2016 Traverse City Film Festival Guide

STATE THEATRE CENTENNIAL 1916-2016
FESTIVAL
GUIDE
100 YEARS of CINEMA

Directors of the Best Picture of the Year 1916-2016
SHOWTIME
WELCOME
TO THIS YEARS TRAVERSE

CITY FILM FESTIVAL!
The New York Times recently reported that in 2014 (as in most
years), of the top 100 grossing
films released by Hollywood, only
2 were directed by women.
Thats right, two.
Its not that only two women tried to get their films made. Its just
that only two were able to make their way up through a tiny crack
in the glass ceiling of Tinseltown.
I belong to one of the most liberal industries in the USthe
movie-making businessand we have managed for all of our
100+ years to virtually shut out and shut up the 51% of the population who are women. It is not lost on me that I work for a hierarchy that benignly sees to it that the majority gender does not get
to tell their stories.
Let me state an uncomfortable truth. While I acknowledge that
Ive been blessed with certain talents for making the movies Ive
made, I am well aware that, as a white male, Ive also been able to
succeed on an obscenely uneven playing field that makes it much
easier for me to walk through the studio gates and into the offices
of bankers and funders because of my gender and my race. Thats
just a simple fact.
And this rigged system continues uninterrupted when those of us
who benefit from our white male privilege do not acknowledge it
openly, do not rock the boat that has served us so well, do not rail
against the obvious and thus remain complicit through our obedient silence. This tidy little arrangement keeps womenand people
of colorin their place: on the outside looking in, with only a rare
token seat for them at the table. (That seat, by the way, is occasionally there thanks to the indie and documentary worlds, where
only 75% of the films are directed by men.)
Its no surprise to me that attendance in theaters continues to
drop. Most of you, Im guessing, have little interest in seeing the
same old tired batch of derivative, dumbed-down, sequel-saturated retreads that open each Friday at the local multiplex. If its the
same group of filmmakers that keeps telling the same group of
stories over and over again, its bound to get pretty boring. Dont
you wonder what the movies might look like if we got to watch
stories from the majority of the population? Are we ever better

off locking out any group of people from any activity? Have you
ever seen what a basketball game looked like when a certain race
was prohibited from playing it? Go online and watch a clip from
any NBA game of the 1950s and try not to laugh. Its weird and
its wrong.
Hollywoods refusal to pass the camera (and the funding) over to
women and people of color so that they can tell their stories is the
reason your choices this summer at the cine-mall are between
Fast and Furious Transformers: The Apocalypse and Buddy
Comedy Road Trip to the Gods of Egypt 6. Dont you want to do
something about that?
In our 12 years, the Traverse City Film Festival has remade and
revolutionized the concept of what a film festival could be. Weve
also built two movie palaces in TC that are unlike any others in
this country (and weve helped other Michigan theaters follow our
lead). Weve done this right smack in the middle of nowhere. And
people elsewhere have taken notice. Who would have thought
that a place called Traverse City could impact our beloved American populist art form, the cinema? Youwedid this.
Will you join me in making history with our film festival this year,
right here in our 21st century experiment of what a Midwestern
town could look like if the artists and the open-minded were allowed to create something new?
Enjoy the following list of the most amazing films I discovered
this year with the help of my incredible team. Theres no question, we had to look far and wide and leave the comfort zone
of the status quo in our searchbut we knew brilliant films by
women and people of color existed, and what we found was a
treasure trove! Hollywood could find it, too, if they bothered to
look, or to care.
Happily, one thing remains unchanged this year here in Traverse
City: as always, we are only bringing you JUST GREAT MOVIES.
Enjoy!
Yours,
Michael Moore
President, Programmer, and Founder
Traverse City Film Festival
TICKETS
MAIN BOX OFFICE
328 E. Front Street
East of the Larry C. Hardy Parking Deck
Open 10 am to 6 pm daily, July 10-31
231-242-FILM (3456)
Phones open Monday, July 11
GOOD TO KNOW
July 10: Friends of the Film Festival sales begin
July 16: Public sales begin
PUBLICATION DESIGN BY TCFF ART DIRECTOR:

Francisco Inchauste
DESIGNER: Heather Miller
THIS PUBLICATION IS
A SUPPLEMENT TO THE
Tickets: Regular admission $12

Plus: So many Free at the Festival events (page 79)
record-eagle.com 231-946-2000
JULY 26 - 31, 2016 | TRAVERSE CITY FILM FESTIVAL
INDEX
FILM INDEX
3000 Nights........................................................................................... 39
The 33........................................................................................................22
Adams Rib.................................................................................................. 4
Adult Life Skills..................................................................................... 39
All This Panic..........................................................................................28
Audrie & Daisy......................................................................................28
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution..........49
Blow Up.....................................................................................................21
The Brand New Testament...........................................................39
By Sidney Lumet.................................................................................28
The C Word............................................................................................28
Cameraperson......................................................................................29
Censored Voices..................................................................................45
Certain Women...................................................................................22
The Champions....................................................................................29
Chimes at Midnight............................................................................20
Citizen Kane............................................................................................20
Civilization................................................................................................20
The Club....................................................................................................39
Command and Control....................................................................36
Concerto: A Beethoven Journey.............................................19
Confusion.................................................................................................45
A Conspiracy of Faith.......................................................................40
Cooking Up a Tribute.......................................................................50
Dark Horse..............................................................................................59
Death by Design..................................................................................29
Democrats...............................................................................................45
Dheepan...................................................................................................40
The Diary of a Teenage Girl.........................................................22
Disturbing the Peace........................................................................46
Do Not Resist........................................................................................64
Dope............................................................................................................53
The Doug Benson Movie Interruption:
A Donald Trump Favorite Bloodsport..............................56
The Doug Benson Movie Interruption:
Kisses for My President..................................................................57
Doug Loves Movies Podcast.......................................................51
Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words....46
Echo Park.................................................................................................22
El Clsico..................................................................................................40
Elephants Dream...............................................................................60
Embers.......................................................................................................23
Equal Means Equal.............................................................................30
Equity..........................................................................................................23
The Event.................................................................................................60
Five Nights in Maine..........................................................................23
Florence, Arizona.................................................................................30
Folk Hero & Funny Guy..................................................................36

