The Traverse City Film Festival (TCFF) and sustaining sponsor FIM Group have announced the winners of the 2011 TCFF Bumper Contest. The winners were presented with their prize money at the Awards Ceremony on July 30, during the seventh annual TCFF.

Congratulations go to John Paul Morris with “Big Light” as the $1,000 first prize winner.

Jake Wallach took the second prize of $500 with “The Film Festival Network.”

The third prize winner of $250 goes to Alton Bud Solem with “In a World.”

Three honorable mentions were awarded to Todd Gillissie for “Restated,” Lesley Tye and Ellyn Church for “Traverse City,” and Joe Carter for “Green Acres.” They received $100 each.

The  contest challenge was to create movie trailer parodies set in Traverse City or highlighting the Traverse City Film Festival. The contest winners were selected by a group of judges from FIM Group and the film festival.

In addition to the cash prize, the winning film bumpers were shown on the big screen before feature films during the festival. The top prize winner premiered at the Opening Night films.

Winners:
1st Prize: John Paul Morris “Big Light”
2nd Prize: Jake Wallach “The Film Festival Network”
3rd Prize: Alton Bud Solem, Karl Bastian “In a World”

Honorable Mentions:
Todd Gillissie “Restated”
Lesley Tye and Ellyn Church “Traverse City”
Joe Carter “Green Acres“

Friends,
The seventh annual Traverse City Film Festival is now one for the books — and boy, this was one great book!
 
We had over 20,000 more admissions recorded this year! 128,000 tickets sold (including free attendance to the Open Space films, panels, kids fest and other free events). We set a new attendance record at the Open Space on Wednesday night (“Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back”) and then promptly broke it on Friday night when nearly 20,000 people showed up to watch “The Dark Knight.” 
 
We showed more films this year (147 films – 27 more) at more screenings (156 screenings – 21 more) and brought more filmmakers and industry guests (130 guests – 60 more). And yet we kept the small, hometown feel of this festival that continues to be lauded as one of the best film festivals in North America. 
 
The nicest part of our August has been the virtual unanimity of your feedback: This was our best-run film fest yet! And we agree! We thank you for your role in it. We have a few ideas for making it even better next year (easier online ticket buying, don’t cut off the star of “To Kill a Mockingbird” after only three questions), and more exciting (next year the head of the Cannes Film Festival will join us in person and will bring with him a few surprises from France!). 
 
The dates for next year’s festival are July 31-August 5. (It’s a few days later in 2012 because the National Cherry Festival is opening too late in July. We’re working on that for future years.)
 
Thank you to all the volunteers who made this festival possible. And thanks to our sponsors who help fund all of the things that we do. We couldn’t do this without any of you.
 
We also rely heavily on our Friends of the Film Festival; we’re grateful for their crucial support. Many of you have asked how you can become a Friend or renew your annual Friends membership at the original 2006 Friends rates. We’ve extended the deadline until September 15 — after September 15, Friends rates double until the Friendship year ends. You can click to join or renew online, or you can print/mail/fax or phone (231-392-1134) in your Friendship. As always, Friends will get to order their 2012 tickets in advance of the general public, and there are lots of other great benefits, too.
 
In the coming months, I will be sending you a detailed letter about where we stand as we enter our eighth year. There are some serious issues we need to deal with regarding our long-term sustainability and I want to share them with you. The fact that our state’s economy has not recovered has had serious repercussions for everything, including our festival. This must be addressed — and I will be asking your help in addressing it. 
 
Thank you again for all of your help, but mostly for your love of the cinema. It is an art form that is experienced best with others and it is incredible how for one week in northern Michigan we all come together and sit in the dark to laugh, to cry, to rebel, to reflect, to be moved in profound ways. All of this moves us, hopefully forward — and together we are inspired by this art to do better, be better. 
 
On to 2012!
 
Yours, 
 
Michael Moore
 
P.S. Just an FYI — someone is calling our sponsors saying that they represent something they call the “Traverse City Shorts Film Festival.” By adding the word “short” it may sound like TCFF without my long introductions, but it is not. We have nothing to do with this festival and have asked them to choose a different name so as to not confuse people. Regardless, we’re happy that more movies are coming to TC!

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Video from the 2011 Traverse City Film Festival featuring TCFF “Fun” Manager Will Riley, Food Manager Mary Fisher, Scott Tompkins from the Film School and more!

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Thank you, friends, for renewing or registering for the 2012 Friends of the Film Festival season! Remember, you still have until September 1 to renew or register at the original 2005 prices. Click here for more information.

Congratulations to our friends who have won this year’s drawing!

Lifetime Pass: Ross Totten
TCFF 2012 Pass: Constance Barrow
TCFF 2012 Day Pass: Nancy Kapolnek
Free Popcorn for a Year: Patricia Light

Thank you for your membership! Without our friends, we wouldn’t be able to share “Just Great Movies” with all of you.

Congratulations to our Volunteer Appreciation Award Winner from Day 6: Debby Werthmann! Debby, who has volunteered at the TCFF for the past three years, always volunteering at Milliken; even her daughter is a manager at that friendly venue.

“It’s a joy to work there and it’s so well organized,” said Debby. “Everyone works hard and answers every volunteer question that comes along. I especially love Milliken’s volunteer oasis this year.”

Thank you for serving as such a world-class usher, Debby! It’s people like you who make Milliken tick!

The Downtown Traverse City Association and Traverse City Film Festival have chosen winners for the 2011 TCFF Window Display Contest!

Judging was based on: (1) presentation based on film & the film festival, (2) originality and creativity, and (3) use of the retailer’s merchandise in the presentation.

And the winners are…
First place: Miner’s North Jewelers
Second place: What to Wear
Third place: Annie’s
Honorable Mentions: Ella’s Fashion and Furnishing, Cherry Republic, and Becky Thatcher Designs

The first-place winner will receive two State Theatre all-access passes good for one year and two tickets to the closing night party.

Second place will receive a $25 gift card and twelve tickets to the State Theatre.

Third place will receive a gift basket of TCFF merchandise.

The winners will also be congratulated in an ad in the Northern Express.

We want to thank the following downtown shops for their enthusiasm and participation:
American Spoon Foods
Federico’s Design Jewelers
Horizon Books
Diversions
Toy Harbor
Robert Frost Fine Footwear
Boyne Country Sports

Congratulations to our Find the Missing Film Puzzle Hunt winners!

David Grams
Kristen Sonnemann-Grams
Cara Sonnemann
Kevin Sonnemann
Emily Sonnemann

I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to this fun new addition to the festival:

Like the Facebook page and we’ll let you know if we’re doing something similar again next year.


Your puzzle host,

Lars Kelto

Now, the solutions:

The symbol key from the film guide
	Wednesday’s clues: MYNORTH FILMGOER GUIDE PAGE F11
	FOLLOW THE RIVER GUARDIANS GAZE TO READ EVERY THIRD LETTER The River Guardian statue by the chamber of commerce looks at the back corner of the State Theatre. On the wall, just behind a tree that sits between the State and Amical, was a sign, where you would read every third character.
	ALLEY LILIES COWS In the Lilies of the Alley store, behind the City Opera House, a clue sat behind a display of multicolored cows.
	PLAYHOUSE BASEMENT HALLWAY 1TCS 2PP 3OGP 4EIDM 5WSS 6LA 7SAS 8SLM 9H In the basement hallway of the Old Town Playhouse, several posters of shows previously performed there had clues above them near the ceiling. Combining these clues in the order of the shows given in the abbreviations (ie, PP = Peter Pan) provided the answer.
	7POSTER X0.84 Y0.61 PUSH T AFTER 5PM LOOK NORTH When looking at the TCFF poster for this year, featuring a 7 made up of objects from TC and film, lines drawn at 84% over and 61% down indicate the Park Place hotel. Pressing T in the elevator takes you to the top (only open in the evenings), and looking north reveals a giant banner on the building across State street.
	OSTERLIN MALL KIOSK The Osterlin Mall is the plaza at the entrance to Interlochen Center for the Arts. In the information kiosk was a poster, containing the final clue for the first chain: SAVE THIS CLUE FIND THE CYCLOPS TREE ROCKS UNDER EYE
	Thursday’s clues: CLINCH MARINA SPANISH WINDOW A 67′ boat named Ventana had the clue, in slip 12.
	CIRCUM/DIAM CASE BACK TO FRONT Circumference over diameter is Pi. At the new location of Grand Traverse Pie Co, the pie tags had symbols on them, to be read from back to front.
	7POSTER X51 Y52 MAKERS NAME -3 +3 -2 +7 -6 +12 -2 -8 -13 +2 Using the same poster mechanic as before, 51 and 52 percent (almost dead center on the poster) indicates the Martinek’s clock downtown. The maker of the clock was named Seth Thomas. Taking the letters in SETHTHOMAS and adjusting them forward or back with the positive or negative numbers shown gives PHRONT MENU, and the menu at Phil’s on Front had a tiny, faint set of symbols running along the bottom.
	COMMONS ANDREA ARNOLD AND KATE DICKIE TYLER PERRY AND ANGELA BASSETT 60 PACES N IN THE U Hopefully the name Tyler Perry tipped you off to these being movie related. Some Internet searching would reveal that the first two worked together in a movie called Red Road, and the second two in Meet the Browns. On the Grand Traverse Commons, Red Dr. and Brown Dr. meet. Going 60 paces north of their intersection, there was a clue in the ‘U’ of Cottage 30.
	FRIEND ALDHELM SYMPHOSIUS THEN READ HIS WALL Finding Aldhelm Symphosius, a hybridized name of two great riddle lovers, on Facebook, you would have seen the penultimate clue for this chain.
	“In the east, it towers over a bear. You must rise to heaven but look to hell…” The Grand Traverse Resort tower in Acme, by The Bear golf course, has a glass elevator. Riding up it, you would have seen three banners on the roof containing the final clue of this chain: SAVE: 44.758175
	Friday’s clues: DENNOS GIFT SHOP
	CONSOBRINAE ARCA ROSEA – SURSUM Latin for “the female cousin’s red box – up”, meaning the red phone box at Cousin Jenny’s.
	PERRY HANNAH DIED IN THE GARDEN ENTER BELL TOWER LOOK UP The home of city founder Perry Hannah is currently the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home. Standing in the gorgeous garden is a gazebo made from an old bell tower from Central Grade School. On the ceiling of the gazebo was the clue.
	MERCATO TASTE SILVER FURS SPICE CREATION FOUNTAIN The Mercato on the lower level of Building 50. Clues were on the ceiling outside doorways of five different stores, and the final piece was in the fountain outside.
	TAKE 493.1PAR TO REFERENCE DESK ASK IF IT IS GOOD The Traverse Area District Library has a book called “Cracking Codes” under that Dewey Decimal number. Upon taking the book to the reference desk, you would have been given a sheet of paper with the final clue for this chain: -85.637337 NOW USE THE CLUES TO FIND THE FILM
	Finale: Using the two geo coordinates gives a location in the park framed by Seventh, Eleventh, Elmwood and Division streets, just off the trail known as the Women’s Walk. A tree with a large hole stands near the creek bank, and on the ground directly under that eye was a film canister buried under a small pile of rocks. Easy, right?

Shirley Wall was the recent recipient of the Volunteer Appreciation Award. Shirley and her husband, Tom, have been volunteering since the TCFF’s second year. “We attended the festival the first year, saw the volunteers, and thought it looked like they were having a lot of fun. We signed up to volunteer in 2006 and sure enough, it gets better every year!” Shirley enjoys both working at and viewing movies. “I do everything: this year we saw 12 movies and volunteered for 12 hours.”

