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A CDS Program
dedicated to the theatrical exhibition of nonfiction cinema

Venues

 

CAROLINA THEATRE | 309 West Morgan Street
Housing the 1000-seat Fletcher Hall, 225-seat Cinema 1, and 50-seat Cinema 2, the Carolina Theatre has been in the heart of downtown Durham since 1926 and has become one of the city’s most beloved institutions. The Carolina Theatre is home to a number of screenings throughout the festival, including our Opening Night and Closing Night Films. The Hospitality Suite* (2nd Floor) and Press Lounge (3rd Floor) are also located in this venue.

*Hospitality Suite access is limited to Filmmaker, First Team, Patron, Press, and Priority passes.

DURHAM CONVENTION CENTER | 301 West Morgan Street
Housing the 440-seat Cinema 3 and 385-seat Cinema 4, the Durham Convention Center also hosts are Festival Headquarters where attendees can pick up their pass**, tickets, or festival merch.

**PRESS passes can only be picked up in the Press Lounge (Carolina Theatre, 3rd floor)

DURHAM ARTS COUNCIL | 120 Morris Street
Housing the 170-seat PSI Theater, the Durham Arts Council is a city owned, multi-purpose community arts center in downtown Durham.

FULL FRAME THEATER | 320 Blackwell Street
The 99-seat Full Frame Theater is located in the interior courtyard of the American Tobacco Historic District, a highly acclaimed adaptive reuse, mixed-use development in downtown Durham. The Full Frame Theater hosts our Friday and Saturday shorts programs.

DURHAM CENTRAL PARK | 534 Foster Street
Durham Central Park is a 5-acre city-owned park that hosts our free Friday and Saturday night outdoor screenings. Bring a chair or blanket, and an appetite — Food Truck Roundup starts at 5:30 pm.

THE DURHAM HOTEL | 315 East Chapel Hill Street
The Durham Hotel is a mid-century modern boutique, hotel in the heart of downtown Durham that hosts our free Friday and Saturday A&E IndieFilms Speakeasy conversations on the mezzanine level (2nd Floor). Seating is limited.

DURHAM ARMORY | 220 Foster Street
Originally built between 1934-1937 as headquarters for Durham’s National Guard unit, the Durham Armory hosts Full Frame’s Opening Night Party, Awards Barbecue, Fellows Master Classes, and the Volunteer Lounge (2nd Floor).

UNSCRIPTED DURHAM | 202 Corcoran Street
Formerly a Jack Tar Hotel that operated in the 1960s, Unscripted Durham is the newest addition to downtown Durham’s landscape. The Unscripted hosts our free Late Night Bash on Friday night.

THE PLAZA | Corner of Morgan & Foster Street
Located at the heart of the festival amidst the Armory, Marriott, Convention Center and the Carolina Theatre, the Plaza features Giorgio Bakatsias‘s outdoor café with grilled Mediterranean specialties, sandwiches, and salads and Saladelia Cafe and Mad Hatter’s Bakeshop with fresh pastries, on-the-go snacks, and specialty coffee drinks. Live music by Art of Cool on Sunday afternoon. The Plaza is also home to seating lines for Fletcher Hall screenings.

Seating Policy

All ticket holders (with or without a pass) must arrive at the venue 30-minutes prior to show time. 

The Green Line seats first, followed by the Blue Line. The Last Minute Line will be seated approximately 5-minutes prior to show time. Last Minute Line seats are first come, first served, and based on availability.

Seat saving is not permitted.

There is no late seating. Once seating has concluded, tickets are no longer valid.

Please do not leave empty seats in the middle of a row. Last Minute Line seating is less disruptive to the rest of the audience if empty seats are available on the aisles.

All audience members must leave the theater following each screening. Please do not leave any personal belongings in the theater.

Services for Guests with Disabilities

Seating – Accessible seating is available in all festival screening venues. Seating begins 30 minutes prior to showtime. Please arrive early and notify the venue manager on duty that you require seating assistance.

Elevators – Elevator access is available to all levels of the Carolina Theatre and Durham Arts Council.

Assistive Listening Devices – Assistive listening devices are available upon request in all screening venues. Quantities are limited and a valid driver’s license or ID may be required for check out. Please see the venue manager on duty for details.

Pick Up/Drop Off – Attendees with limited mobility may be dropped off along Foster Street directly in front of the Durham Marriott City Center (main entrance).

Parking – Parking spaces for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are available in Durham City lots and next to the elevator in every Durham city deck. A valid, State Motor Vehicle Division issued “Parking for PWDs” hangtag or license plate must be properly displayed when parking in a designated “Parking for PWDs” space. The hangtag or license plate does not exempt the PWD from parking fees. [City of Durham website] Additional spaces can be found in the Durham Arts Council’s Manning Place parking lot.