November is finally here. 

For many people in the film industry, that means it is time for the annual Cucalorus Festival (Nov. 8-12). 

However, since 2014, Cucalorus has expanded its offerings to include a Connect Conference, which has a business and entrepreneurial focus. As you may have noticed, Cucalorus has dropped film from its name and will focus on film, stage and the Connect component.

This year Tom Looney has jumped onboard as the Connect Executive Board president. Connect will focus on the connected digital economy.  It feels as if Connect is more a focal point of the festival this year, rather than an afterthought. Companies and speakers involved will showcase everything from very early-stage startups to industry leaders like Corning.

There are going to be a ton of great sessions, films, and events during Cucalorus. 

Some of the sessions that I think will be the highlights of the Connect portion of the conference are:

• The 10 x 10 Challenge Screening. This session is at the heart of Cucalorus Connect in that it comingles film with entrepreneurship. Ten pairs of filmmakers and entrepreneurs are matched up at the start of the week and the end result is a screening of 10 short films of 10 minutes each. 
• Scott Moody- Inspiration: Five Stories. Scott Moody is an entrepreneurial success story who has the distinction of being the only founder to have his or her public company bought out by Apple. His experience and wisdom will make this a great session.
• Hustle in Comfort. nCino, one of the hottest startups in the southeast, will provide insights into developing its company culture that drives results and innovation.
• Gangs, Entrepreneurship, and Beer. George Taylor will talk about his 22-month journey in gang education and how he believes entrepreneurship will be a solution to Wilmington's crime problem.