Shirley, who is a year-round resident of Suttons Bay reports, “We especially enjoy working at Lars Hockstad and we’ll definitely be back next year!” Thanks, Shirley! We look forward to seeing you there!

A video from the 2011 Traverse City Film Festival featuring everyone’s favorite silent movie star!

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Another year, another festival! It’s hard to believe we’re already in our seventh year here at TCFF. It seems like just yesterday that Michael and Jeff Garlin were singing “House at Pooh Corner” at the Holiday Inn, or Madonna was posing for photos on the red carpet in front of the State Theatre, or we were announcing that Milliken Auditorium and Lars Hockstad would be added as new TCFF venues. It’s exiting to see all the ways the festival has grown and improved over the years. Here’s to another great one!

As usual, TCFF got started with a bang this year. Here are some of the highlights from the first two days:

Opening Night Party

Some friends and I watched the volunteers set up for the opening night party through the window at Red Ginger, and it’s astounding how quickly they were able to transform Front Street into a bustling, festive street party for opening night. The dedication of the TCFF volunteers is nothing short of incredible. It’s always fun to walk through the meandering rows at the opening night party, seeing all the local vendors proudly sampling their culinary wares, enjoying the live music (this year featured the Luke Winslow-King Trio from New Orleans and K. Jones and the Benzie Playboys) and watching the filmmakers ohh and ahh in admiration as they snap photos of the glittering State Theatre marquee. I’ve been with the festival since the first year, and every festival, the opening night party has proven to be the perfect way to kick off the week.

“Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” in the Open Space

This was a special treat. The “Star Wars” films are not allowed to be shown in public screenings anymore, especially outdoors. But Michael received special permission from George Lucas himself to show “The Empire Strikes Back” in the Open Space, and the result was the single largest gathering the festival and the Open Space has ever seen: nearly 20,000 attendees. Considering that’s about 5,000 more than the entire population of the city of Traverse City, that’s a mind-boggling turnout. No matter how many times you’ve seen this classic film, it’s essentially like seeing it for the first time when you watch it on that immense 100′ screen at the Open Space, with a killer sound system and cheering fans all around you. This isn’t the first time George Lucas has come through for Traverse City – he also advised TCFF on which sound system and screen to use at the State Theatre when the venue was first opened. We’re very fortunate to have such good friends in high places!

“Cave of Forgotten Dreams”

Werner Herzog never fails to disappoint. We showed his thought-provoking documentary “Grizzly Man” at the festival in 2005, and “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” – which has been lauded as an example of 3D done right – was a worthy follow-up. The film offers a rare look into the Chauvet cave in southern France, where explorers uncovered a perfectly preserved collection of the world’s earliest known cave drawings in 1994. To protect the cave’s delicate climate, the site has been deemed off-limits to the public, which means this film is the closest many of us will ever get to seeing the extraordinary and exquisite paintings within. Fueled by Herzog’s dreamy cinematography and primal music, the film is a haunting, spiritual study of art’s power to transcend time and connect the future with the past.

We’ll have plenty more film reviews, event recaps and filmmaker interviews coming up on the blog this week, so be sure to check back often. See you at the movies!

If only all Saturday mornings could be so magical! The sun was shimmering off the bay. People filled our downtown – tickets in their pockets and coffees in their hands. Families rode happily in long bike processions down Union Street to Central Grade School to the TCFF Kids Fest. It seemed more like a scene from a movie than simply a city abuzz over movies.

Today’s movie at Lar Hockstad fit right in with the day – a magical movie called “Mia and the Magoo,”a visually stunningly film created from an astounding 500,000 hand painted frames. I apologize to the filmmakers, as this description is about as appropriate as standing in front of a Monet and calling it pretty. Sometimes words are simply not enough. The story was about a little girl, Mia, who after having a vision, sets off into the jungle to find her father. Along the way she meets a wonderful and very helpful, bumbling forest spirit(s) called the Migoo. Again, I offer my most sincere apologies to the writers. That description is like reading To Kill a Mockingbird and saying it is a cute little story of a girl coming of age. It is a story packed with the notions of love, friendship, self-definition, spirituality and an unwavering faith of what is “right”. And for good measure, sprinkle in lots of giggles and suspense. Environmental issues are presented, but with such a light hand, it may actually make our children think for themselves and come to a conclusion in which they can believe and find conviction.

The lawn was filled with what seemed to be a tribute to this incredible film. While flipbooks were still a popular activity, we made actual stop action film that we can now view on line. Little hands covered with newly created sock puppets became the fashion on the lawn. Kids had their pictures snapped with Elmo and Kermit the Frog, goofy caricatures drawn and happy faces painted. The performance stage gave us witty entertainment by the Old Town Playhouse Young Company, Genot Picor, Toma the Mime, and Terry Wooten, Stone Circle Poet Bard. Again, the castle was the hot spot for kids of all ages.

a time, the line began to form for the next movie being shown. Those fortunate moviegoers were able to rest comfortably in the shade and watch the scene playing out before them. I stopped and asked a woman who was, shall I say, more advanced in age, what she thought of the goings-on on the lawn. She smiled and thought for a moment. “They are so happy,” she said. “It’s absolutely magical.” I couldn’t agree more!

This year, the Traverse City Film Festival Awards Ceremony was held separately from the Closing Party in its own Saturday night event. Congratulations to the winners of these year’s festival awards:

MICHIGAN FILMMAKER AWARD
Sue Marx

SHORT FILM JURY AWARDS
Best Fiction Short Film
THIEF
Julian Higgins, USA

Best Non-Fiction Short Film
LIBRARY OF DUST
Ondi Timoner, Robert James, USA

Best Animated Short Film
THE EAGLEMAN STAG
Michael Please, UK

Best Student Short Film
BRAID
Chun-Yi Hsieh, Taiwan, China

Best Sound Design in a Short Film
YURI LENNON’S LANDING ON ALPHA 46
Anthony Vouardoux, Germany, Switzerland

Best Short Film for Kids
THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE
William Joyce, Brandon Oldenburg, USA

US DOCUMENTARY JURY AWARDS
Best US Documentary Film
FORDSON: FAITH, FASTING, FOOTBALL

The Documentary Everyone In America Should See Award
HOT COFFEE

Outstanding Documentary Cinematography & Editing
WHEN THE DRUM IS BEATING

Award for Most Life Affirming Documentary
BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER’S JOURNEY

WORLD DOCUMENTARY JURY AWARDS
Best Foreign Documentary Film
PROJECT NIM

Best Direction in a Foreign Documentary Film
Gaukur Úlfarsson, GNARR

Best Editing in a Foreign Documentary Film
SHUT UP, LITTLE MAN! AN AUDIO MISADVENTURE

Best Cinematography in a Foreign Documentary Film
PRESSPAUSEPLAY

Special Jury Prize, Foreign Documentary Film
YOU’VE BEEN TRUMPED

Best Activism in a Foreign Documentary Award
GIVE UP TOMORROW

US FICTION JURY AWARDS
Best US Narrative Film
HESHER

Best Screenplay in a US Narrative Film
EVERYTHING MUST GO

Best Performance in a US Narrative Film
Vera Farmiga, HIGHER GROUND

Best US Narrative Breakthrough Performance
Christopher Jordan Wallace, EVERYTHING MUST GO
Devin Brochu, HESHER

WORLD FICTION JURY AWARDS
Best World Narrative Film
INCENDIES

Best Performance in a World Narrative Film
Brendan Gleeson for THE GUARD
Luvna Azabal for INCENDIES

Best Screenplay in a Foreign Narrative Film
FOUR LIONS

Best Hero/Villain Award in a Foreign Narrative Film
Fabrice Luchini for THE WOMEN ON THE 6TH FLOOR and TROPHY WIFE

The Bondless Chums Award for Comedic Improv
Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon for THE TRIP

FOUNDERS AWARDS
Founders Prize, Best US Documentary Film
WHERE SOLDIERS COME FROM
IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT

Founders Prize, Best Foreign Documentary Film
GNARR
GRANITO: HOW TO NAIL A DICTATOR

Founders Prize, Best US Fiction Film
RID OF ME

Founders Prize, Best Foreign Fiction Film
QUEEN TO PLAY
FACE TO FACE
THE WOMEN OF THE 6TH FLOOR

Founders Prize, Best Horror Film ­
DEADHEADS

Special Founders Prize
AN ENCOUNTER WITH SIMONE WEIL
SEMPER FI: ALWAYS FAITHFUL

Founders Prize, Best of Fest
ROMANTICS ANONYMOUS
HABANASTATION

Founders Prize, Best Short Film ­
JESUS WAS A COMMIE

Founders Prize, Best Classic Film ­
UNDER WESTERN STARS

We hope you loved the Open Space show of “Tangled” last night, complete with our resident Rapunzels!

Tickets are still available for the Closing Night Party tonight!

A recap of yesterday’s events can be found in the Daily Ticker. If you love all things Traverse City and want to be “in the know,” be sure to get The Ticker, a FREE daily news email packed with local stories, tips, breaking news, events and more. Subscribe free here and

click here to read today’s Ticker!

Check out all of the TCFF 2011 photos here on our Flickr!

Get to the City Opera House NOW for the ever-popular Comedy Panel. It will broadcast today on IPR at 6 pm.

Stop by the lawn outside Lars today between 10 am and 2 pm to attend Kids Fest. Today’s theme is Dance Day.

We still have tickets available for the following films:

9 am
“A Cat in Paris”
“Semper Fi: Always Faithful”
“One, Two, Three”

Noon
“Vapor Trail (Clark)”
“Young Goethe In Love”
“L’Inferno”
“Give Up Tomorrow”

3 pm
Wild & Weird: Alloy Orchestra’s Favorite Short Silent Films”
“When the Drum Is Beating”

6 pm
“Windfall”
“Modern Times”
“How To Start Your Own Country”
“Habanastation”

9 pm
“Trophy Wife”
“Gnarr”
“Granito: How to Nail a Dictator”
“Face to Face”

Check out the TCFF Ticket Swap to see if the tickets you want are up for grabs from other patrons.

Don’t forget about TCFF Film School! Check it out at Scholar’s Hall for only $5. Today’s sessions are: Breaking into the Industry: Notes from a Young Filmmaker, 12 noon and The Craft of Screenwriting, 3 pm.

Today’s free Film Lounge Forums are “Face to Face” after the 12 noon showing and “Hot Coffee” after the 3 pm movie.

Tonight at the Open Space, come at 7 pm to enjoy free entertainment in Open Space Park and then, at dusk, settle in for “Mrs. Doubtfire!”

If you have some extra time today, make sure to check out the live music at the Clinch Park Music Stage from 12 noon until 7pm.

We’d love to have more volunteers today. If you’re interested, please sign up here! You can also swing by the festival office to get all squared away. Call 231-922-8109 for more information.

The following shifts are in need of additional workers today:

Sunday
State Theatre 7:30-11am, 10:30am-2pm
OTP 8-11am, 4:30-8pm
KidsFest 9am-noon, Noon-3pm
Closing night party set-up: 1-5pm
City Opera House: 1:30-5pm
Lars Hockstad: 7:30-11:30pm
Milliken: 7:30-11:30pm

Thank you for attending the festival! As always, we are ever excited to enjoy “Just Great Movies” with all of you.

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Watch the amazing TC Lip Dub on YouTube featuring all kinds of people from Traverse City – vote it up on Reddit!

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Good morning filmgoers!

We hope you enjoyed the first annual People’s Choice Night at the Open Space last night Remember that Mrs. Doubtfire will be showing on Sunday evening to close out the festival.

Tickets are still available for the Awards Ceremony tonight!