Francofonia.............................................................................................46
Frozen............................................................................................................5
Generation Startup...........................................................................64
Gleason......................................................................................................55
Heart of a Dog.....................................................................................61
Hell or High Water.............................................................................55
Here Alone..............................................................................................57
Hooligan Sparrow...............................................................................30
Houston, We Have a Problem!..................................................47
Hunt for the Wilderpeople...........................................................59
I Am Belfast.............................................................................................47
Ice and the Sky.....................................................................................59
Infinitely Polar Bear...........................................................................19
Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent.................................50
Jurassic World.........................................................................................5
Kings of Kallstadt................................................................................47
The Last Laugh.....................................................................................31
The Last Reel.........................................................................................40
Life, Animated.......................................................................................49
Little Boxes.............................................................................................55
Live Hillary Clinton Acceptance Speech.........................56
Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World.......47
Maggies Plan.........................................................................................23
Magnus......................................................................................................48
A Man Called Ove...............................................................................41
Man with a Movie Camera with the Alloy Orchestra........21
Marguerite...............................................................................................41
Meet John Doe....................................................................................21
Men of Sparta.......................................................................................64
Midsummer in Newtown................................................................17
Mikes Surprise......................................................................................51
MSU Presents: Sorta Late.............................................................65
Mustang....................................................................................................41
My Blind Brother.................................................................................25
My Golden Days..................................................................................42
My Internship in Canada.................................................................42
Noma: My Perfect Storm..............................................................50
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You......................31
Obit..............................................................................................................31
Oddball.......................................................................................................73
Olympic Pride, American Prejudice........................................32
One Wild Moment.............................................................................42
Operator...................................................................................................25
Parents.......................................................................................................42
Phantom Boy.........................................................................................72
The Phenom...........................................................................................36
The Pistol Shrimps.............................................................................37
Pitch Perfect.............................................................................................4
Presenting Princess Shaw.............................................................48
Reset...........................................................................................................48
Rosenwald................................................................................................32
Sand Storm.............................................................................................43
Sherlock Holmes.................................................................................20
Shorts by MSU Students...............................................................65
Shorts by U-M Students................................................................65
Shorts for All Kids...............................................................................73
Shorts for Kids 4+..............................................................................72
Shorts: Animated at the Ann Arbor Film Festival..........69
Shorts: Art...............................................................................................66
Shorts: Best of Fests........................................................................66
Shorts: Breaking Curfew................................................................57
Shorts: Fish Out of Water.............................................................67
Shorts: Friends Indeed.....................................................................67
Shorts: Its Complicated..................................................................68
Shorts: Love & Marriage & Baby Carriage..........................68
Shorts: Strange Planet....................................................................69
Shrek..............................................................................................................5
Sing Street..............................................................................................43
Sister Cities.............................................................................................55
Sixty Six.....................................................................................................60
Solitary.......................................................................................................32
Son of Saul..............................................................................................43
Suffragette...............................................................................................53
Sweet Smell of Spring.....................................................................17
Taxi................................................................................................................43
Te Ata..........................................................................................................51
Territorio...................................................................................................61
Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru.........................................37
Trapped......................................................................................................33
Two Trains Runnin..............................................................................49
Unlocking the Cage...........................................................................33
Viva...............................................................................................................44
Walk with Me: The Trials of Damon J. Keith.....................64
Waynes World........................................................................................4
Weiner.......................................................................................................33
Welcome to Norway!.......................................................................44
Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?...............................................21
Women in Oversized Mens Shirts..........................................44
Women Who Kill.................................................................................25
Where to Invade Next: A Worldwide Screening Event....51
2016 FILM
SCHEDULE
JULY 29
FRIDAY
JULY 28
THURSDAY
JULY 27
WEDNESDAY
JULY 26
TUESDAY
Your complete guide

to films at the festival
6:00 pm
JULY 30
SATURDAY
JULY 31
CITY OPERA
HOUSE
OLD TOWN
PLAYHOUSE
LARS
HOCKSTAD
OPENING NIGHT: Infinitely Polar Bear
7:30 pm
OPENING NIGHT: Infinitely Polar Bear
9:00 am
Welcome to Norway!
(9:30 am) PANEL: Come to the Doc Side
Censored Voices
(9:30 am) Shorts for Kids 4+
12 noon
El Clsico
Women in Oversized Mens Shirts
MSU Presents: Sorta Late
My Internship in Canada
3:00 pm
Citizen Kane
Reset
My Blind Brother
Kings of Kallstadt
6:00 pm
(6:30 pm) Life, Animated
Equal Means Equal
Women Who Kill
Maggies Plan
9:00 pm
Presenting Princess Shaw
Viva
Doug Loves Movies Podcast
One Wild Moment
12 midnight
Benson Movie Interruption:

Kisses for My President
9:00 am
Magnus
(9:30 am) PANEL: Men Make Movies
The Last Laugh
(9:30 am) Phantom Boy
12 noon
Disturbing the Peace
Gleason
Shorts by U-M Students
Life, Animated
3:00 pm
(3:30 pm) Sand Storm
Obit
Do Not Resist
A Man Called Ove
6:00 pm
Weiner
The C Word
Dope
Equity
9:00 pm
Maggies Plan
The Pistol Shrimps
Embers
A Conspiracy of Faith
12 midnight
Shorts: Breaking Curfew
9:00 am
A Man Called Ove
(9:30 am) PANEL: Who Let the Women In?
Two Trains Runnin
(9:30 am) Shorts for All Kids
12 noon
Where to Invade Next: Worldwide Event
By Sidney Lumet
Olympic Pride, American Prejudice
Sing Street
3:00 pm
The Last Reel
FOOD ON FILM: Jeremiah Tower
Shorts: Its Complicated
Dark Horse
6:00 pm
TBA
Presenting Princess Shaw
Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru
Sister Cities
9:00 pm
Hell or High Water
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
The Phenom
My Blind Brother
12 midnight
SUNDAY
STATE
THEATRE
Benson Movie Interruption:

