• President of two award-winning film companies, Lou Buttino Films, Inc. (for profit) and Eastwind Films, a 501(c)3 corporation.
  • Managed film crews and budgets for shoots around the country.
  • Managed budgets of $200,000 or more.

    Chair of the Film Studies Department
    Dr. Lou Buttino became the first elected chair of the department in 2006, and the first to serve two terms. He continued his creative work in screenwriting[1] theatre,[2] and fiBuilding a Film Baselm[3] as chair. In the first two years of his service, Film Studies soared from 40 to 280 majors.[4] Other significant and far-reaching developments occurred. Film Studies ceased being interdepartmental and became a stand-alone department, King Hall became the department’s permanent campus home, the department experienced its most significant expansion in faculty hires in its history, another administrative staff person was added, and a full-time equipment manager was hired. The Department also experienced its most substantial allocation of funding for “Smart classrooms,” the renovation of King offices and King Auditorium, and gear. The Department maintained a “film” foundation emphasis, offering courses by Glenn Pack, in 16mm filmmaking. At that time monies were allocated for a Mac-based computer-editing lab, with the promise of continual updates as necessary. The MA/MFA graduate programs were also launched during Buttino’s tenure as chair. The department also established close ties with the film community. Buttino supported CHAIRand promoted the local film industry.[5] It championed Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life with annual holiday screenings while also helping the community’s poor.[6] The Cucalorus Film Festival became a mainstay of the department, with students and faculty beginning their heavy involvement in the festival. Buttino was the first chair to serve on the festival’s Board of Directors, participating in panels and other facets of the festival.[7] DocuFest,[8]a day-long documentary festival, was given a permanent annual home at UNCW. These and other changes did not go unnoticed by the campus and larger community.[9]Dr. Buttino investigated colleges and universities with corporate collaborations in filmmaking, traveled abroad and established relations with film schools in the Republic Camera operatorof Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, and Scotland. A formal faculty and student exchange was established with the Prague Film School. Three initiatives of which he’s most proud are Visions Film Festival and Conference, Intellect Press, and the first of several internship grants from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[10]Dr. Buttino is the recipient of every teaching and scholarly award offered by UNCW and UNC. These include: UNC Board of Governors Teaching Excellence Award, presented at

    Chancellor Jim Leutze
    Dr. Buttino conferring with Chancellor Jim Leutze on a shoot in Raleigh, North Carolina.

    the Carolina Inn, Raleigh, NC (May 13, 2005), The Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award, (2004), The J. Marshall Crews Distinguished Faculty Award, (2004), The Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award, (2004), The Distinguished Teaching Professorship Award (2002), University Nominee, the Oliver Max Gardner Award (humanitarian efforts by a faculty member in the UNC system), 1998, and the UNCW Award for Faculty Scholarship.

    A Special College Inauguration of a Special Manuscript & Film Collection, William M. Randall Library, The University of North Carolina Wilmington.

    Some observations about Lou Buttino’s service as chair:

    Select Comments:

    “(Lou’s) greatest strengths as chair lie in the boldness of his vision and his talent for representing his department externally…His leadership is exceptional.”
    –A former CAS Dean

    “Let me be frank: Lou Buttino is an inspirational chair–the best I’ve ever worked with…UNCW owes him a debt of gratitude.”
    –A FST Faculty Member

    “Thank for your films, your classes, and your kindness.”
    –A Film Studies Student

    [1] Ridgerock Entertainment Inc. optioned the “Shadowboxing the Mob: The Carmen Basilio Story” after it won ten festival honors. These were the California Film Awards, Best of Category Award (Drama) Winner, (San Diego, CA), Best Unpublished Screenplay Competition, Independent Filmmakers Showcase, (Los Angeles/Santa Monica, CA). The Nevada Film Festival, (Las Vegas, NE), The New York International Film Festival, (New York, NY). The Moondance International Film Festival, (Boulder, CO), The Buffalo-Niagara Film Festival, (Buffalo, NY), Independent Film Quarterly Festival, (Hollywood, CA), The Philadelphia Screenplay Competition, (Philadelphia, PA). The Charleston International Film Festival, (Charleston, SC), The FilmMakers International Screenwriting Awards, (Hollywood, CA).

