OH.

Il Capo, 2011 (Saturday, April 8 at 10 am) A stunning cinematic short that follows an Italian machinery conductor as he deftly directs his crew to carve marble out of a mountain.

And 12 Notes Down, 2009 (Thursday, April 6 at 10 am) The touching story of a talented adolescent forced to abandon his longstanding role in the Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir when his voice begins to change.

Full Frame is also offering several free events as part of the 20th anniversary celebration including: the Late Night Birthday Bash at 21c Museum Hotel on Thursday, April 6 at 10 pm and a Closing Night Party at 21c Museum Hotel on Sunday, April 9 at 6 pm.

Full Frame is also hosting six free panel discussions at the Durham Hotel. The discussions are Friday and Saturday 9:15 am, 12:15am and 3:15 pm.

Another free Full Frame tradition continues this year with films in Durham Central Park. The first movie is The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble and it will show Friday at 8:30 pm. The second move is Presenting Princess Shaw and it screens Saturday at 8:30 pm.

Finally, Sunday afternoon you can see the work of the 2016 School of Doc students. The students created their film Blackspace during a five-week intensive summer course taught by professional filmmakers. The free screening of Blackspace is Sunday, April 9 at 2:30 pm.

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