OT-Traverse City Film Festival

Submitted by Ty Butterfield on

This week I am attending the Traverse City Film Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. The festival runs from July 27 through August 1. Next year the festival will be held from July 26 through July 31. The University of Michigan is a sponsor of the event and there was even a rumor about part of the marching band performing here at the festival, though I have not seen them. The festival was founded by Michael Moore. Despite what your views on Moore may be, it is really cool that he is trying to grow the film industry in Michigan. This year's festival features 80 films and 25 shorts from over 25 countries. This is a great showcase for documentaries, foreign films, and independent films. This is my first year attending the festival and it has been a blast. I am already planning on coming back next year. My favorite films I have seen so far are The Trotsky (starring Jay Baruchel, last seen in She's Out of My League) and Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil (starring Tyler Labine from the TV show Reaper). My favorite documentary that I have seen so far is Waiting for "Superman". This documentary is about the awful state of public school education in America. The festival also features classes for film makers and gives information on how to take advantage of the incentives that are offered to films made in the state of Michigan. Michael Barker, the co-president of Sony Pictures Classic is at the film festival and addressed the audience before one of the movies I saw. He said that Sony Pictures Classic is looking to make more movies in Michigan because of the great incentives that are offered. Anyway, I think this is a great event for independent film makers and hopefully this festival will help grow the film industry in Michigan.

Here is a link to the festival Website: http://www.traversecityfilmfest.org/

The Hoff

July 31st, 2010 at 2:11 PM ^

I'm from a small town near Traverse and have been at every single film fest. Way to rep it. It's a pretty great thing in a pretty great town.

mgolf4

July 31st, 2010 at 9:49 PM ^

Cool stuff. I was just in Suttons Bay 3 days ago at a clinic to see if I had strep throat. I didn't - which was nice - but just being up here, even while sick and only for a short time makes me miss the area.

Sven_Da_M

July 31st, 2010 at 2:31 PM ^

... but this is hard to look at on a full stomach:

 

(2 years and 100 pounds ago...)

(Update: only on a slow summer Saturday at MgoBlog could you get negged for this!?!)

blueheron

July 31st, 2010 at 4:35 PM ^

On a sports-related note, I saw "Dreaming in Blue" earlier today at the Old Town Playhouse.  Mr. Moore was in attendance with the director and some other Cubans in town for the festival.