Traverse City Film Festival
Returns July 26-31

Six Days of “Just Great Movies” from 9am to Midnight, Two Dozen Filmmakers and Stars at Four Premiere Indoor Venues plus Nightly Crowd Pleasers Free and Outdoors at the Open Space

“Our world-renowned Celebration of Cinema can only happen because of the incredible support of our community through its hundreds of volunteers and its generous local donors and sponsors,” says founder Michael Moore. 

TRAVERSE CITY, MI —After being postponed for the past two summers due to the coronavirus pandemic, one of the most popular and respected film festivals in the world is returning to Traverse City, July 26 through July 31, to showcase some of the most acclaimed and anticipated movies from nearly a dozen countries, accompanied in person by their award-winning directors and stars.

“We’re back!”, exclaimed the exuberant Oscar winner Michael Moore who founded the Traverse City Film Festival 17 years ago in 2005. “I can guarantee that this summer’s festival will contain everything we all love about TCFF — but with new blood, a new mission and new hope. It is already bursting with energy and excitement from the film community. The schedule of movies we’ll be bringing will move you, shake you, make you laugh, cry, think and take your breath away. The brilliant filmmakers who will come here will once again experience the generosity, enthusiasm, kindness and authenticity of the people who live here on the northern edge of America during a time that demands our attention to art and ideas.”

“And the chance to see many great movies!”

Joining Michael Moore at the helm is the 2022 festival director, Johanna Evans, who brings a wealth of experience working in film exhibition from her ten years curating and managing the film program at the Hopkins Center for Arts at Dartmouth (her alma mater). Her festival background includes six years as part of the Telluride Film Festival team, three years as the vice president of the White River Indie Fest (including one year as festival director) and work with the festival ticketing company Eventive. When she’s not preparing a film festival, she works as an editorial analyst for Disney.

“I cannot believe our good fortune in finding Johanna!” said Moore.

Evans said, “As a programmer, I always ask ‘Why this movie, why now?’ From looking at TCFF’s past slates, it’s clear they approach their programming with the same question—one that is especially important this year as festivals and cinemas around the world re-engage their audiences. I am thrilled and honored to join the TCFF team in this effort. I can promise we’ll have an artistically rigorous line-up, a diverse range of stories that lift up new voices, and some good crowdpleasers that sneak up on you and challenge the way you think about the world.”

“Her love and knowledge of film is amazing,” said Board Secretary and longtime TCFF volunteer David Poinsett. “Her experience with running festivals and film programs and all that it takes to do so successfully and with fiscal integrity has given the Board and I an incredible sense of optimism, security and excitement to see this upcoming breakthrough festival she is already putting together for Traverse City.”

Moore added: “Now more than ever it is the movies — especially the great ones — that are going to help bring us out of our isolation, loss and division that we’ve all been experiencing over the last 2+ years. These movies help remind us of the full range of human experience, imagination, wonder, empathy, adventure — all of which we desperately need right now.

“By bringing these new films to Traverse City this summer, I’m convinced our spirits will soar, burning questions will find answers, and we will realize this great American art form will make my prediction at the beginning of this pandemic come true: Art, culture, the movies will not only get us through this, we will come out on the other side of this sad moment as better people, kinder people, a citizenry committed to building a more just world and never again taking for granted this beautiful short life we have — and all the love it holds for our future.

“See you at the fest! I’ll bring the popcorn.”

More information about memberships, the films we’re bringing, and other odds and ends will be coming shortly. Tickets will go on sale at the beginning of July. For further questions or comments, please contact us at info@tcff.org

Contact:
Michael Moore, mike@michaelmoore.com
Johanna Evans, johanna@tcff.org