Support Us Button Widget
Events

See the world premiere of “Oscar Wilde About America”

The Indie documentary’s production is closely connected to Winston-Salem and features local people and places.

February 15, 2024 • 
Cambridge Wrege
Man in pink necktie with wavy blonde hair stands with a book under his arm. A red car parked on a street shaded by a tree is in the background.

The film premiere is OUT at the Movies’ first big event of 2024.

Photo courtesy of Rhode Trip Pictures

The Twin City will be featured on the silver screen and you can be the first to see it. The world premiere of “Oscar Wilde About America” is happening Saturday, Feb. 24 at Reynolds Place Theatre.

The film

The indie documentary reimagines the trip the Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde took across the US in 1882. Lead star Oscar Conlon-Morrey stops in Winston-Salem during his journey around modern-day America. In this film, the modern-day Oscar finds the love and acceptance that eluded him all those years ago.

Writer and director James Walsh expressed interest in using Winston-Salem to represent the character’s experience in the South. The film crew spent a week shooting scenes in the city last summer. A tea party in the original Shaffner family mansion in Old Salem features 10 local women. You’ll see 200 other locals during a scene at a gala fundraiser for OUT at the Movies, the LGBTQ+ screening and international film festival based in Winston-Salem.

The production

OUT at the Movies played other roles too. It helped finance “Oscar Wilde About America” and coordinated local production. Max Cullen, the festival’s director of operations and development, says the project fit with the organization’s goal to promote the best of LGBTQ+ cinema and to build community and understanding.

“In the scene filmed in Old Salem, Oscar Wilde remarks that ‘the secret of life is in art.’ I can’t think of a more perfect line to sum up the passion and commitment for the arts that our community has held for years,” Cullen said.

People are standing on a wooden staircase in a yellow room. Many are holding champagne glasses in the air and smiling. A person is holding a camera phone and taking a selfie.

The fun in this scene might not have taken much acting.

Photo courtesy of Rhode Trip Pictures

The premiere

The world premiere will feature a weekend of celebrations. The cast and crew, including screen legends Rosemary Harris and Kate Burton, will be in town for the festivities.

Prior to the screening, OUT at the Movies will host a VIP Dinner with the Stars. A Q+A with members of the cast and crew will be held after the premiere. Tickets to the evening range from $20 to $100 and are on sale now.

The film will hit the festival circuit following the premiere event. Cullen says they hope to eventually secure a streaming agreement.