A Trump FavoriteBloodsport
9:00 am
Marguerite
(9:30 am) PANEL: The Comedy Panel
Confusion
(9:30 am) Oddball
12 noon
My Internship in Canada
Certain Women
Shorts: Best of Fests
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
3:00 pm
The Champions
Audrie & Daisy
Adult Life Skills
The Phenom
6:00 pm
Kings of Kallstadt
FOOD ON FILM: Cooking Up a Tribute
Five Nights in Maine
Operator
9:00 pm
The Brand New Testament
Unlocking the Cage
Folk Hero & Funny Guy
Weiner
(9:30 am) PANEL: One-on-One
Houston, We Have a Problem
The Champions
12 midnight
Here Alone
9:00 am
NATIVE AMERICAN MATINEE: Te Ata
12 noon
Adult Life Skills
Death by Design
TBA
Mikes Surprise
3:00 pm
Man with a Movie Camera with the Alloy
FOOD ON FILM: Noma: My Perfect Storm
Unlocking the Cage
(3:30 pm) Walk With Me: The Trials of Damon J. Keith
6:00 pm
CLOSING NIGHT: Concerto
Magnus
Command and Control
Welcome to Norway!
9:00 pm
TBA
Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
MILLIKEN AT THE
DENNOS MUSEUM
BIJOU BY
THE BAY
THE
BUZZ
DUTMERS
THEATER
OPEN
SPACE
Tuesday
at Dusk!
Pitch Perfect
Francofonia
Obit
Son of Saul
Heart of a Dog
Shorts: Art
Houston, We Have a Problem!
Democrats
Sherlock Holmes
Suffragette
Folk Hero & Funny Guy
Florence, Arizona
Territorio
The Last Reel
The Pistol Shrimps
Meet John Doe
Sixty Six
The Last Laugh
I Am Belfast
Echo Park
Shorts: Animated Shorts from the AAFF
of the Connected World
The 33
Territorio
Shorts: Fish Out of Water
Equal Means Equal
Chimes at Midnight
Elephants Dream
Trapped
All This Panic
(3:30 pm) Confusion
Shorts: Strange Planet
Cameraperson
Sing Street
Florence, Arizona
The Event
My Golden Days
Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru
Live Hillary Clinton Acceptance Speech
Heart of a Dog
Rosenwald
Suffragette
Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Civilization
I Am Belfast
Francofonia
Disturbing the Peace
Heart of a Dog
Marguerite
Camperaperson
Shorts by MSU Students
Parents
3000 Nights
(6:30 pm) Hooligan Sparrow
Territorio
The C Word
Echo Park
The Brand New Testament
Sixty Six
Dark Horse
Ice and the Sky
Command and Control
TBA
Taxi
Solitary
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
Shorts: Animated Shorts from the AAFF
Walk with Me: The Trials of Damon J. Keith
Rosenwald
Shorts: Love & Marriage & Baby Carriage
Elephants Dream
Hell or High Water
Two Trains Runnin
Death by Design
Heart of a Dog
Sand Storm
Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words
Dope
Territorio
Dheepan
Lo and Behold, Reveries
The Club
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
Blow-Up
TBA
Men of Sparta
Shorts: Friends Indeed
(12:30 pm) Mustang
The Event
Hooligan Sparrow
Generation Startup
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Heart of a Dog
Five Nights in Maine
Little Boxes
Olympic Pride, American Prejudice
Elephants Dream
Taxi
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
TBA
Cinema Salon
Part of our outdoor discussion series.
Wednesday
at Dusk!
Waynes World
Thursday
at Dusk!
Adams Rib
Friday
at Dusk!
Shrek
Saturday
at Dusk!
Jurassic World
Sunday
at Dusk!
Frozen
SCHEDULE
2016 FESTIVAL GUIDE

MOVIES
ON A BOAT
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Weiner
The Pistol Shrimps
Adult Life Skills
Sing Street
My Blind Brother
Presenting
Princess Shaw
Pitch Session
Music in Film:
Then and Now
Acting for the

Camera 5.0
Consequences for All

with Michael Moore
and Kirsten Johnson
The Dos and Do

Knots of Filming in
Challenging
Environments
Making Movies
in Michigan
Mr. Manners:
Film Etiquette
Striking the
Right Chords
The Basics of
DSLR Filmmaking
The Feature
Filmmaking of a
Teenage Girl
Filmmaker Party
8:30 pm - 12:30 am
Closing Night Bash

7:00 pm
JULY 26
DEPARTS at 9:45 pm
from the Clinch
Marina Gas Dock
See page 13
FILM SCHOOL
See pages 74-75
*Plus, Wednesday &

Thursday 2:45 pm
Young Filmmakers
Workshop: Claymation
JULY 27
12:00 pm
3:00 pm
PARTIES
Opening Night Party

8:30 pm - 12:30 am
See pages 6-7
JULY 28
The Woz Kickoff

6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
CINEMA SALON SERIES DISCUSSIONS

Join us for moderated but informal community-in-the-round discussions after select movies in our
Cinema Salon series. Everyone is welcome to gather and talk about the movies in a beautiful outdoor
setting. Discussion locations will be announced at the films.

