Cucalorus officials are weighing their options for fall events while offering creative programming now as COVID-19 restrictions begin easing. The 27th annual festival takes place Nov. 10-14, but the exact format is still being figured out. Anna Ray-Smith, programming coordinator (above), said the deadline for early-bird submissions of films this year is April 28, with the last-call deadline of June 23. Meanwhile, the Cucalorus Film Foundation, which recently received a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, is planning for the Lumbee Film Festival in Pembroke in July and the Surfalorus Film Festival in the Outer Banks in September.