A recap of yesterday’s events can be found in the Daily Ticker. If you love all things Traverse City and want to be “in the know,” be sure to get The Ticker, a FREE daily news email packed with local stories, tips, breaking news, events and more. Subscribe free here and click here to read today’s Ticker!

Check out all of the TCFF 2011 photos here on our Flickr!

Yesterday’s panel, The Working Class Goes to the Movies, will broadcast today on IPR at 1 pm.

Stop by the lawn outside Lars today between 10 am and 2 pm to attend Kids Fest. Today’s theme is Storytelling Day.

We still have tickets available for the following films:

Noon
“Short Documentaries”
“Under Western Stars”

3 pm
“When The Drum Is Beating”

6 pm
“Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure”
“Higher Ground”

9 pm
“The Front”
“The Swell Season”
“Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop”

Midnight
“Trollhunter”
Shorts for Midnight

Check out the TCFF Ticket Swap to see if the tickets you want are up for grabs from other patrons.

Don’t forget about TCFF Film School! Check it out at Scholar’s Hall for only $5. Today’s sessions are:
Storytelling in Film, 12 noon
How I Made My Short Film, 3 pm

Today’s free Film Lounge Forums are after the 12 noon showing: “Fordson: Faith, Fasting, Football” and after the 3 pm movie: “How to Start Your Own Country”

Tonight at the Open Space, come at 7 pm to enjoy free music in Open Space Park and then, at dusk, settle in for “Tangled.”

If you have some extra time today, make sure to check out the live music at the Clinch Park Music Stage from 12 noon until 7pm.

We’d love to have more volunteers this weekend for the final days of the festival. If you’re interested, please sign up here! You can also swing by the festival office to get all squared away. Call 231-922-8109 for more information.

The following shifts are in need of additional workers:

Saturday
OTP 8am-11am, 11pm-2am
KidsFest 9am-noon, Noon-3pm
Lars Hockstad 4:30-8pm, 7:30-11:30pm
Opera House 7:30-11:30pm
State Theatre: 10:30pm-2am

Sunday
State Theatre 7:30-11am, 10:30am-2pm
OTP 8-11am, 4:30-8pm
KidsFest 9am-noon, Noon-3pm
Closing night party set-up: 1-5pm
City Opera House: 1:30-5pm
Lars Hockstad: 7:30-11:30pm
Milliken: 7:30-11:30pm

Thank you for attending day 4 of the festival! As always, we are ever excited to enjoy “Just Great Movies” with all of you.

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Video from the 2011 Traverse City Film Festival featuring producer and film professor Ira Deutchman, director Anthony Baxter and TCFF co-founder John Robert Williams. [field name=iframe] Click here for more video.

Congratulations to Michael Biedenbach, our volunteer appreciation award winner for day two, July 28.

Michael hails from Maumee, Ohio, but has been vacationing in Traverse City for twenty years. The Biedenbach family has been attending the TCFF since its second year.

“In 2005, we arrived in town just in time to see the festival closing,” said Michael. “After that, we decided to make the film festival part of our vacation every year and we became Friends of the Film Festival five years ago. This year is my first year for volunteering. I wasn’t sure where to go, but I got the volunteer email blasts on my phone and just signed up where the need was greatest.”

Michael, along with his wife, Liz, generously volunteered for several shifts at Lars Hockstad and the Old Town Playhouse turning their summer break into a volunteer vacation. Besides giving up half of their vacation to work the festival, they also managed to squeeze in eight movies!

“We usually see fourteen movies each year. I love the shorts!” says Michael. “The Traverse City Film Festival is a great event; everyone is so nice. The moviegoers all seem so happy and grateful and the volunteers feel the same way. It’s a wonderful type of mutual appreciation.”

The volunteer appreciation award is new this year. Each day, all of our volunteers will be entered into a drawing to receive a goody bag filled with: a $25 gift certificate to The Bay Leaf, a 2011 TCFF poster, a TCFF water bottle, Charles Layton chocolate truffles, two State Theatre movie passes, a TCFF bumper sticker, and a 2011 Venue t-shirt.

“We’re excited to be able to honor all of our volunteers with this award,” said Nancy Baker, TCFF volunteer coordinator. “While we wish we could extend a personal thank you to each volunteer, we hope this gesture speaks to how much we appreciate each and every person that volunteers for the festival.”

Thank you, volunteers! Remember, this could be you!

The Traverse City Film Festival (TCFF) has been honored as one of thirty U.S. film festivals this year to receive a grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.  The Academy has been awarding film festivals for the past eleven years; this is the first time TCFF has received a grant from the organization.

Grant recipients are encouraged to use the grants to help strengthen the connection between filmmakers and the community. The Festival Grants Committee’s generous $20,000 donation went toward bringing more filmmakers to this year’s festival. With the unprecedented funding, TCFF is able to bring in more guests then ever before.

Good morning filmgoers! Scroll down for the latest video from the Traverse City Film Festival!

We’re sorry that “Mrs. Doubtfire” got rained out last night. However, it will be showing on Sunday evening to close out the festival.

A recap of yesterday’s events can be found in the Daily Ticker. If you love all things Traverse City and want to be “in the know,” be sure to get The Ticker, a FREE daily news email packed with local stories, tips, breaking news, events and more. Subscribe free here and click here to read today’s Ticker!

Check out all of the TCFF 2011 photos here on our Flickr!

Yesterday’s panel, The Doc Panel, will broadcast today on IPR and 1 pm and 9 pm.

 Stop by the lawn outside Lars today between 10 am and 2 pm to attend Kids Fest. Today’s theme is Science Day.

We still have tickets available for the following films:
Noon
“Granito: How to Nail a Dictator” Film Forum Series discussion to follow at the Film Lounge in Lay Park.
“The Princess of Montpensier”
“Battle for Brooklyn”

3 pm
“Don’t Fence Me In”
“L’amour fou”

9 pm
“Give Up Tomorrow”

Midnight
“Bellflower”
“Rabies”

Check out the TCFF Ticket Swap to see if the tickets you want are up for grabs from other patrons.

Don’t forget about TCFF Film School! Check it out at Scholar’s Hall for only $5. Today’s sessions are: Producing Your Independent Film: From Idea to Script to Market and Acting for the Camera.

Today’s free Film Lounge Forums are after the 12 noon showing:“Granito: How to Nail a Dictator” and after the 3 pm movie: “With Babies and Banners: Story of the Women’s Emergency Brigade”.

Tonight at the Open Space is People’s Choice Night! Come at 7 pm to enjoy free music in Open Space Park and then, at dusk, settle in for “The Dark Knight.”

If you have some extra time today, make sure to check out the live music at the Clinch Park Music Stage from 12 noon until 7pm.

We are always in need of volunteers for our 11 pm-2 am shifts. If you’re interested in this late-night shift, please sign up here. If you are interested in becoming one of our ever-important “Information Ambassadors,” call Joel Secrist as 231-947-9608.

Thank you for attending day 3 of the festival! As always, we are ever excited to enjoy “Just Great Movies” with all of you.

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I love movies. Seriously…. I love movies so much I named my boat after an obscure
line from an obscure movie. It then makes sense that my kids love movies. So every
July, I have a little guilt in joyfully planning my time at TCFF. This year, I was able
to include my movie-loving kids! And did TCFF just give my kids one of the most
charming movies we’ve seen in years? Of course not! They made an entire day of it!

Today the movie was the Norwegian film, “Twigson”. We walked into live music, a
beautiful rendition of a popular Taylor Swift song, filling the “new” Lars Hockstead
auditorium. The kids were “super excited” then! But I was more than concerned
seeing toddlers in a movie with sub-titles. But there they were, propped in booster
seats – popcorn and all. Toddlers and sub-titles? Really? I have a 10-year-old boy
who reads well, but can’t sit still for more than a minute or two. He isn’t a toddler,
yet I was prepared to dash out to the lobby in order to bribe him for a few minutes
longer with some M&Ms. I am not beneath bribery! But the movie began, the sub-
titles flashed and not a child moved, even well into the credits. Why would I doubt
for a second, the TCFF’s choice of movies for children? For the record, my 13-year-
old daughter and her friend loved it just as much! And there wasn’t a single car
chase, crass word or violence of any sort. It was a charming coming of age film
about a boy and a twig-cutting that entertained, even for those who couldn’t read/
understand the dialog. Fantastic!

After the movie, the kids poured out onto the front lawn of Central Grade School for
Science Day. Again, TCFF went all out. Kids skipped through the grass with balloon
animals and hats, learned that Mentos and Coke could create a 30 foot geyser (and
not because of a chemical reaction, but a physical reaction), made custom colored
goo, created cherry pies and flip books, discovered the physics of buoyance and
learned through trial and error to perfect the basic stomp rocket. The Performance
Stage featured the Great Lakes Children’s Museum Science Show, LEGO Mindstorm
and our very own Traverse City Central High School Raptors FIRST Robotics Team.
The cardboard castle was literally crawling with giggling kids and little ones played
safety in an area created just for them. Could it get any better? Try healthy snacks
at the concession stand and healthy fun food on the tree shaded lawn. It was a
parent’s dream day!

Congratulations to John Daniels, our volunteer appreciation award winner for day one, July 27!

John and his wife, Kathy, retired to Traverse City two years ago after working for a combined 60 years at University of Detroit Mercy. Upon arriving in our fair city, they immediately noticed the 25-cent classic film series at the State and were so excited to find such a bargain in filmgoing. “We were so excited to find this treasure that we decided to start volunteering immediately so we could give back,” said Daniels. “We are so grateful to the State for being such a community builder.” And they haven’t looked back since.

This year is the Daniels’ first volunteer opportunity with the festival, and they are certainly enjoying themselves. In fact, John worked four shifts at Milliken yesterday–he was there from 8 am until 8 pm.

“We’ve met some wonderful other volunteers that shared our enthusiasm for Traverse City, for good films, for thinking and for good conversation,” John said. “I was fortunate to be there for four different films. the crowds changed and that was so interesting. One was gregarious, one intellectual, one family-oriented–Michael and his team picks good films that draw all sorts of people in, which is fantastic.”

“The Daniels’ are extraordinary volunteers,” said Jen Sutter, Manager at Milliken. “John is absolutely manager material, so we’re working on recruiting him for 2012.”

The volunteer appreciation award is new this year. Each day, all of our volunteers will be entered into a drawing to receive a goody bag filled with: a $25 gift certificate to The Bay Leaf, a 2011 TCFF poster, a TCFF water bottle, Charles Layton chocolate truffles, two State Theatre movie passes, a TCFF bumper sticker, and a 2011 Venue t-shirt.

“We’re excited to be able to honor all of our volunteers with this award,” said Nancy Baker, TCFF volunteer coordinator. “While we wish we could extend a personal thank you to each volunteer, we hope this gesture speaks to how much we appreciate each and every person that volunteers for the festival.”

Thank you, volunteers! Remember, this could be you!

The first annual Kids Fest is in full swing on the lawn outside of Lars Hockstad!

Today is Health and Safety Day, sponsored by Munson Healthcare. Smokey the Bear is there, and the TC Fire Department has their smoke trailer and fire truck on hand for kids to explore. Kids can make their own nutritious trail mix and create their own sun safety bracelets. At 11 am, kids can learn about ways to eat healthy with Dick Evans and the Nutrition Rainbow, followed by a lesson on the human body with Stuffee from the Great Lakes Children’s Museum at 12 noon. The US Coast Guard will take the stage at 12:30 pm for a demonstration about safety on the Great Lakes, and everyone should stick around for Dazzling and Amazing Safety Tips presented by Kohls 4 Season Safety & Safe Kids North Shore at 1 pm.