Discussions follow these films:
After these
12 noon films
After these
3:00 pm films
WEDNESDAY
Houston, We Have
a Problem!
Kings of Kallstadt
THURSDAY
Equal Means Equal
Trapped
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Disturbing the Peace Cameraperson

Solitary
The Champions
Death by Design
Generation Startup
JULY 29
JULY 30
JULY 31
TCFF MOBILE APP
Get the official iPhone and Android

2016 app from the App Store or
Google Play: order tickets, browse films
and events, find places to eat, and keep up
with the latest news and
schedule updates as you
make your way around
the festival.
New this year: a live
real-time bus tracking
system, so youll never
miss a shuttle or your
next film!
FREEBIES
FREE AT THE FESTIVAL
MOVIES AT
THE BUZZ
The TCFF is for everyone, no wallet required. Enjoy world-class

entertainment from morning to night for FREE, or at low cost,
every day of the festival!
MOVIES IN
OPEN SPACE
THE WOZ @
HOTEL INDIGO
KIDS FEST LAWN PARTY

AND $1 MOVIES
MOVIES FOR
VOLUNTEERS
Its one of our best ideas ever: free movies all day, every day at The Buzz! Free
tickets to Buzz screenings are available
online, at all festival box offices, and at
the door. And even if youre unable to
secure a seat in advance, standby lines
will form before each show. New this
year: weve moved to plush new digs in
Central Grade School, just steps away
from Lars Hockstad Auditorium. Look for
The Buzz icon throughout the guide to
find films with free screenings.
Bring a lawn chair or a blanket for a

magical evening with friends and family
under the stars as you watch some of
Hollywoods biggest and most beloved
classics on a gigantic screen, right on
the Bay, at dusk. And this year, all of the
films are written or directed by women!
Arrive early at 7 pm for FREE music,
entertainment, an interactive photo
booth, and movie-themed surprises. We
even throw a Closing Night Bash for the
community on Sunday. Find out more on
pages 4-5.
Explore the future of storytelling this

year at the brand new Hotel Indigo in the
Warehouse District downtown. Walk on
in Wednesday through Saturday 129
pm and Sunday 125 pm to experience
games and media projects that go
beyond traditional screens. Be among
the first to check out the latest in virtual
reality technology and new innovations
in interactive storytelling. Presented
by Michigan State University and the
Michigan Film and Digital Media Office.
Check out pages 8-9 for more info.
CINEMA SALON
DISCUSSIONS
PARK AND
RIDE SHUTTLE
FILMMAKER
PANELS
Following select 12 noon and 3 pm

screenings, you can join your fellow
cineastes outside your venue, or outside
the Bijou in Clinch Park, for informal,
insightful discussions in the round about
movies that are sure to generate great
conversation. See page 46 for a full list
of the featured screenings in our Cinema
Salon section this year.
79
We make it easy to get around the festival

for FREE with our BATA shuttle buses.
Just park on the west side of town in the
Thirlby Field parking lot, or on the east
side in the Cherry Lot at Northwestern
Michigan College, and leave the driving
(and the parking!) to us. NEW this year,
download the official TCFF App to use our
new real-time bus tracking system. It will
show you where the next shuttle is and
how long it will take to reach you, so youll
never miss a ride.
Running Wednesday through Sunday at

9:30 am in the City Opera House, our
FREE filmmaker panels bring together
film luminaries for lively, no-holds-barred
conversations you wont see anywhere
else. From the worlds of comedy and
documentary, to special one-on-one
conversations, our panels are a great way
to experience the best the festival has to
offer. Read more about this years lineup
on page 77.
Bring your budding cinephiles to the $1

kids film screenings WednesdaySaturday
at 9:30 am in Lars Hockstad Auditorium
at Central Grade School. Take in a great
film, eat FREE popcorn, and then walk
outside onto the beautiful lawn for our
FREE party, brimming with film-related
fun, activities, crafts, and games for kids
from tiny tots to young tweens. Plus, well
again offer FREE flipbooks every day!
Your kids wont want to leave. Details on
pages 71-73.
Volunteer for three shifts or more,

and you will receive a snazzy FREE
volunteer tshirt and get to attend both
the FREE pre-fest volunteer screening
and post-fest volunteer party, all while
making an important contribution to
the festival and the community. Plus, at
the volunteer screening, we hand out
FREE festival tickets reserved just for
volunteers. Sign up online at tcff.org, or
call the office at 231-392-1134 to join
our merry crew today!
OPEN SPACE
MOVIE MAGIC
on Grand Traverse Bay, free for
everyone. The biggest screen,
the biggest stars, the biggest
soundnothing is better than
watching some of Hollywoods
most iconic, awe-inspiring, and
beloved films with friends and
family on a 65-foot screen by
the water. Come early for music, entertainment, and interactive themed photo booths,
all FREE, beginning nightly at
7 pm. Grab a blanket or some
chairs and make a date for an
enchanting evening at our outdoor cinema under the stars.
WAYNES WORLD
1992 | USA | PG-13 | 94 min.

Directed by Penelope Spheeris
Wayne. Garth. Bohemian Rhapsody. Rocking out to
Queens gleeful headbanging centerpieceone of the
cinemas most excellent musical momentswith the best
two dudes Aurora, Illinois ever produced, is reason enough
to come party on with us on Wednesday night. Mike Myers
and Dana Carvey have never been more lovable and hilarious than in this suburban odyssey about two metal-obsessed, babe-loving, basement-dwelling twentysomethings
on a mission to save their public-access show from a slimy
executiveAND get the girl. The very best Saturday Night
Live skit to make its way to the big screen is so exuberant,
so quotable, so schweet, were almost not worthy of this gift
from the comedy gods. Youll laugh, youll cry, youll be at the
Open Space.
WEDNESDAY AT DUSK
PITCH PERFECT
2012 | USA | PG-13 | 112 min.

Directed by Jason Moore
If you think a cappella isnt cool, or you think girls cant
rock, then you best a-ca-believe it and come experience the sheer a-ca-awesomeness that is Pitch
Perfect. Going deep inside the cutthroat world of
competitive collegiate a cappella, screenwriter
Kay Cannon brings us the story of the Barden Bellas,
a ragtag team of misfits, outcasts, and overachievers
who come together to find their unique voice in their
quest for a national title. As silly as it is smart, with a
goofy humor and unabashed sense of fun thats all its
own, this is quite possibly the most gloriously nerdy,
snarky, and hilarious story of sisterhood ever put on
screenand were being serious. Dixie Chicks serious.
So start practicing your horizontal running, grab some
Cups (but leave the sock puppets behind), and prepare to sing along with your favorite lady jams, recite
your favorite lines, and get pitch-slapped.
TUESDAY AT DUSK
TRAVERSE CITY FILM FESTIVAL | JULY 26 - 31, 2016
ADAMS RIB
1949 | USA | NR | 101 min.

