Special to IFN
Iredell County native Blake Crouch will receive the 2025 Buzz Award in recognition of his tremendous success in the world of film during the upcoming Full Bloom Film Festival.
A New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed screenwriter, Crouch will be presented with the award on Friday, September 12, as part of the festival’s 10th anniversary celebration. The evening, which begins at 6 p.m. in Mitchell Community College’s Shearer Hall, will include a red carpet, a screening of “Episode One of Dark Matter,” and a special on-stage conversation with Crouch reflecting on his career, creative process, and deep connection to his hometown.
Crouch is known for novels like “Dark Matter” and “Recursion” and the Wayward Pines trilogy, which have sold millions of copies and been adapted for the screen.
Crouch’s roots run deep in Statesville. He was homeschooled by his mother, Susan, herself an artist, until sixth grade. He credits that early creative environment with shaping his love of stories and sparking his confidence as a young writer.
“Writing has always been important to me,” he said. “But it wasn’t until my senior year at North Iredell High School that I began to see a future in it.”
Most recently, Crouch’s novel “Dark Matter” was adapted into a critically acclaimed nine-episode series for Apple TV+. The story follows Jason Dessen, a brilliant physicist and family man who is violently abducted into a parallel version of his own life, one where his choices have unfolded in radically different ways. As he journeys across the multiverse to return to the life he once had, the show explores the emotional weight of identity, love, regret, and the infinite “what-ifs” that come with being human.
The series has been praised for its visual imagination and narrative depth, expanding on the novel’s original arc while allowing Crouch to revisit and deepen key themes.
“Creating a show gives you a second opportunity to tell the story,” he explained. “To maybe do something with the benefit of time. Seeing the multiverse come to life, it really lived up to what I saw in my head. And I get to work with people who are the best at what they do.”
The Buzz Award is not just a recognition of fame, but of impact. Crouch’s work blends science fiction, suspense, and philosophical inquiry into stories that are both page-turning and thought-provoking.
Asked what advice he’d give to aspiring writers and filmmakers from small towns like Statesville, Crouch doesn’t sugarcoat the path:
“No one is going to support your dream. I encourage filmmakers and screenwriters to create something so strong that people are willing to stake their careers on greenlighting it,” he said. “It’s important to love what you do and love the process—I know I do.”
The Full Bloom Film Festival is honored to bring Blake Crouch back to the community where his story began, and to celebrate the extraordinary stories he continues to tell. His next project, a film adaptation of his novel “Famous,” is currently in development.
About Full Bloom Film Festival
The Full Bloom Film Festival is a program of the Iredell Arts Council. Located in the heart of downtown Statesville, the festival features four unique screening venues within walking distance of one another. Over the course of three days, each of the 46 selected films will be showcased, offering an unforgettable celebration of independent cinema. Full Bloom Film Festival will take place on September 11-13 in Downtown Statesville. Tickets, screening schedules, and additional festival details will be available at www.fullbloomfilmfestival.org.