Performance Stage
11 am: Dick Evans and the Nutrition Rainbow
12 noon: Stuffee and the Extraordinary Human Body
12:30 pm: US Coast Guard
1 pm: Simple and Effective Safety Tips presented by Kohls 4 Season Safety & Safe Kids North Shore

For those of you planning on seeing “Twigson” at Lars tomorrow, please remember to bring sweatshirts. Even though it is hot outside, the theater is icy cold!

Make your own kendamas will be on hand for Saturday’s lawn party during Storytelling Day.

Remember, the Kids Fest films play at 9 am and tickets are only $1 each! The lawn party runs from 10 am until 2 pm each day. For information about daily themes and activities, click here.

Good morning filmgoers!

We hope you were able to see Elmo at the “Being Elmo” panel yesterday, and we’re so glad that the rain held off for “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” last night at the Open Space!

A recap of yesterday’s events can be found in the Daily Ticker. If you love all things Traverse City and want to be “in the know,” be sure to get The Ticker, a FREE daily news email packed with local stories, tips, breaking news, events and more. Subscribe free here and click to read today’s Ticker!

Check out all of the TCFF 2011 photos here on our Flickr!

Yesterday’s panel, “Being Elmo” In Traverse City, will broadcast on IPR today at 1 pm.

Head down to the City Opera House NOW to see The Doc Panel, with 14 filmmakers live on stage!

Stop by the lawn outside Lars today between 10 am and 2 pm to attend Kids Fest. Today’s theme is Heath and Safety Day, sponsored by Munson Healthcare!

We still have tickets available for the following films:

Shorts for Kids, 9 am. Only $1 for each ticket!
“Black Butterflies”, 9 am
“PressPausePlay, 9am
“L’amour fou”, 9 am
Shorts by UofM Students, 12 noon
“If A Tree Falls: Story of the Earth Liberation Front”, 12 noon. Film Forum Series Discussion to follow at the Film Lounge, Lay Park
“Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure”, 3 pm
“Semper Fi: Always Faithful”, 3 pm. Film Forum Series Discussion to follow at the Film Lounge, Lay Park
“Hesher”, 9 pm
“You’ve Been Trumped, 9 pm
“Rabies”, 12 midnight

Check out the TCFF Ticket Swap to see if the tickets you want are up for grabs from other patrons.

Don’t forget about TCFF Film School! Check it out at Scholar’s Hall for only $5.
Sound and Music: The Heart and Soul of Film, 12 noon
“The Indie Director: From Script to Screen”, 3 pm

Today’s free Film Lounge Forums are after the 12 noon showing:“If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front and after the 3 pm movie:“Semper Fi: Always Faithful.

Tonight at the Open Space, come at 7 pm to enjoy free music and then, at dusk, settle in for “Mrs. Doubtfire.”

If you have some extra time today, make sure to check out the live music at the Clinch Park Music Stage from 12 noon until 7pm.

We are always in need of volunteers for our 11 pm-2 am shifts. If you’re interested in this late-night shift, please sign up here. If you are interested in becoming one of our ever-important “Information Ambassadors,” call Joel Secrist as 231-947-9608.

Thank you for attending day 2 of the festival! As always, we are ever excited to enjoy “Just Great Movies” with all of you.

Here’s the video from the first day of the 2011 Traverse City Film Festival!

Lisa has been volunteering for the festival all seven years. She has worked in the State Theatre office, with pre-fest set up, as the first-ever warehouse manager, and as a merchandise supervisor. For the last couple of years, she’s worked in the box office, which she likes because most of the work is done before the festival, leaving time for filmgoing during the week.

When asked why she keeps signing up to volunteer, she said, “I love the festival itself and it’s a lot of fun being a volunteer. You get to meet people from all over the world and there’s this great energy that I can’t really explain. It’s just very joyful. Michael makes it so much fun with all of the activities, so being a part of the festival feels special. I’ve made some good friends working and I’m a movie buff so I like all the movies we show, too.”

The volunteer appreciation award is new this year. Each day, all of our volunteers will be entered into a drawing to receive a goody bag filled with: a $25 gift certificate to The Bay Leaf, a 2011 TCFF poster, a TCFF water bottle, Charles Layton chocolate truffles, two State Theatre movie passes, a TCFF bumper sticker, and a 2011 Venue t-shirt.

“We’re excited to be able to honor all of our volunteers with this award,” said Nancy Baker, TCFF volunteer coordinator. “While we wish we could extend a personal thank you to each volunteer, we hope this gesture speaks to how much we appreciate each and every person that volunteers for the festival.”

Thank you, volunteers! Remember, this could be you!

Rodman Flender is an accomplished director, writer, producer and actor whose directorial credits include “Idle Hands,” “The Unborn” and “Let Them Eat Rock.” He’s also directed numerous episodes for such acclaimed television series as “Ugly Betty,” “The O.C.,” “Dawson’s Creek” and “Gilmore Girls.” In his new feature-length documentary, “Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop,” Flender follows late night talk show host – and longtime friend – Conan O’Brien on his 32-city “Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television” tour. The result is a surprising and intimate look inside one of comedy’s sharpest and most tireless minds.

Rodman Flender

In a recent phone interview, Flender discussed bonding with O’Brien over obscure TV actors at Harvard, the late night host’s relentless drive to perform and please fans – which Flender compares to a type of “addiction” – and what O’Brien fans might be most surprised to learn about the charismatic star in the new film.

Traverse City Film Festival: You originally met Conan back at Harvard. Talk about how that relationship first developed early on, and how that parlayed into you helming this documentary about him all these years later.

Rodman Flender: We did meet as undergraduates at Harvard. He was a freshman, I was a sophomore, and we were both writers for the Harvard Lampoon, which is how we first met. We bonded immediately over a love – if not obsession – with obscure TV and film character actors. My dad was a comedy writer back in the 1950s for television, so I got to know some of these actors and writers. In fact, Louis Nye (“Beverly Hillbillies”) was an old family friend, and I put Louis and Conan at the same table at my wedding, which made Conan pretty happy. So we definitely shared a love of these old obscure things, and we’ve been friends ever since.

TCFF: What was the genesis for the documentary?

RF: The documentary was inspired by a unique opportunity. I did a documentary about 10 years ago called “Let Them Eat Rock,” about a local rock band in Boston called The Upper Crust. They seemed like they were on the verge of breaking out, and at the time I thought, “Wouldn’t it have been interesting to capture, say, Nirvana right before they got big?” So that was the basis of that film. Cut to ten years later, and here’s Conan O’Brien, this big TV star suddenly without a TV show, who’s going out on the road to get back to his roots and connect with his fans. It seemed like a great opportunity, almost a strange inversion of my first documentary, to capture an artist improvising and using his comedy to deal with his anger and process some very complicated feelings.

I didn’t have any specific agenda for the film. I didn’t want to make a Conan O’Brien “product,” or rail against any particular network, or take anyone’s side. There was a lot written about Conan’s loss of the Tonight Show, and I wasn’t interested in tackling that subject. I just wanted to capture what it was Conan was going to do next, and it’s rare to get an opportunity to do that and to capture an artist creating something from beginning to end. I told him right upfront: “I don’t want to deify you in any way, but I don’t want to slam you, either. I just want to see what happens. And knowing that, I need full access to everything you’re doing.” And for whatever reason, he was OK with that. I don’t know why – you’ll have to ask him that. It was probably a foolish move on his part. (laughs)

Still from “Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop”

TCFF: One of the key questions of the film is one you ask Conan directly: “Do you need an audience to be happy?” Based on your own observations and the experience of making this movie, what do you think the answer to that question is?

RF: That’s a complicated question, and you’re right, it is one of the key questions of the film. That’s why I show it right at the beginning, and I think it takes 90 minutes to even approach answering it. That question is one of the main reasons I wanted to make the film, because I wanted to know what it was in the DNA of performers that drives them to keep going. Here Conan was in a situation where he could not perform on television, or radio, or the Internet – he was legally bound from performing. And the only venue they left out was live stage performance. My guess is that if they had thought about it, they probably would’ve included that as well. But they overlooked it.

I think a lot of people would’ve taken that time to regroup, to take some time off and use the compensation to have a nice vacation somewhere. But Conan, performer that he is, found the one venue where he could perform and immediately went right back to performing. I find that interesting, and I don’t know what it is in the DNA of actors and performers that drives them to do that. I think ultimately the film, among many other things, is a portrait of a kind of addiction – an addiction to performance, and applause, and an audience.

TCFF: You mentioned coming up with the title of the film in the editing room, and it seems to be a fitting thesis for the movie, because it seems Conan is almost physically unable to stop himself from performing or saying yes to people. But it also seems like in many scenes – I’m thinking of Bonnaroo here – that there’s also the expectation that he’s not allowed to stop. How much do you think that characteristic of his is driven by an innate desire to perform versus the pressure to meet external expectations?

RF: First of all, I think he feels responsible for his team and crew and staff. In Bill Carter’s book (“The War for Late Night”), it talks about how part of his deal with NBC was that his staff would be taken care of as well as him. And I know he was good to them during the writers’ strike. So there’s that sense of responsibility he feels, which comes from him being a benevolent and caring person. It’s funny you mention Bonnaroo, because in that moment when he’s at his snarkiest, he still stops and says: “Everyone’s going to be out of a job.” So that is always on his mind.

I think Conan’s also a people pleaser. He does not want to disappoint his fans. He wants to make everyone happy – he signs every autograph, he gives everyone hugs. You see that in a moment in the film; he quotes someone who said he was rude to somebody, and he says, “That’s just not physically possible.” And that’s true. He just came back from Comic-Con last weekend, and after he did a panel in front of thousands of people, he jumped into the crowd and started giving everyone hugs and shaking their hands. The security there is very tight, and you could see the guards were uncomfortable. I don’t think anyone else did that – not actors or directors or any other talent. No one else jumped off the stage and hugged literally every person who asked for a hug. He just doesn’t want to disappoint people.

Still from “Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop”

TCFF: Conan’s support team – not only the Team Coco staff, but his wife, assistant and friends – seem to play an integral role in his ability to keep up with his demanding career schedule. Talk about that supporting cast of characters and how they factored into the film.

RF: He has a great support team. We did a Q&A together when the film screened here in LA, and that was one of the things he said he took away from watching it, was just how valuable his support team is and how much they mean to him. They all do their jobs very well. When Conan first saw a rough cut of the movie, it was four or five months after the tour. He had already moved on and was focusing on the new TBS show. I forced him, almost like Malcolm McDowell in “A Clockwork Orange,” to watch the movie, which he was reluctant to do. And understandably so, because once you’ve moved on from a difficult time, you don’t want to go back and watch a close documentation of that period. But he did see it, and the most difficult scenes for him to watch were ones in which he was railing against his staff. When it was over, he said: “I feel like an alcoholic who now needs to go apologize to people.” So his team is very important, and the film helped him realize that.

TCFF: You were upfront with Conan that you didn’t want this to be a propaganda film or fluff piece, but rather an honest and unflinching depiction of the behind-the-scenes of the tour. The film succeeds on that level, so what has been Conan’s reaction to the finished product, and how has making this movie impacted your relationship?

RF: (Deadpans) Well, we haven’t spoken since it came out. That’s the next lawsuit, I imagine. No, I’m kidding, but his relationship with the film is complicated. I can’t imagine he enjoys seeing it or wants to see it again. The film depicts him working through the biggest professional disappointment he’s ever experienced. We all experience disappointment, but very few of us have to do it on the front page of the New York Times. So to watch this time machine of a movie and relive that experience is hard for him. But we did an audio commentary for the film together, and he did say then after watching it a second time: “I’m glad this film exists, so my grandchildren can see what this time was about and what it was like.” So yes, it’s a complicated relationship. I think he appreciates the filmmaking and is glad it exists in the world, but I don’t think he ever wants to see it again.