Directed by George Cukor
They just dont make smart romantic comedies like this any
morebut maybe they would if more women wrote them,
as Oscar-winner Ruth Gordon (Maude in Harold & Maude)
did in 1949. Sparkling, sophisticated, and ineffably entertaining, this ultimate battle-of-the-sexes tale is told with
a fiery feminist savvy that was decades ahead of its time. A
prosecutor (Spencer Tracy) finds himself on the opposite
side of the aisle from his defense lawyer wife (Katharine
Hepburn) when she takes on a client charged for the attempted murder of her philandering husband. The courtroom conflict soon becomes a source of marital discord
as the headline-making case turns into a battleground for
sexual equality. Hostilities arise, chauvinism is exposed, barbs
are traded, and zingers crackle in this razor-sharp script that
created this very best of Tracy-Hepburn vehicles. The only
thing wed object to? You missing it.
THURSDAY DUSK
OPEN SPACE
CLOSING
NIGHT BASH
Sunday, July 31
7 pm | Open Space
PEOPLES CHOICE WINNER
SHREK
2001 | USA | PG | 90 min.

Directed by Vicky Jenson, Andrew Adamson
A misunderstood ogre (Mike Myers) reluctantly agrees to
rescue a princess in order to free himself from the onslaught of
talking pigs, wayward wooden boys, and typhlotic rodents foisted on him by a Lord with a very small castle. But he gets more
than he bargained for when a wisecracking donkey (Eddie Murphy) dogs him all the way to Duloc, and the princess (Cameron
Diaz) micromanages her rescue. Add a curse, a dragon, and a
band of merry men, and you get a fantastical fractured fairytale
with enough wit and heart to fill a swamp. This is a movie with
layers, like an onion, and one that speaks to both children and
adults with its wickedly sly, adorably infectious, and charmingly
irreverent spirit. It made Scottish accents cool, it made Smash
Mouth relevant, and itll make you a believer. The first film to
win the Oscar for Best Animated Picture can now add TCFF
Peoples Choice Winner to its many accolades!
FRIDAY AT DUSK
JURASSIC WORLD
2015 | USA | PG-13 | 124 min.

Directed by Colin Trevorrow
After the soft opening of Jurassic Park went terribly awry,
life, uh found a wayand the park on Isla Nublar is now
open. Kids ride triceratopses, kayak with brontosauri, and
have the daylights scared out of them by prehistoric sea
monsters. Its a dream come true. But after park scientists
once again mess with the natural order (will they never
learn?) and create a genetically modified human-munching, dinosaur-crunching terror, its up to an animal behaviorist (Chris Pratt, doing his best Indiana Jones) and the
park ops manager (Bryce Dallas Howard, doing everything
Pratt does in heels) to rein it in. Undeniably thrilling and
suspenseful, this sleek blockbuster written by Amanda
Silver and Rick Jaffa combines monster mayhem with nostalgic wonderand, in true Spielbergian fashion, the real
star attraction isnt the dinosaurs, but the way the movie
ignites our collective imagination.
SATURDAY AT DUSK
Join us Sunday night for a free

community party thats so very
cool we just had to follow it up
with a screening of Frozen!
Were elated to be putting
together an enchanting night
full of live music, games, prizes,
trolls, reindeer treats, an
Arendelle bounce castle, photo booth, and warm hugs. You
might even see yourself on the
big screen! Costumes are highly
encouraged!
FROZEN
2013 | USA | PG | 102 min.

Directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck
Is it the incredible songs, the stunning animation, the
sparkling spirit, the revolutionary girl power message,
or all of the above that made this Oscar-winning
wonder the highest-grossing animated film of all time?
Whatever the case may be, we wont let it go, and we
know you wont either. Only people with frozen hearts
could be immune to the immense charm of this Disney
powerhouse. The wickedly talented Idina Menzel and
TCFF favorite and Michigan-native Kristen Bell star in
an enchanting fairytale with some delightfully modern
twists about two brave princesses, a sun-loving snowman, and a guy with a thing about reindeer who must
work together to save their kingdom from an eternal
winter (as hard as such a thing might be for Traverse
Citians to imagine). Before the show, join us as we do
what frozen things do in summer. Itll definitely be a
night worth melting for.
SUNDAY AT DUSK
PARTIES
PARTYwith friends both
OPENING NIGHT PARTY
Tuesday, July 26
8:30 pm 12:30 am | Rain or Shine
Front Street between Park & Cass Streets
new and old as we toast the hot-
The air will turn electric and the energy kinetic

when we kick off the festival with a dazzling
celebration of Just Great Movies on Tuesday
night. Well shut down Front Street and load it
with awesome music, lively dancing, filmmaker
guests, tasty food, and the very best beer, wine,
and mixed drinks your all-access ticket can
buyall under the glittering stars in the sky
and the radiant glow of the States marquee.
Enjoy a red carpet evening as we welcome
movie lovers to experience the sublime magic
of Traverse City during TCFF.
Tickets: $50
test week of the summer!