    [2]

  • Richardson, Amanda. “New ‘Moon:’ Grandmother inspired play by UNCW prof.” Wilmington StarNews, March 22, 2007.
  • Richardson, Amanda. “‘Womb’ seems like a dream, but slightly more coherent.” Wilmington StarNews, March 24, 2007.
  • Whitaker, Cheryl. “The Week Ahead.” Wilmington StarNews, March 25, 2007.
  • “Guerilla Theater has a new space, and founder Richard Davis isn’t afraid to use it.” Wilmington StarNews, February 14, 2008,
  • Bradford, P., Kramer, T., Leder, R. “State of the Stage Dinner.” Wrightsville Beach Magazine [Wrightsville Beach, NC], December 2007.
  • Richardson, Amanda. “New ‘Moon:’ Grandmother inspired play by UNCW prof.” Wilmington StarNews, March 22, 2007,
  • Whitaker, Cheryl. “The Week Ahead.” Wilmington StarNews, March 25, 2007.
  • Stanton, John. “Local theater scene bustling with costume party, starving artists and a classic musical.” Wilmington StarNews, February 9, 2009.
  • [3]
  • Frank, Gary E. “Broken Brotherhood look at Vietnam’s impact on a generation.” The Colgate Scene [Colgate University Alumni Newspaper], January 2004.
  • “Remembering that other war.” Wilmington StarNews, November 10, 2005. “In the Libraries.” Wilmington StarNews, March 29, 2006.
  • Steelman, Ben. “‘The Lady and the Outlaw Horse’ is a doc of a familiar color.” Wilmington Star News, March 30, 2006.
  • Prestage, Jon. “New Faces.” Wilmington StarNews, May 8, 2006.
  • “Your best bets for the months ahead: A sampling from THE SERIES (feature films and subject films in this year’s Cucalorus).” Wilmington StarNews, October 31, 2006.
  • “Cucalorus Saturday.” Wilmington StarNews, November 9, 2006.
  • Steelman, Ben. “New and Notable Books: ‘A lady and her horse.’” Wilmington StarNews, October 23, 2008.
  • Turner, Bethany. “A Decade After the Tragedy: Commemorating the sacrifices, honoring heroes and reflecting on lessons learned from 9/11.” Encore Magazine 7-13 Sept. 2011, pp. 6-7.
  • Stanton, John. “Local theater scene bustling with costume party, starving artists and a classic musical.” Wilmington StarNews, February 9, 2009.
  • [4] Hutcheson, Amanda. “Film Studies department gets new outlook and expanded support from community.” The Seahawk, February 1, 2006.  Quote: “Lou Buttino has a vision. As the new head of the Film Department, which has grown from 40 majors to 280 majors in two years, he has a lot of changes to keep up with.” Talks about my plans to expand the film department (equipment, more venues to screen films, internship programs, etc.).[5]
  • Morgan, Fiona. “Films of the Future: Local, indie and low-budget.” Indy Week [Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill], March 21, 2007.
  • Vaughn, Tyra. “Approaches to Growth.” Wilmington StarNews, May 25, 2007.
  • Hotz, Amy. “Boomtown revival.” Wilmington Star News, July 1, 2007.
  • Buttino, Lou. “Letters to the Editor.” Wilmington StarNews, August 14, 2006.
  • [6]
  • Butcher, Brittany. “Mark Your Calendar: UNCW to host film screening for holiday.” Wilmington StarNews, November 9, 2005.
  • “A ‘Wonderful’ evening.” Wilmington StarNews, December 16, 2005.
  • Hotz, Amy. “Wonderful’ World.” Wilmington StarNews, December 10, 2007.  [It will be shown, as has become the tradition, at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.]
  • Vaughn, Tyra. “He led a wonderful life.” Wilmington StarNews, December 22, 2007.  [Buttino talked about Capra before the screening, told everyone to stand, and rang the bell three times in honor of him.]
  • [7] “Cucalorus Saturday.” Wilmington StarNews, November 9, 2006.[8]
  • Steelman, Ben. “DocuTime, formerly Docufest, features four blocks of features, shorts.” Wilmington StarNews, January 26, 2010.
  • Pompliano, Alex. “Hail the Documentary: 10th annual film fest gets underway at UNCW Saturday.” Encore Magazine, 25-31 Jan. 2012, p. 15.[9] Oliver-Kurtin, Kai. “New department chair sees a bright future for film.” The Seahawk, November 3, 2005.
    Veronica Gonzalez. “Major Development,” Wilmington StarNews, December 3, 2005.  [Talks about the rapid growth of UNCW’s film department under Dr. Buttino and that it is the most sought-after major among freshman.]
    Prestage, Jon. “New Faces.” Wilmington StarNews, May 8, 2006. [Profiles how Lou Buttino became a documentary filmmaker.]
  • Vaughn, Tyra. “Approaches to Growth.” Wilmington StarNews, May 25, 2007. [Focuses on UNCW’s Wilmington Regional Engagement Conference, where Buttino, chair of the film studies department, presented a “white paper” on how to expand the local film industry.”
  • Hotz, Amy. “Boomtown revival.” Wilmington StarNews, July 1, 2007. [A boom in the local film industry meant, according to Dr. Buttino, a good thing for education. Buttino is quoted as saying, “We’re growing a whole new crop of filmmakers and storytellers.”[10]
    “Cribbs, Lauren. UNCW a Reel Hit with Filmmakers.” UNCW Magazine: Summer 2008, June 1, 2009, pp. 16-17.