TCFF: What do you think audiences who only know Conan from his television persona will be most surprised to learn about him in this film?

RF: How human he is. We see a portrait of a full human being with a full range of emotions. This film is Conan unscripted. Having known him for so long, I always thought the funniest Conan wasn’t necessarily the Conan you see on TV every night. That is his job – he’s a late night host. He does that very well, but as you’ll see in the film, he also has an insanely funny and quick wit. That was something I wanted to capture and share with the world. I don’t think the late night TV show offers an opportunity to see Conan as he really is – to see him frustrated, or impatient, or genuinely happy. It’s not part of that job description to express real emotions. But in this documentary, it’s unscripted and it’s capturing him going through a difficult time, so you do get to see a full range of emotions.

I’m glad the film is showing at the Traverse City festival, because it’s a different experience seeing it with an audience than seeing it alone on DVD or on TV. When you see it with a group of people, you laugh a lot more. Laughter is contagious. It’s interesting, too, to see how people who haven’t seen his work or aren’t fans of his experience him through this film for the first time, especially if they see it with an audience at a festival versus watching it on a screener alone. It seems like they take his darkness and sarcasm much more seriously watching it alone, but in a crowded room where everyone’s laughing, you can see just how funny it is. The reaction is very interesting from those who aren’t fans, and I’d say it’s probably a split between those who say, “Wow, what a dick. How could you work for someone like that?” and those who say, “God, I wish I had a boss who made me laugh like that all the time.” It comes down to his sense of humor and how you take it. Frankly, if he’s making fun of you, it’s almost a badge of honor. It means there’s a comfort level there if he starts punching you. (laughs)

TCFF: Do you feel like you were able to accurately capture who Conan is as a person versus a personality? Is it easy to tell the difference between the two – and what is that difference, if any?

RF: Well, like I said before, he’s naturally funny and he can’t ever stop – he can’t help it. It’s just the way his mind works. Some of the funniest things I’ve seen him do, I couldn’t even capture on film, because they were in a car at night or there was no light or whatever the case might be. I was so glad we were able to capture the scene in the van at the end where he’s going on about Nas and Damian Marley, because every van ride was like that, whether there was a camera on him or not. That’s just the nature of being a performer, and the film captures that side of him very well.

Rodman Flender will appear live at the Traverse City Film Festival with the film “Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop,” which screens Friday (July 29) at 9:00 p.m. at Old Town Playhouse and Saturday (July 30) at 9:00 p.m. at Lars Hockstad Auditorium. For ticket information, click here.

Last night George Lucas graciously allowed the Traverse City Film Festival to screen the Empire Strikes Back on our 100 foot screen on Grand Traverse Bay! Click for more videos from TCFF.

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Thank you for a spectacular opening night last night. We hope you were able to watch the premiere of the Traverse City Lip Dub before the films last night, enjoy the Opening Night Party on Front Street and see the unprecedented showing of Empire Strikes Back on the Open Space Screen! A recap of yesterday’s events can be found in the Daily Ticker, available for download here. And if you love all things Traverse City and want to be “in the know,” be sure to get The Ticker, a FREE daily news email packed with local stories, tips, breaking news, events and more. Subscribe free here.

Check out all of the TCFF 2011 photos here on our Flickr!

We still have tickets available for the following films:

Shorts for Students, 12 noon
“An Encounter with Simone Weil”, 12 noon
“Miral”, 3 pm
“The Swell Season”, 6 pm
“Trollhunter”, midnight
“Bellflower”, midnight

Check out the TCFF Ticket Swap to see if the tickets you want are available by other patrons.

Don’t forget about TCFF Film School! Check it out at Scholar’s Hall for only $5.
Production Audio for Film, 12 noon
Tips from a Hollywood Casting Director and Actress, 3 pm

Today’s free Film Lounge Forums are After the 12 noon movie: “An Encounter with Simone Weil” and After the 3 pm movie: “Kumare”

Tonight at the Open Space, come at 7 pm to enjoy free music and then, at dusk, settle in for “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.”

If you have some extra time today, make sure to check out the
live music at the Clinch Park Music Stage from 12 noon until 7pm.

We are in need of volunteers for the 11 pm to 2 am shift at the Old Town Playhouse. If you’re interested in this late-night shift, please sign up here. We are offering additional swag for those who are able to work this shift.

Thank you for attending day 1 of the festival! As always, we are ever excited to enjoy “Just Great Movies” with all of you.

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Chris Dapkins, Carlo Mirabella-Davis, Nick August-Perna

Shortly before traveling to Traverse City to screen the film at this week’s festival, August-Perna and Dapkins shared their thoughts through email on the project’s origins, comparisons between “The Swell Season” and “Once,” and the delicate balancing act of honestly portraying one couple’s struggle with fame and heartbreak.

Traverse City Film Festival: There are three directors attached to this film – you two and Carlo Mirabella-Davis. How did the three of you meet, and what inspired the idea to take on this particular project?

Nick August-Perna/Chris Dapkins: We’ve known each other for years, and have worked in a complementary capacity on various shorter projects. Glen and Carlo met originally in a film class Carlo was teaching. We then all discussed the possibility of making a film together. Carlo makes thrillers, I’m interested in playing with the nature doc form, and Chris is interested in making a comedy, so “The Swell Season” is the product of several influences.

TCFF: It’s likely that many audiences will encounter this film with the expectation it is the real-life equivalent of “Once,” or at least a documentary counterpart to “Once.” As filmmakers, how do you address those comparisons, and what are the parallels or differences you see between the two films?

NAP/CD: We were always interested in the tension and disconnect of Glen and Marketa’s public lives created by the film “Once” and their private lives. So we were very conscious of “Once” while making “The Swell Season,” but always wanted it to stand alone. There is crossover between the films in regards to the shaping of identity of the characters, but we do see “The Swell Season” as another shadow of their romance. We do believe that there is a cumulative portrait of a relationship in the combination of both films.

Still from “The Swell Season”

TCFF: You’ve mentioned in interviews that you originally set out to document the band’s creative process and world tour, but quickly realized their relationship was the compelling center of the film. What specifically inspired that shift, and how were you able to maintain a balance between capturing these intimate moments between Glen and Marketa (some of which are highly painful and personal) and still respecting their trust and privacy?

NAP/CD: About 3/4 through the film, there is the lengthy scene at the cafe where Glen and Mar confront each other about their different experiences of dealing with struggle. We arrived at that scene through spending a great deal of time with them, and it was a natural extension of a closeness and trust that had developed between us. It was a very influential moment in the process, and we realized the film needed to be built around that scene where all the subtext comes to a slow boil.

TCFF: The issue of fame, and how people react when they suddenly come into it, plays a significant role in the film. Having spent so much time with the artists, what were your observations in terms of how fame affected them both individually and as a couple?

NAP/CD: Their relationship is unique, because it was the fictitious romance that propelled them to fame. So with that sudden fame, their private lives were also quickly thrust in the spotlight. That was a constant source of tension, along with the struggle to meet people’s expectations of what would become of them. Marketa in particular had a strong aversion to the artifice of celebrity.

TCFF: Have Glen and Marketa seen the film? If so, what was their reaction?

NAP/CD: Yes, they have. It’s hard for them to watch, even though they support its honesty.

TCFF: What is up next for the three of you? Any collaborative or individual projects in the works?

NAP/CD: Yes. We’re all writing and/or researching separate films at the moment.

Nick August-Perna and Chris Dapkins will appear live at the Traverse City Film Festival with the film “The Swell Season,” which screens Wednesday (July 27) at 6:00 p.m. at Milliken Auditorium and Saturday (July 30) at 9:00 p.m. at the Old Town Playhouse. For ticket information, click here.

Constance Marks is an award-winning independent documentary filmmaker whose acclaimed films, including “Return to Appalachia,” “Let’s Fall in Love: A Singles’ Weekend at the Concord Hotel” and “Green Chimneys,” have garnered her numerous awards and theatrical, PBS and HBO screenings. Her latest film, “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey,” tells the heart-warming story of Elmo creator and beloved puppeteer Kevin Clash, who parlayed an early love of puppets into a career as the voice of one of the world’s most iconic characters.

Constance Marks

In a recent phone interview, Marks discussed how she first discovered Kevin’s unique story, the inspiring process of peeking behind the curtain at the magical world of Jim Hensen and “Sesame Street,” and how one shy little eight-year-old boy making puppets out of his dad’s coat on the living room floor grew up to be one of the most successful puppeteers of all time.

Traverse City Film Festival: How did you first encounter Kevin Clash, and what intrigued you about telling his story on film?

Constance Marks: James Miller, who is my husband and the DP on the film, used to work on “Sesame Street.” One day he came home from work, and he had a VHS tape of Elmo looking at photos of our daughter in a little rag book. I’d already been smitten with Elmo, and I was so touched that whoever this puppeteer was would take the time to do this for our family. James told me a little bit about Kevin, and a few years later, when James called me from the set of “Sesame Street” one day, I blurted out: “You tell that Kevin Clash that your wife has a crush on him and wants to make a documentary about him.” (laughs) I’d never even thought about making a film about Kevin before, but it just came out of my mouth. And the next thing I knew, James came home with Kevin’s assistant’s phone number. This was back in 2004.

A week later, Kevin and I had a four-hour lunch together. He told me his life story, and I was completely intrigued. I thought it was such a wonderful story, and I had a hunch we could do something great with it. Because Kevin knew James already, and he had also watched one of my documentaries and liked it, he said, “Let’s go for it!” And suddenly we were off and running.

TCFF: A puppeteer is an unusual career choice, but the film shows Kevin’s parents as being unfailingly supportive from a young age of his unique interest in this line of work. What role do you think his family and upbringing played in his success?

CM: I think Kevin’s family had a huge role in helping him to realize this dream he had from a very young age to build puppets and perform with them and work with Jim Hensen. He started when he was just eight years old, building puppets on the floor in his living room. His parents did everything they possibly could for all of their children to help them achieve their dreams. When parents see this film, they’re really moved by that kind of generosity. There’s a lesson in that kind of love.

In the film, we learn that as a child, Kevin destroyed the lining in his dad’s precious coat to make a puppet. And his dad’s reaction to that act was: “Next time, please ask. Just ask before you do that.” His mother’s reaction was: “I didn’t care that he destroyed the coat! I just knew he had this amazing talent. I knew that someday Kevin would buy his dad a new coat.” People see that in the film and they’re very touched by it. I’m a parent also, and I know that’s not how I would’ve reacted. But that really taught me a lesson about generosity and our ability as parents to support our children’s dreams. Everyone involved in making this film wanted to be adopted by the Clash parents, because they’re just endearing, supportive, loving people. I always say that Kevin was born into the right family.

Kevin Clash

TCFF: In some of the film’s more poignant scenes, you see Kevin’s struggle to keep up with the increasing demands of his career “being Elmo” while also maintaining a semblance of a personal life, especially spending time with his own daughter. How do you predict that balancing act will continue for Kevin in the future? Do you have any thoughts on what might be in store for him career-wise?

CM: Career-wise, I couldn’t possibly say. I’m sure whatever it is will be wonderful and creative and something we can’t even imagine. In terms of his daughter, she’s going off to college now and they have a very tight bond. In the film, she gave him a letter saying she was going to be leaving soon and she wanted to spend more time with him before she left. He really took notice and respected that wish of hers. He took it very seriously, and there’s a real closeness there between them.