Enjoy the best drinks, food, and
music, surrounded by a magical
atmosphere ripe for photos, great
memories, and #tcff.
FRIENDS ONLY SCREENING PARTY
FOUNDERS PARTY
THE WOZ PARTY
Saturday, July 23
12 pm, 3 pm, 6 pm & 9 pm
Lars Hockstad Auditorium
Sunday, July 24
11 am Brunch, 2 pm Film | Rain or Shine
The Patio at Clinch Park & the State Theatre
Wednesday, July 27
6 pm 9 pm
Hotel Indigo | 263 W. Grandview Parkway
Our popular Friends of the Film Festival screenings are

among the festivals most beloved traditions, sure to start
festival week off on an auspicious note. Well have two of
the festivals best films, hand picked by Michael Moore, plus
free concessions and everyones favorite treatcake! This
years Friends Only moviesSweet Smell of Spring and
Midsummer in Newtown (page 17)wont be shown
anywhere else at the festival. Theres still time to sign up to
be a 2016 Friend of the Film Festival and take part in this
exclusive day of movies. See page 17 for more information,
and visit tcff.org to sign up today.
Free for Friends
Were back on the bayfront this summer with a brand

new menu and tents for cooling at an amped up annual
celebration of our generous sponsors! Join us on an
artificially-cooled Patio at Clinch Park for a gourmet
brunch catered by the NMC Great Lakes Culinary Institute,
followed by a sneak preview of one of the festivals
best films, The Last Reel (page 40). Great cuisine in
an unrivaled setting and a great movie in an unequaled
theaterwhat could be better? Its not too late to become
a sponsor and enjoy this party, along with a host of other
great benefits. Email sponsor@tcff.org for more info.
Free for Sponsors
Help us christen the new location of the coolest, freshest,

buzziest, and most widely-sought-after festival venue, The
Woz, on Wednesday night. Come for our FREE festivities
featuring apps, zerts, and drinks, and stay to check out all
the cutting-edge technology and innovative storytelling
weve got to offer. The only rule? Tell your friends to come
visit us later in the week! #tcffwoz.
Free for Everyone
PARTIES
JOIN US FOR
OFFICIAL FILMMAKER BAR NIGHTS
FILMMAKER PARTY
Saturday, July 30
8:30 pm 12:30 am | Rain or Shine
Century 21 Northland Parking Lot
Corner of State and Park Streets
Revel with visiting filmmakers in the magically transformed

urban square on the corner of State and Park Street. At
9:30 pm, be one of the few to see the Founders present
this years festival awards to a group of amazingly talented
filmmakers. Featuring a tantalizing bounty of food, drinks,
and entertainment, this star-studded all-inclusive party is
the ticket to get!
Cost: $50
Wednesday Friday
Beginning at 7 pm
Wednesday
7 MONKS & LOW BAR
Join Traverse City Film Festival

filmmakers, staff, volunteers,
and filmgoers at these nightly
meetups to continue the
conversation about movies.
Thursday
THE LITTLE FLEET
CLOSING NIGHT BASH
Friday
THE PARLOR
VOLUNTEER PARTY
Sunday, July 31
7 pm 9:45 pm
Open Space Park
Monday, August 1
6 pm 9 pm | Rain or Shine
The Front Lawn at the Village of Grand Traverse Commons
Do you want to build a snowman? Well, at our

free community party preceding Sunday nights
Open Space screening of the blockbuster to end all
blockbusters, Frozen, you can do just thatand in
suuuuuummmmmer, no less! With live music, interactive
games, an icy photo booth, Arendelles own bounce castle,
reindeer treats, and more, it will be a night so magical,
youll feel like youre surrounded by warm hugs. Whether
youre an Anna, Elsa, or maybe an Olaf, don your favorite
movie outfit and join us. Itll definitely be a night worth
melting for. Find out more on page 5.
Free for Everyone
We celebrate our dedicated, amazing, generous, and

talented volunteers at this fun post-festival fte where
we wear our heartfelt thanks on our sleeves and let
the libations flow. Share stories with friends about your
favorite festival moments and celebrate the weeks
resounding success. Featuring some of the top food
and beverages from our area donated by our generous
sponsors, this party is the best way to close out an
unforgettably glorious week.
Free for Volunteers
THE WOZ
es
m
a
g
e
i
d
n
ve i
i
v
lity
a
e
r
al
u
t
r
i
v
NEW MEDIA &

INTERACTIVE GALLERY
Experience the future of storytelling
hands-on in our free interactive new
es
m
a
g
media venue, The Woz at Hotel Indigo.

Weve partnered with our sponsor
Michigan State University to bring you a
showcase of transmedia projects that go
beyond traditional screens, to the place
where film and technology intersect, and
you are part of the story.
FREE
KICKOFF
PARTY
Celebrate the opening of The Woz
Wednesday at 6 pm: come for our
FREE gallery opening with apps,
zerts, and drinks, and check out all
the latest gaming and VR experiences were offering this year. The
only rule? Tell your friends to visit
us later in the week, and share your
Woz experiences using #tcffwoz.
SPONSORED BY
ROCKET LEAGUE AND

LIVE ESPORTS CASTING
Enjoy playing soccer? How about playing soccer

with rocket-powered cars? With Rocket League,
that is exactly what you get to do. Use your rocket
engines to direct a ball into your opponents goal
while participating in a demolition derby match!
Rocket League is taking eSports by storm, so
stop by our casting booth to take a turn as a
commentator and call a match.
&
KEEP TALKING AND

NOBODY EXPLODES
Virtual reality takes the party game experience to a new

dimension in Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. One
player is trapped in a virtual room with a ticking time
bomb they must defuse. The other players are Experts
who must give instructions on defusing the explosive by
deciphering information found in a bomb manual. But
theres a catch: the experts cant see the bomb, so the
players need to talk it outbefore the timer hits zero!
THE WOZ
HTC VIVE
The HTC Vive is the latest sensation in the rapidly

evolving landscape of virtual reality technology: a
combination of a VR headset and a movement tracking
device that lets you move around and physically interact
in virtual worlds. At The Woz, youll be among the first
to try out this new technology and explore immersive
worlds in ways never before possible. Travel under the
ocean and visit sunken ships and coral reefs in TheBlu;
bring your imagination into a new dimension by making
3D paintings with Tilt Brush; live out a day as a
mechanic, office worker, or short order cook in a crazy
robotic world with Job Simulator; test your aim as
you take down virtual targets in Space Pirate Trainer;
and experience the evolution of Minecraft in virtual
reality. All of this and more is waiting for the brave, the
adventurous, the curious, and the creative, this year at
The Woz.
THAT DRAGON, CANCER
If cinema is the seventh art, this powerful indie game

makes a compelling case for gaming as the eighth. That
Dragon, Cancer is an autobiographical game based on
developer Ryan Greens experience of raising his son
Joel, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer at twelve
months. A profound and enveloping experience that
highlights the power of gaming as a storytelling medium.
HER STORY
Fans of Serial, do yourselves a favor and check this out:

