The Traverse City Film Festival is a charitable and educational non-profit organization founded by filmmaker and local resident Michael Moore. Each year it holds an amazing, one-of-a-kind film festival in one of the most beautiful areas of the country — Traverse City, Michigan.

The eighth annual Traverse City Film Festival will be held July 31-August 5, 2012 and the ninth annual Traverse City Film Festival will be held July 30-August 4, 2013.

Highlights of the Traverse City Film Festival

The Traverse City Film Festival has grown to become one of the largest film festivals in the Midwest, and one of the most respected in the country. In 2011, there were over 128,000 admissions to 156 screenings. A special emphasis is given to foreign films, American independents, documentaries, and films which have been overlooked but deserve the attention of a public starved to see a good movie.

The festival also presents classic movies free of charge on a giant, inflatable outdoor screen overlooking Grand Traverse Bay in the Open Space Park at dusk.

Free panel discussions with directors, writers, actors, and other members of the film industry are offered daily. And an affordable film school runs throughout the festival, offering twice daily classes for film students and film lovers.

About the Traverse City Film Festival

The festival brings films and filmmakers from around the world to northern Michigan for the annual film festival in late July to early August, and also owns and operates a year-round, community-based, mission-driven art house movie theater, the State Theatre. The festival was founded by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore, who runs the festival and serves as the President of the Board of Directors. The other board members are Traverse City photographer John Robert Williams, and filmmakers Rod Birleson (producer, “Roger & Me”), Larry Charles (director, “Borat”), Terry George (director, “Hotel Rwanda”), Sabina Guzzanti (director, “Viva Zapatero!”), and Christine Lahti (actor, “Running on Empty”).

Festival By the Numbers:

The 2011 festival
- 128,000 admissions
- 156 screenings
- 147 films (88 features and 59 shorts) from every continent but Antarctica
- 130 industry guests
- Dutmers Theatre for experimental film added
- renovation of Lars Hockstad Auditorium
- first year of Kids Fest on the lawn outside Lars Hockstad Auditorium

The 2010 festival
- 106,000 admissions
- 80 films and 40 shorts from over 25 countries at 135 screenings
- second annual film school, doubled in size
- five free panel discussions and six outdoor movies
- 70 industry guests

The 2009 festival
- 96,000 admissions
- six days long
- 71 films and 50 shorts from over 30 countries at 123 screenings
- new film school, new kids fest
- five free panel discussions and outdoor movies
- 65 film industry guests

The 2008 festival
-80,000 admissions
-six days long
- 71 films at 108 screenings
- three student workshops and students shorts
- five free panel discussions and outdoor movies
- 50 film industry guests
- a new 400-seat venue

The 2007 festival
- 80,000 admissions
- six days long
- 66 films at 98 screenings
- two student workshops and short films by student filmmakers
- five free panel discussions
- 30 film industry guests
- a new 900-seat venue

The 2006 festival
- 70,000 admissions
- seven days long
- 67 films at 95 screenings
- a student workshop and short films by student filmmakers
- six free panel discussions
- 40 film industry guests

2005 inaugural festival
- 50,000 admissions
- five days long
- planned in a two-month span
- 31 films at 52 screenings
- four free panel discussions
- 10 film industry guests