TCFF: Puppetry these days can seem like a nostalgic or antiquated form of entertainment compared to all the technological toys and gadgets available to children, and yet the film demonstrates that there is still a very real and primal connection to these characters in kids. What do you think it is about puppets, and Elmo in particular, that continues to evoke such a strong response in children?

CM: That’s a great question. (pauses) I think that unlike a lot of characters that are created for children, Elmo needs children to explain things to him. He’s empowering them by doing that. He speaks directly to them and asks them questions, almost as if he’s waiting to hear their answer. Being a child – you’re virtually powerless. Yet here you’ve got this character wanting and needing something from you. On a psychological level, that’s very powerful.

I saw a 14-month-old baby two days ago, and I held up my iPhone cover to her, which has a picture of Elmo on it. I asked the mother if the baby knew what Elmo was, and the mother said no. And the baby looked at this picture, and she started laughing out loud. So I think there’s something inherently appealing to kids about the look of Elmo, and then also his voice, and finally the connection Kevin is able to make with kids over the airwaves with Elmo, which is what seals the deal. So when they see Elmo in person, they just – lose it. (laughs) They become beside themselves with glee, because they’re so excited to be in the presence of this creature they love so much that they can’t touch on television. It’s really the most beautiful thing to see.

Still from “Being Elmo”

TCFF: Compared to the dramatic subject matter of so many documentaries today, including previous films you yourself directed, the tone and content of this film is fairly light-hearted. And yet audiences have responded emotionally to “Being Elmo,” often crying through many scenes. Why do you think that is? What were you hoping audiences would walk away with after seeing this film?

CM: When you see Kevin with a Make-A-Wish child who has terminal illness, and he’s valiantly performing – he has tears in his eyes, and he’s trying to be up and happy for this child – that certainly causes you to get a lump in your throat. Because you know him at this point in the film fairly well, and you know who he is and how sensitive he is. He’s doing something very difficult, and audiences see that and are moved by it.

Another emotional moment in the film is the Jim Hensen memorial, because a lot of people in the audience have a deep connection with Jim Hensen and the Muppets and that whole world he created. When you pass a certain age, it’s just in your DNA. You grew up with it. So seeing that memorial footage, which has never been released to the public before, with all the puppeteers on stage with their puppets singing an emotional tribute song with a big photo of Jim Hensen in the background – that moment is very moving for many people.

I know a number of people have told me they hadn’t planned to see the film, or it wasn’t their first choice at a festival, or someone else brought them to the screening – and they ended up being knocked out by the film. And that’s my favorite kind of audience member: someone whose expectations were mediocre at the beginning, but who wound up having a deep emotional experience with the film.

TCFF: What can Traverse City audiences expect from meeting Kevin in person this week? As someone who knows him well, what is your impression of him outside of his connection with Elmo?

CM: From film festivals we’ve already attended, I can tell you that however you perceive Kevin in the film, he’s even more that way in person. If he’s doing an Elmo meet-and-greet, he will patiently wait until every last person has taken a picture with him and talked to him. He’s not going to run off and say, “I’ve got to go.” He’s also the funniest when he’s unscripted. The Elmo meet-and-greets are a magical time of spontaneous interaction with audiences without being saccharine – there’s some edginess and hilarious stuff there, but it’s also very touching.

I never tire of watching Kevin, and I’ve been doing it for seven years now. He’s not tired of being Elmo, and none of us are tired of him being Elmo. And that’s the key: he genuinely loves what he does.

Constance Marks and Kevin Clash will appear live at the Traverse City Film Festival with the film “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey,” which screens Wednesday (July 27) at 3:00 p.m. at the State Theatre and Thursday (July 28) at 6:00 p.m. at the City Opera House. For ticket information, click here.

Good morning film fans!

Welcome to the seventh annual Traverse City Film Festival. We’re glad you’re here!

Tickets are still available for tonight:

Opening Night Party
8:30 pm—Midnight | Front Street 200 Block
Cost: $50
Sponsored by Stella Artois and H. Cox & Son, Inc.

Opening Night Films

“Made in Dagenham”
6 pm | State Theatre
10 pm | City Opera House
Cost: $25

“Even the Rain”
6 pm | City Opera House
10:30 pm | State Theatre
Cost: $25

Don’t forget to check out the Open Space tonight for:

“Free Music in Open Space Park”, 7 pm

“Star Wars™: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back”, Dusk

We still have volunteer shifts open for tonight:
Opening Night Party
Set up, Check-in, and tear down | Various shifts at 4:30-8:30pm and 8pm-midnight
City Opera House
All sections | 9pm-midnight
Sign up here or pop in to the Festival Office in the Radio Centre Building, 300 E. Front Ste. 240.

We hope you’re as excited as we are to open the festival tonight. Please join us as we celebrate seven years of “Just Great Movies”!

Heather Courtney

In a recent phone interview, Courtney discussed the origins of her newest project, the surprising and difficult lessons both she and the boys learned during their journey together, and the issues she believes are most important for the military to address going forward for soldiers and veterans – and for the families and communities they leave behind.

Traverse City Film Festival: Let’s start by talking about the genesis of “Where Soldiers Come From.” What is the film about, and how do you get involved in the project?

Heather Courtney: The film follows a group of childhood friends from when they are restless teenagers in their hometown, to soldiers in Afghanistan looking for roadside bombs, to 22-year-old combat veterans dealing with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries trying to fit into normal society again. What makes the film unique is that it’s about friendship and family, but it’s also about growing up and the decisions you make when you’re trying to change your situation in life. People at the Traverse City Film Festival, and really anyone from Michigan, will be interested in it, because it’s a portrayal of a small town in Michigan and how that town is affected by this faraway war. It’s not just soldiers who are impacted; it’s their families and communities as well. We follow the boys for four years, so you really get a sense of what they went through.

I got involved in the project because I had returned to my hometown, which is in the Hancock/Houghton area in the U.P., to make a film about rural America. While I was there, I read an article in the local paper about a National Guard unit in town. I went to one of their monthly training camps, and there I met Dominic (Fredianelli), who had joined after high school because he needed money for college. He told me his friends had all joined with him, and that’s when I got the idea to follow this group of friends and see what happened to them. At the time, they didn’t know they were going to be deployed, so the film was meant to focus on them figuring out what they were going to do with their lives in the backdrop of this small town. But a year in, they learned they were going to Afghanistan, and I knew then that I would follow them there, and also follow them when they returned home.

Still from “Where Soldiers Come From”

TCFF: You’ve described the film as a coming-of-age story, but it’s not a traditional example of that genre. What are some of the things that are unique to coming of age in a combat or war environment?

HC: The film is in some sense about the loss of innocence, which is a theme in many coming-of-age movies. But what’s different about this film is that it’s real, and you get to know these boys as normal teenagers and come to care about them and their families and their town before they ever become soldiers. Many Americans are far removed from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, because they don’t personally know anyone who’s gone to war. This film helps you get to know the boys on a personal level, and then you see them enter this war zone and what happens to them while they’re there. And you see how different they are in the year after they get back. They’re not the carefree teenagers they were when they started out.

TCFF: Because you filmed the boys over the course of several years, you were essentially discovering the film’s story alongside them, with no guarantees or predictions of how events would turn out. As the project stretched on, what became the narrative arc or main themes that started to emerge in your filming?

HC: A big theme in the film is the story of friendship and family. That was one thing I was struck by after spending four years in this town. You see how much the people there love and care for each other. Parents who have watched this film have been particularly affected by it, because they see their own children in these boys. Many of the film’s main issues emerged in the year after the boys returned, particularly TBI (traumatic brain injury), which is the new silent war wound. With the soldiers I was following, it was their job to look for roadside bombs. They have armored vehicles they drive that protect them from getting killed, but what happens is that they suffer repeated concussions instead. That leads to traumatic brain injuries, which the VA isn’t doing nearly enough to help soldiers deal with. So that became another important issue in the film.

TCFF: What surprised you most about the boys’ experience?

HC: We shot and edited the film simultaneously for four years. Toward the end of shooting and editing, when I was comparing the interviews I was shooting then versus the ones I conducted when the boys were 19 years old, I was struck by just how much they had changed. When you see that change over the course of a 90-minute film, it’s very powerful. You can clearly see the loss of innocence and the changes in personality brought on by their experience in combat, and their struggle to come home and adjust to civilian life again.

Still from “Where Soldiers Come From”

TCFF: In the case of these particular boys, it seemed less a situation in which they were eager to serve in the military and more a situation in which they had few other options. Is there a commentary in that about rural America, especially in places with high unemployment like Michigan, in terms of what our youth are facing when they’re deprived of educational or career opportunities?

HC: I think for the individuals in the film, their decision to join the National Guard was a very complex issue. Some came from families with military backgrounds; others wanted to attend college, and this was how they could get the money. And some guys – they were lost. They needed a sense of direction in their lives. I do think in general that it’s getting harder and harder for young people today, particularly with all the cuts in education funding. While the military is a great option for some people, it can also be one of those options you choose because there’s nothing else available. We need to do more for our young people, so they can go to college or pursue other career tracks if that’s what they want, without having to go into the military to do that.

TCFF: Having been such an intimate witness to what these boys have gone through and are continuing to go through, what do you think are the main problem areas in the military that need to be addressed to better improve the lives of soldiers and veterans?

HC: I think the VA needs to bring more recognition to the issue of TBI. It’s affecting the majority of soldiers over there, but it’s not getting any attention. Another issue is the need for the National Guard to make more services available to their veterans. When you’re an active duty soldier and you return home, you live on a base and your family is usually on the base with you, or nearby. There is a support system in place. But in the National Guard, you just drop back into your civilian life, and you have to be very proactive to take advantage of any services that could help you with that. In the case of these boys, the nearest VA hospital is over two hours away from them. That makes for a very difficult transition back into civilian life. Then there is the issue of PTSD, which has gotten some attention lately but not nearly enough.

TCFF: What has been the reaction of the boys and their families to the film?

HC: They love it. The boys and their parents and siblings were all at the premiere at SXSW in March, and in June, the boys came to about four or five different festival screenings. Dominic has said in some of the audience Q&As that he likes to use the film as a tool. When he first came back (from Afghanistan), he didn’t want to admit he had changed, and it caused some problems in his relationships with other people. But when I showed him a rough cut of the film, it helped him recognize that he really had changed. He was finally able to admit that to himself. The boys love to talk about the film in Q&As and with people who’ve seen it. We’ll all be in Traverse City for the festival, so audiences there will have an opportunity to do that. We’re looking forward to it.

Heather Courtney will appear at the Traverse City Film Festival with her film “Where Soldiers Come From,” which screens Wednesday (July 27) at 9:30 p.m. at the State Theatre and Thursday (July 28) at 6:00 p.m. at the Old Town Playhouse. For ticket information, click here.

Join our visiting filmmakers as they tell stories far away from Hollywood and New York, mixing it up with each other and the audience in sessions that range from the hilarious to the moving. Panels begin at 9am every day Wednesday-Sunday, so you won’t miss lunch or your 12 noon movie. Reserve your free tickets online or at any box office, or just show up the morning of the panel.

Wednesday: “Being Elmo” in Traverse City
Thursday: The Doc Panel
Friday: The Working Class Goes to the Movies
Saturday: Who’s Killing Hollywood in Michigan?
Sunday: The Comedy Panel

Interlochen Public Radio will air the panels on 91.5, 89.7 and 90.1 FM and at ipr.interlochen.org in the following schedule:

Thursday 1PM: Panel 1
Friday 9AM: Panel 1
Friday 1PM: Panel 2
Friday 9AM: Panel 2
Saturday 1PM: Panel 3
Saturday 8PM: Panel 4
Sunday 6PM: Panel 5

Click here for details about the panels.