Her Story is an interactive movie video game thats
sure to bring out your inner detective. Search though
a database of video clips taken from fictional police
interviews and use them to solve the case of a missing
man. This critically acclaimed game has been praised for
its unconventional gameplay, character performance,
and narrative.
WEDNESDAYSATURDAY 12-9 PM
GAMEDEV @ MSU
Meet the next generation of game developers and

explore their diverse collection of student-created
games. Become a Rogue and fight your way out of exile
in the recently Kickstarted hack n slash game, Rogues
Like Us; partner with a friend in the co-op arcade beat
em up Asundr; explore asteroid fields and wreckage as
a stranded space pilot in the virtual reality experience
DROp; and experience how games can go beyond
amusement in the latest creations developed by the
Games for Entertainment and Learning Lab at MSU.
SUNDAY 12-5 @ HOTEL INDIGO

FILMS
13
FILMS
MOVIES FOR
SMART PEOPLE
FOOD ON
FILM
If you like to engage in the

movies youre watching
rather than just sitting
back and turning off your
brain, these are the films
for you. Give your mind
a cinematic workout at
these movies.
After films in this mouthwatering showcase of the best

in culinary cinema, listen
in on candid conversations
between stars of the Michigan food scene, and sample
bites prepared by the chefs
and inspired by the films.
#TWEEN
Weve got Kids Fest for the

young ones and over 200
movies for the adults. Now,
for the second year in a row,
we also have the best films
for those currently coming
of age. #Tween films may be
suitable for PG audiences.
FREE MOVIES
@ THE BUZZ
CINEMA
SALON
Now located at Central

Grade School, The Buzz is
home to FREE films all day,
every day, compliments of
the festival. Get your free
tickets at the Main Box
Office or online at tcff.org
when tickets go on sale.
Informal discussions follow

select screenings of the
films in our Cinema Salon
series. After the movies,
gather outside your venue, or in Clinch Park by the
Bijou, for insightful and engaging exchanges.
Disclaimer: Films marked NR in this guide have not been rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. Please read the film descriptions, do your own research, and choose responsibly.
14
AROUND THE BAY
A CINEMATIC TOUR
Travel from charming hamlet to quaint village on
a four-day film odyssey around the shore of Lake
Michigan. See the sights, try a new restaurant, and experience historic theatersits a scenic Northern Michigan adventure that will drive home just what makes this region the
most glorious place on earth for film lovers. Best of all, you
can get four of the most highly anticipated films of the festival under your belt before Opening Night. Theres no better way to prepare for festival week and ease your schedule
gridlock than to go Around the Bay.
CITY
AROUND THE BAY SCHEDULE

FRANKFORT
Monday, July 18 | 7 pm
The Garden Theater
Welcome to Norway! (page 44)
Built in 1923, the 300-seat Garden Theater

reopened with community ownership in 2009.
And with Good Morning Americas Most
Beautiful Place in America, the Sleeping Bear
Dunes National Lakeshore, right next door,
Frankfort is the place to be.
MANISTEE
Wednesday, July 20 | 7 pm
The Historic Vogue Theatre of Manistee
Adult Life Skills (page 39)
Reopened in 2013 as part of a community

effort aided by the Traverse City Film Festival,
the beautifully restored Vogue Theatre is a
sight to behold. Spend time in the little town on
the big lake where Darth Vader himself, James
Earl Jones, honed his acting chops.
ELK RAPIDS
SUTTONS BAY
Steps from the shores of East Grand Traverse

Bay, the Elk Rapids Cinema seats 300 and
features the worlds largest blacklight mural,
painted in 1940. Elk Rapids is also home to its
own great summer celebration: enjoy
Harbor Days August 3-6.
Nestled on picturesque Suttons Bay, the Bay

Theatre has been entertaining filmgoers since
1946. Featuring local cherry soda, creative
concessions, and thoughtful programming
year-round, this 271-seat theater in the
quaintest of towns is sure to charm.
Tuesday, July 19 | 7 pm
Elk Rapids Cinema
A Man Called Ove (page 41)
Thursday, July 21 | 7 pm
The Bay Theatre
Marguerite (page 41)
MOVIES ON A BOAT
15
MOVIES
ON A BOAT
Set sail into the sunset on the
Nauti-Cat, the largest commercially sailing catamaran on the Great Lakes, and enjoy a great film
in an unparalleled setting. These unique filmgoing
excursions depart at 9:45 pm every night from
Clinch Marina with a projector, screen, and popcorn in tow. Behold the Bays stunning vistas, and
enjoy an outstanding filmif you keep a bucket
list, this should be on it!
MOVIES ON A BOAT SCHEDULE

TUESDAY
WEINER
page 33
WEDNESDAY
THE PISTOL SHRIMPS

page 37
THURSDAY
ADULT LIFE SKILLS

page 39
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
SINGHaemoo
STREET
MY BLIND
WildBROTHER
Tales
PRESENTING PRINCESS SHAW
Page XX
page
43
Page25
XX
page
page 48
SUPPORTER SCREENINGS
17
FRIENDS
OF THE FILM FESTIVAL
MIDSUMMER IN NEWTOWN
2016 | USA | NR | 81 min.

