News
Do you think Traverse City is great? Of course you do! Do you want to make a short film that shows why? You know it! It could make you and a whole bunch of local folks feel great … and it could land you some cold, hard cash.
Check out photos, video, blog posts and Twitter from the 2009 Traverse City Film Festival and beyond.
Fifth annual event draws biggest attendance numbers ever
The Traverse City Film Festival marked its fifth anniversary year with record-setting admissions and turnouts for free nightly films on the waterfront, along with the announcement of a new Comedy Festival to kick off this winter.
The Race Results are in! Click below to check out all the results!
Film Office Advisory Council meeting a first
TRAVERSE CITY, MI (July 26, 2009) – The Michigan Film Office Advisory Council will hold its first-ever meeting at a film festival when it convenes in Traverse City on Friday, July 31.
[7/21/2009] Mumblecore Comes To Traverse City
This summer’s Traverse City Film Festival will feature some movies made in a style you may never have heard about. The style is called “mumblecore.”
Hollywood has always prided itself on slick and clever dialogue that makes us all say, “I wish I would have said that.” But over the last six years or so, many films have been made that feature casual, informal, even lazy dialogue. These mumblecore films are usually shot in a documentary style with digital video. Plus, their budgets are tiny.
TRAVERSE CITY (July 22, 2009) — Want to see some movies at this year’s Traverse City Film Festival but don’t have a sitter? No problem! The Montessori Children’s House can get you one better — licensed child care at their location on W. Long Lake Road. The school is accepting reservations online and by phone for children ages 3-12, with availability daily during the festival, July 29 through Aug. 2. “A couple of years ago we offered child care at our school for the film festival and had a pretty decent response from people who were from out of town,” said Development Director Missy Russell. “We had pretty good feedback from the parents, and it was fun for the kids.” Plans are to occupy the children with activities and projects so they won’t even miss their parents.
More films added to Traverse City Film Festival Lineup
TRAVERSE CITY (July 17, 2009) – Due to popular demand, the Traverse City Film Festival has added 10 screenings of sold-out shows to its fifth annual schedule of events, including the first-ever opening day matinee.
Film Festival takes it to the street
TRAVERSE CITY (July 3, 2009) — Entertainment, ceremony and balloons like you’ve never seen them before will mark the official opening of the fifth annual Traverse City Film Festival on Tuesday, July 28.
The festival takes over the entire 200 block of Front Street, from Park to Cass, with festivities for all ages that run from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Outside the historic State Theatre, visitors will be able to participate in an array of exciting entertainment — and it’s all free.
Film school rocks with filmmaker insights
Tickets on sale now for series of five sessions for students
TRAVERSE CITY – It’s back to school for the first time at the Traverse City Film Festival.
The inaugural “TCFF Film School” debuts with the festival’s fifth anniversary year. Hosted by visiting filmmakers and focusing on the art of filmmaking, sessions will be held daily from Wednesday through Sunday, July 29 to Aug. 2, from 1 to 4 p.m.
The Traverse City Film Festival has announced what founder Michael Moore says is the best movie lineup in its five-year history for the 2009 event, running July 28 through Aug 2.
“Last year we had over 80,000 admissions and we expect even more this year,” Moore said. “We’re bringing the absolute best in new films from around the world and here at home.”
Traverse City Film Festival celebrates five magical years
The Traverse City Film Festival is gearing up for a really big birthday party, to be celebrated by a cast of thousands. The festival will mark its fifth anniversary July 28 through August 2 on the shores of Lake Michigan.
“It’s amazing that the festival is already five years old,” said film festival founder and Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore. “It seems like it was just yesterday that we had the crazy idea of making Traverse City the home to a major film festival that would bring the best of independent world cinema to northern Michigan. That goal has been fully realized, and along the way we began operating one of the best year-round movie theaters in the world. The festival keeps growing in stature and quality, and that will continue in spades this year.”
[6/19/2009] TCFF Fifth Anniversary Festival Highlights, IPR Interview with Michael Moore
IPR’S Brad Aspey talks with Traverse City Film Festival president and programmer, Michael Moore, about the fifth anniversary film festival, July 28 – August 2. You can listen to the entire interview by Clicking Here.
Listen to the entire interview
About the Traverse City Film Festival
The Traverse City Film Festival is a charitable, educational, nonprofit organization committed to showing “Just Great Movies” and helping to save one of America’s few indigenous art forms — the cinema. 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 photographer John Robert Williams and New York Times best-selling author Doug Stanton, both Traverse Citians, and filmmakers Larry Charles (director, “Borat”), Terry George (director, “Hotel Rwanda”), Sabina Guzzanti (director, “Viva Zapatero!”), and Christine Lahti (actor, “Running on Empty”).