Enjoy free concerts by some of our area’s top musicians in our newest musical venue. It’s right on the water, in the park next to one of downtown Traverse City’s most popular beaches.

Click here for more information about all of our performers.

Wednesday
Noon: Aurorealis, five-piece alternative rock group
1 pm: Emma Cook, easy listening vocalist
2:30 pm: Ruby John, exceptionally talented young fiddler
4 pm: Hipps N Ricco, acoustic duo playing original bluesy folksy songs.
5:30 pm: New Third Coast, power folk trio

Thursday
Noon: Katie Holt, singer/songwriter from Traverse City
1 pm: Milagros, Argentinean musical force
2:30 pm: Medicinal Groove, funk fusion jam band
4 pm: Sweetwater Blues Band, American roots music with a “bluesy” attitude
5:30 pm: Bo Bossa, fun and danceable

Friday
Noon: Jenny Thomas, original composition on life and love
1 pm: Acoustic Dynamite, upbeat acous¬tic music
2:30 pm: Hannah Rae Beale, 17 year-old self-taught singer/songwriter
4 pm: Seldomtone, light rock and blues with powerful vocals
5:30 pm: Injured List, five-piece rock band

Saturday
Noon: Samantha Crawford, soul, alternative, folk singer
1 pm: Song of the Lakes, stories, lore and legends of the Great Lakes.
2:30 pm: Cherry Blossom Ramblers, American music for the world
4 pm: Summerson, folk, soul, and swamp
5:30 pm: Ratone, modern alternative rock

Sunday
Noon: Matt Smith, gifted solo guitarist
1 pm: Lac La Belle, innovative acoustic duo from Detroit
2:30 pm: Cabin Fever, Leelanau County’s best bluegrass band
4 pm: Brett Mitchell, vibrant singer/songwriter
5 pm: Wild Sullys, inventive Irish music

The Film School returns this year to Scholars Hall, hosted by our partner Northwestern Michigan College, with classes twice daily, at 12 noon and 3 pm Wednesday through Sunday. Tickets are just $5 per class and feature visiting filmmakers and industry professionals sharing their insight and experience.

Click here for more information.

Wednesday
Noon: Production Audio for Film
3 pm: Tips from a Hollywook Casting Director and Actress

Thursday
Noon: Sound and Music: The Heart and Soul of Film
3 pm: The Indie Director: From Script to Screen

Friday
Noon: Producing Your Independent Film: From Idea to Script to Market
3 pm: Acting for the Camera

Saturday
Noon: Storytelling in Documentary Film
3 pm: How I Made My Short Film

Sunday
Noon: Breaking Into The Industry: Notes from a Young Filmmaker
3 pm: The Craft of Screenwriting

Film Production Assistant Boot Camp

A “boot camp” style course on becoming a Film Production Assistant will be offered at Northwestern Michigan College August 9-12. The 20-hour workshop is designed to expand your understanding of film making while learning essential production assistant skills.

For more information and to register, please click here.

Festival Genius™ by Slated is excited to introduce their new scheduling app for iPhone! Gone are the days of computer printouts and editing with pen. Read TCFF 2011 film synopses, order tickets online, and keep track of your schedule, all on your iPhone.

KEY FEATURES:
-Complete schedule, film & event details plus view the film’s trailer
-Fully integrated with the official festival web site, powered by Festival Genius™
-Build personal calendar to plan your festival, and rate films after you’ve seen them
-Publish your ratings and personal calendar to the festival web site to share them with the World, and download changes you make on the web site to your phone
-View venues – view all the festival venues either by date or by grouped distance from your current location. Even get directions to the venue from your current location.

For more information, see the Festival Genius website or click here to download directly.

We’d love to have more volunteers this weekend for the final days of the festival. If you’re interested, please sign up here! You can also swing by the festival office to get all squared away. Call 231-922-8109 for more information.

The following shifts are in need of additional workers:
Saturday
OTP 8am-11am, 11pm-2am
KidsFest 9am-noon, Noon-3pm
Lars Hockstad 4:30-8pm, 7:30-11:30pm
Opera House 7:30-11:30pm
State Theatre: 10:30pm-2am

Sunday
State Theatre 7:30-11am, 10:30am-2pm
OTP 8-11am, 4:30-8pm
KidsFest 9am-noon, Noon-3pm
Closing night party set-up: 1-5pm
City Opera House: 1:30-5pm
Lars Hockstad: 7:30-11:30pm
Milliken: 7:30-11:30pm

Puzzle solvers! Riddle crackers! Code breakers! We need your help!

Almost one hundred years ago, a movie was lost on its way to the grand opening of the Lyric Theatre. Since then, the secret of its location has been guarded by a shadowy local cult. A small resistance group has infiltrated the conspiracy, and will release what they know during the 7th Traverse City Film Festival. You and your team of up to four must follow the chains of clues to solve the mystery. You’ll need a keen mind and knowledge of the Grand Traverse area to succeed. The first team to find and return the film will win a reward prize package, including State Theatre memberships, area gift certificates, and tons of festival merchandise. Watch this page (and look in the upcoming printed version of the TCFF Film Guide) for more information.

Unlock the secret. Find the film!

Your ally,

-A.S.

Need to swap a ticket? No worries! Use the comments section at the bottom of this blog post as a forum to talk with other movie-goers about swapping tickets. This forum is meant for communication between individuals only and has no association with the official TCFF box office.

Please do not call the box office or the TCFF office regarding ticket swapping.

All you need to do post tickets that you want/have and a telephone number or email where you can be reached. We have also set it up so that you can be alerted when there is a reply if you check the “Notify me of followup comments via e-mail” box.

Thank you, and see you at the movies!

Online ticketing is open to the general public at 6 pm. Get your tickets here!

On Monday, July 25, at dusk, drive over to Turtle Creek Resort & Casino and experience a blast from the past: the casino will play host to its own free drive-in screening of “THE BLOB”!

Simply tune your radio to a specified AM station, tilt your seats back, and relax while enjoying the film. Snack on free popcorn and other concession available for purchase.

To prepare yourself for this nostalgic experience and really get back to the fifties, enjoy the clip below.

The first annual Kids Fest will take place on the grounds of Lars Hockstad Auditorium during the festival, Wednesday July 27 thru Sunday July 31. Kids Fest films will be shown inside Lars at 9am each day, and tickets are only $1! The Lawn Party will be on the lawn outside the auditorium on Seventh Street and will take place between 10am and 2pm each day.

Throughout Kids Fest, kids can have a seven-second video made with their friends and family and emerge with cool FlipBooks sponsored by Oneupweb. They can crawl through the incredible kids castle, take free daily yoga classes sponsored by Yen Yoga, make really huge bubbles, get their faces painted, and more.

Fun and healthy food will be available thanks to Trattoria Stella, with lots of family seating. Munson Heathcare is offering a Family Oasis with water, fans, a changing table, and everything families need, while outside the smaller kids can crawl and play in the Tiny Tots area.

Films

Get your tickets for the Kids Fest films here!

The air conditioning in Lars Hockstad Auditorium is strong, so please remember to bring sweatshirts!

Wednesday: “Kooky” – A delightfully original Czech film that follows the journey of a cuddly toy bear to find his little boy, complete with an exciting car chase through enchanted woods. In English, recommended for ages 7 and up.

Thursday: Short Films for Kids – The very best in new animated films from around the world, selected to provide pure enjoyment for adults and kids alike. In English (except for two short shorts), recommended for all ages.

Friday: “Twigson” – A young boy adjusts to life in a new home with the help of a new best friend, a living branch named Twigson. Give the kids a chance to try out subtitles at this sweet and funny coming of age tale from Norway. In Norwegian with English subtitles, recommended for ages 7 and up.

Saturday: “Mia and The Migoo” – One of this year’s best films, don’t miss the magical story of a young girl’s search of her father through the jungles of South America. In English, recommended for all ages.

Sunday: “A Cat in Paris” – A little girl, her cat, and the thief her cat visits while she sleeps all meet on the rooftops of Paris in this beautifully illustrated, sparkling new treat from France. In English, recommended for ages 8 and up.

Lawn Party

Wednesday, July 27 is Sports Day and will include appearances by Suntan the Beach Bums Mascot, and Sparty from Michigan State University. Kids can decorate their own kendama!, and younger kids can decorate a flying disk. Zeemo the Magnificent will teach kids magic and juggling in the activity tent, and on the lawn there will be games including giant chess, lawn games and hockey boards. Young people from the Traverse City All Star Cheerleaders, Three Swords Fencing, YMCA Gymnastics and the ATA Black Belt Academy, will all perform in addition to Zumba dancing by Fit4You.

Thursday, July 28 is Health and Safety Day, sponsored by Munson Healthcare. Smokey the Bear will be here, and the TC Fire Department will have their smoke trailer and fire truck on hand for kids to explore. Kids can make their own nutritious trail mix and create their own sun safety bracelets. Yen Yoga will offer free yoga classes by certified instructors, and kids can learn about the rainbow of good nutrition from entertainer and artist Dick Evans. The Great Lakes Children’s Museum’s Stuffee will teach everyone about the human body, and the Munson Healthcare Education Department will present Dazzling and Amazing Safety Tips.

Friday, July 29 is Science Day. Come meet Brainy the Smurf and make some goo. Grand Traverse Pie Company will introduce kids to the science of baking as they make their own cherry pie. Remote control helicopters and Great Lakes Children’s Museum’s stop rockets will be on the lawn, and the Children’s Museum will also present Magical Electricity on the performance stage. Also on the stage will be Lego Mindstorms (programmable robotics and construction toys) and the Traverse City Central Highschool Raptors First Robotics Team. Plus, the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum will present six interactive activities based on the fun of science.

Saturday, July 30 is Storytelling Day with Elmo, Kermit, and the Cookie Monster! We’ll have a dress up play day like none you’ve ever seen on the lawn. Kids can make their own sock puppets and then put on plays at the puppet show stages on the lawn. On the performance stage Lynn Rae Perkins and Greg Pugh will read their stories, the O’k Puppet Theatre & Pretty Good Players will perform “Shell is Swell,” along with performances by the Old Town Playhouse Young Company, Genot Picor, Toma the Mime, and Terry Wooten, Stone Circle Poet Bard. Kids can even work on a claymation movie!

Sunday, July 31 is Music & Dance Day with dancing fool Yogi the Bear. Children can make their own cardboard pianos, or kazoos. The Traverse City Symphony Orchestra will be on hand with a “Petting Zoo” of instruments. The Lawn Fun will involve dancing with the Dance Arts Academy, and we’ll have great musicians and dancers on the music stage including Songs with Chelsey Sawallich, Dancing with Audrey Prisk & Friends, and Zipity2Dads.

Performance Stage

Wednesday
10:15 am: Zeemo the Magnificent
10:30 am: Fit4U Kids Zumba
11 am: ATA Black Belt Academy
11:45 am: Three Swords Fencing Club
12:30 pm: YMCA Gymnastics

Thursday
11 am: Dick Evans and the Nutrition Rainbow
12 noon: Stuffee and the Extraordinary Human Body
12:30 pm: US Coast Guard
1 pm: Simple and Effective Safety Tips presented by Kohls 4 Season Safety & Safe Kids North Shore

Friday
11:15 am: Great Lakes Children’s Museum Science Show
12 noon: LEGO Mindstorms
12:45 pm: Traverse City Central High School Raptors FIRST Robotics Team

Saturday
10 am: Toma the Mime
10:30 am: Terry Wooten, Stone Circle Poet Bard
10:45 am: Old Town Playhouse Young Company
11:15 am: O’k Puppet Theatre & Pretty Good Players perform “Shel is Swell”
11:30 am: Local Authors Lynne Rae Perkins & Greg Pugh
12:15 pm: Genot Picor presents “Stories, Songs & Dances of the Metis’ Voyageur”

Sunday
10:30 am: Dancing with Audrey Prisk & Friends
11:30 am: Songs with Chelsey Sawallich
11:45 am: Zipity2Dads

Kids Fest Sponsors

KIDS FEST VENUE SPONSOR
Bill Kildee, CRPC, Platinum Financial Advisor,
Ameriprise Platinum Financial Services

FLIPBOOKS
Oneupweb

HEALTH AND SAFETY DAY
Munson Medical Center

PARTY PARTNERS
Great Lakes Children’s Museum
KidzArt
Party Giant
Yen Yoga & Fitness

FUN HEALTHY FOOD TENT SPONSOR
Trattoria Stella

FAMILY COMFORT STATION
Munson Medical Center

TINY TOTS AREA
Great Start & Way to Grow
Toy Harbor

KIDS CASTLE
Morse Moving & Storage

ADDITIONAL SPONSORS INCLUDE
Britten Media, The Children’s House, Tom Dayton, Department of Natural Resources Traverse City, Dick Evans, FIM Group, Fit4You, Mary Gerhard, Tim Gies, Grand Traverse Children’s Advocacy Center, Grand Traverse County Health Department, Grand Traverse Pie Co., Hoopin’ for the Health of It, Horizon Books, Harold Kranick, Little Artshram and O’k CSAe, Magic Mirror Costume Shop, Elise Nagy, North Flight, Northwestern Bank, Genot Picor, Greg Pugh, Joe Revnell, Dana Ryan, Shawn Semelsberger, TART Trails, Third Level Crisis Center, Scott Tompkins, Trains and Things, Traverse Area Model Pilots Society, Traverse City Area Public Schools, Traverse City Beach Bums, Traverse City Children’s Theatre, Traverse City Fire Department, Traverse City Police Department, Traverse City Wolves, Traverse Symphony Orchestra, United States Coast Guard, Angelo Vozzo, and Terry Wooten.

This year, we are excited to announce that “The Empire Strikes Back” will play on Tuesday night at the Open Space!

You spoke and we listened! This year’s inaugural People’s Choice Friday night film will be “The Dark Knight”.

As always, musical entertainment will begin at 7pm at the Open Space, with films scheduled to start at dusk (around 9:45pm). Get downtown early to stake out your spot in front of our new 100-foot screen!

2011 Open Space Schedule
Tuesday: “Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back”
Wednesday: “Mr. Deeds Goes To Town”
Thursday: “Mrs. Doubtfire”
Friday: “The Dark Knight”
Saturday: “Tangled”
Sunday: Rain-out night

Pre-screening activities are currently being planned. Watch for a full line-up of all the Open Space fun, coming soon!

HERE IT IS!
Click here to view the 2011 Traverse City Film Festival Schedule.

Click here to download the full 2011 guide.

Friends,

Here we go again! Two minutes ago we posted online the official schedule of films for this summer’s Traverse City Film Festival—and it’s our biggest festival yet. More movies, a new additional venue, AND we have literally doubled the outdoor screen in the Open Space to 100 feet (about ten stories high and wide)! Yes, you will be able to lay on a blanket in Acme and see the free movies.

I will send you a longer letter after the weekend going over more specific information, but let me fill you in right now on a few of the special things we’ll be doing at this year’s fest:

**KICKOFF OF THE STATE THEATRE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION: Over the next five festivals, we will show one great silent movie that will be 100 years old. The celebration will begin at this summer’s fest with the very first Italian feature film ever made: “L’Inferno” (1911). It’s based on Dante’s Divine Comedy, “The Inferno.” The world-renowned Traverse City native and theater organist extraordinaire, Stephen Warner, will accompany the film on the State Theatre organ. We will also have two other silent classics at this year’s fest.

**THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING OF “TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD”: We will host a special screening of the classic film with the actress Mary Badham (who played the lead role the little girl, “Scout,” in the film) right here with us on the State Theatre stage!

**UNION! OUR SALUTE TO PUBLIC EMPLOYEES: Our theme this year will be to honor working people everywhere—with a special tribute to the public employees who plow our roads, teach our kids, keep us safe from crime and fire, and give me my parking tickets on Front Street! We will celebrate the rich union history of our state in this, the Silver Jubilee year of the Great Flint Sit Down Strike of 1936—which brought the UAW their first contract and, as historians have pointed out, gave us the weekend, health insurance, the concept of retirement and the American middle class. Check out the schedule for the special movies and guests, including some our state’s original union pioneers.

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROY ROGERS! Roy would have been 100 years old this year and we’ve decided to invite some of his family here to celebrate with us by showing two of his classic films.

**A TRIBUTE TO JAFAR PANAHI: The Iranian government has declared this great filmmaker persona non grata and prohibited him from making films for the next 20 years. To honor him, we will show one of his great movies, “The White Balloon,” at this year’s fest. We wanted to invite him to the head of jury this year, but the authorities won’t let him leave. But we’re making him the head of the jury anyway (in absentia). As a festival, one of our missions is to oppose censorship, be it governmental or corporate.

**TCFF KIDS FEST! This year we expand our children’s section into its very own festival. Every morning we will let the kids take over the Lars Hockstad theater for a 9am movie and afterward we’ll host a family-friendly lawn party out on the giant lawn on the Central Grade School (which houses the Lars). Lots of activities to do, performances to see, and fun to be had! The movies are only a buck and the outdoor carnival is free.

**A NEW VENUE! This year for the first time, we will add an “experimental movie” section to the festival. The intimate Dutmers Theater inside the Dennos Art Museum will show a number of movies that push the boundaries of filmmaking and take the audiences to places they don¹t usually go to in our fair town! Oooh. do you feel the edge?

**THE FIRST MOVIE EVER PRODUCED BY THE TRAVERSE CITY FILM FESTIVAL! That’s right! Remember last year when you all pitched in with funds to help the Cuban filmmakers produce their next movie? Well you did, and they did, and now the film is finished and on its way to TC for its world premiere! Your/our name will be there in the credits—a remarkable showing of peace and friendship with our neighbors and their creative
community.

**A GIFT FROM GEORGE LUCAS: It is rare, rare, rare that a festival is given permission to show any of the Star Wars films outdoors for free—but this year, the great George Lucas is giving us THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK to show in the open space, under the stars, seating capacity 15,000 people! It’s a one in a lifetime event and you won’t want to miss it!

And the list goes on and on. We’ve got a great crop of foreign films this year, a huge batch of great docs (including two shot right here in Michigan) and an expanded midnight program of horror movies, one of which was shot by two brothers from Royal Oak!

So check out the list of films and the schedule and don’t get too freaked out—there are too many great movies and it’s impossible to see them all. But you can take my word that you can literally throw ten darts at the schedule and, no matter where they land, you will have just programmed yourself one of the best weeks you’ve ever had in northern Michigan!

Tickets for those who are Friends of the Traverse City Film Festival go on sale Sunday, July 10. The box office opens at 11am and online ticketing opens at 6pm. The box office phone number is (231)922-8109.

There is still time to sign up to be a friend! Call the TCFF office at 231-392-1134 or register online at www.traversecityfilmfest.org.

Tickets for the general public go on sale on Saturday, July 16. Once again, the box office opens at 11am and online ticketing opens at 6pm.

We’ve got a great box office this year—in the brand new 101 North Park building three doors down from us on the corner of Front and Park. Yes, you can stand right in the spot where there used to be a hole in the ground and buy all your tickets to this year’s fest. At our very first festival six years ago, we announced that we would fill that hole, reopen the State Theatre and bring high-speed rail service from TC to NYC (3 hours max). We got two of the three. Hey, if a town can produce a movie in Cuba AND turn the Lars Hockstad into a state-of-the-art theater with all new seats in less than two months, what can stop us now?

Thanks again, everybody, for your support of this festival. There’s something for everyone at this year’s fest so invite your friends and relatives up to TC for the greatest week of movies anywhere this side of Hollywood.

Yours,

Michael Moore

We need hundreds of people to make this a success, so if you are interested in being involved join us at the Open Space on Sunday at 1:30 PM to be a part of the crowd. Bring a water bottle (the TC Firefighters are bringing the water!), plenty of sunscreen and all your friends to help make the TC Lip Dub the biggest & best ever!

Click the Facebook “f” above to go to the TC Lip Dub Facebook page and definitely share it with your friends. Don’t know what a lip dub is? Click here to read all about this new phenomenon. Check out what Grand Rapids did, a World Record!

Calling all downtown shop owners: the Downtown Traverse City Association and Traverse City Film Festival have opened registration for the 2011 TCFF Window Display Contest!

Judging will be based on: (1) presentation based on film & the film festival, (2) originality and creativity, and (3) use of the retailer’s merchandise in the presentation.

The first-place winner will receive two State Theatre all-access passes good for one year and two tickets to the closing night party.

Second place will receive a $25 gift card and twelve tickets to the State Theatre.

Third place will receive a gift basket of TCFF merchandise.

The winners will also be congratulated in an ad in the Northern Express.

Registration ends July 15. The contest will run July 25-31, 2011. A celebrity guest will judge the registrants during the festival.

Please click here for the registration form. For more information, please contact Colleen Paveglio at 231-922-2050.

This year the TCFF is teaming up with FishSoup Films to film a lip dub to show how great the film festival, city, and its people are! Don’t know what a lip dub is? Click here to read all about this new phenomenon. Check out what Grand Rapids did, a World Record!

We will need hundreds of people (maybe even a thousand!) to make this a success, so if you are interested in participating or would like to take on a larger role, contact press@traversecityfilmfest.org for more information. You can also visit our facbeook page Traverse City Lip Dub and “like” us to get the most up to date information about our 2011 lip dub.

We will need Singers, Assistant Directors (ADs), crowd wranglers, and groups & individuals willing to act in the background of the dub.

The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 22 at 5:30pm in the TCFF offices. The offices are located on the second floor of the Radio Center Building, suite 240. Enter in the door next to the new Grand Traverse Resort store.

Join us and learn more about how you can be part of this exciting experience!

Vote Here!

The Traverse City Film Festival’s seventh installment will inaugurate a new People’s Choice night at the nightly free films held in Open Space Park. On Friday night, the public will choose the film that will be shown on a 100 foot inflatable screen set against the beautiful Traverse City waterfront — twice the size of the screen used in past festivals.

The free family films are shown as the festival’s gift to the community nightly between Tuesday, July 26 and Saturday, July 30, at dusk. Music and entertainment begins at 7 pm.

People’s Choice ballots are available here, on the TCFF Facebook page, and in person at the State Theatre. The deadline for voting is Sunday, June 26. This year’s choices are:

“The Dark Knight”
“Footloose”
“From Russia With Love”
“The Maltese Falcon”
“Rebel Without a Cause”
“Seabiscuit”
“Spiderman”
“Strictly Ballroom”
“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”
“Who Framed Roger Rabbit”

Voters can also write in their pick.

Click here to vote.

The People’s Choice movie, along with all Open Space films to be shown at this year’s festival, will be announced later this June. Open Space Park, on the corner of Union St. and Grandview Parkway, is one of Traverse City’s most beautiful and versatile public gathering places, an ideal venue to enjoy a outdoor movie as well as the very best summertime fun northern Michigan has to offer.