Directed by Lloyd Kramer
Newtown, Connecticut. December 14, 2012. 20-yearold Adam Lanza, son of a General Electric Vice President and in the care of two psychologists, fatally shoots
20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary
School. Where does a small town go from there? The
resilience of a community that refuses to be defined by
tragedy shines when a freelance theater director brings
a Broadway crew from New York on a mission to help
heal a community through the power of art. One year
after the shooting, theater professionals join with local
children to mount A Rockin Midsummer Nights Dream,
a freewheeling rock-pop adaptation of the beloved
Shakespeare comedy. Self-confidence builds in a group of
incredible children as they move from pre-audition jitters
and read-throughs that illuminate Shakespeares arcane
language, to frantic dress rehearsals and a triumphant
opening night. Through it all, the childrens unwavering
spirit steals the show, and love wins. Mass shootings continue throughout our countrybut this powerful movie
sings out for life.
SAT 7/23 3 PM LARS | SAT 7/23 9 PM LARS
SWEET SMELL OF SPRING
Were throwing a movie party!

Friends of the Film Festival can join
us for Friends Only movies on July
23, featuring great films you wont
see anywhere else at the festival.
2016 | France | NR | 101 min.

Directed by Frid Boughedir
Frid Boughedir charmingly pulls off a light-hearted
comedic fable about, of all things, the 2011 Arab Spring
uprising in Tunisia. Its the sweet story of Zizou, a naive
and sincere optimist whose crush on a beautiful girl
leads him to become the unwitting face of a revolution.
With two years of university under his belt, but very
little common sense, Zizou leaves his Saharan village
and finds work installing satellite dishes with a colorful cast of characters in the big city of Tunis. The job
takes him to every part of the city, introducing him to
residents ranging from supporters of the regime and
underground rebels to a ravishing beauty being held
captive by the mafia. When Zizou decides to attempt
a rescue of his beloved, he gets much more than he
bargained for, and a case of mistaken identity lands him
in the forefront of a national rebellion. This delightful
movie will win you over with its bewitching story set
against the gorgeous backdrop of a colorful Tunisia as it
attempts to become the first true democracy in North
Africa. In Arabic, French with subtitles
SAT 7/23 12 NOON LARS | SAT 7/23 6 PM LARS
SPONSORS
Yes, these screenings are

exclusively for Friends. But dont
worry, theres still time to join for
2016! To renew or purchase a
membership for this years festival,
log on to tcff.org, call 231-392-1134,
or email friends@tcff.org. And
dont forget to sign up for your
2017 Friends of the Film Festival
membership starting July 16its
half price through September 1!
VOLUNTEERS
JOIN THE TCFF

SPONSOR FAMILY!
SIGN UP TO
VOLUNTEER NOW!
Our supporters keep us grassroots, dedicated to bringing

film to people from all walks of
life. And perks like early ticket
access, the sponsor line, and
getting to preview one of the
best films in the festival at the
Founders Party are pretty nice,
too! Theres still time to
become a 2016 sponsor. Email
sponsor@tcff.org for details.
Founders Screening
THE LAST REEL
SUN 7/24 2 PM STATE

page 40
We welcome you to join the

ranks of the TCFF volunteers!
Log on to tcff.org, stop by the
office, or call 231-392-1134
to sign up. Its a great way to
meet new people and help the
community. Plus, you get a cool
tshirt, snazzy credentials, and
invites to the pre-fest
Volunteer Movie, and the postfest Volunteer Party!
Volunteer Screening and Orientation
WEINER
MON 7/25 6 PM LARS

page 33
GALAS
19
OPENING NIGHT
INFINITELY POLAR BEAR
2014 | USA | R | 90 min.

Directed by Maya Forbes
We kick off this years festival with the Best Film of 2015 You
Never Heard Of, Exhibit A in the saga of overlooked brilliant
films by women. Michael Moore calls this strangely titled film (a
childs garbled play on the word bipolar) the years most moving comedya tour de force no one should miss, and everyone
will love. Director Maya Forbes has made a funny, heartwarming film with Mark Ruffalo delivering a career-defining performance as Cam, a charismatic husband and father in 1970s
Boston. Hes a crazy mess, barely able to take care of himself
as he battles bipolar disorder (which was little understood at
the time). Naturally, everyone is concerned when his wife (the
incredible Zo Saldana) leaves their two young daughters in
his sole care so that she can attend grad school in New York,
hoping to improve her familys chances for survival. Alternately
hilarious and terrifying, depending on whether hes taking his
meds or not, we watch Cam stumble through attempts at solo
parenting, bungling basic tasks and occasionally plunging his
family into chaos. But Cams big heart and ardent adoration of
his girls shines through in moments of unbearable tenderness.
This movingly personal indie captures the essence of life with
all its inherent messiness and surprising joy. More films like this
please! In Person: Special Guests.
TUE 6 PM ST | TUE 7:30 PM COH
CLOSING NIGHT
CONCERTO: A BEETHOVEN JOURNEY
2015 | USA, UK, Germany, Norway, Czech Republic | NR | 93 min.

Directed by Phil Grabsky
Music lovers and thinkers will swoon over this dazzling documentary that follows one of the worlds top living pianists, Norways
Leif Ove Andsne, on a three-year journey around the world
devoted to mastering Beethovens five piano concertos. The
German composers brilliance explodes off the screen as Andsne
battles to get to the guts of the work and bring the concertos to
full, vivid, emotionally-rich life. With each piece, Andsne posits,
another stage of Beethovens life is revealed, an approach that
gives us incredible new insight into the legendary composer. And
at each stage, we are treated to a running commentary on what
Andsne is learning and feeling, along with thrilling performances
captured by a keyboard-mounted camera that gives us a birdseye view of some of Earths most talented fingers. This smart,
lush film will hum through your bones long after the final sonata.
In Person: Director Phil Grabsky; Subject Leif Ove Andsne.
SUN 6 PM ST
20
THEATRE
CENTENNIAL
1916-2016
STATESTATE
THEATRE
CENTENNIAL
1916-2016
STATE CENTENNIAL
ORSON WELLES
CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT
1965 | France, Spain, Switzerland | PG | 115 min.

Directed by Orson Welles
Stymied by the studio system from making his movies just
20 years after Citizen Kane, Orson Welles was so driven to
make this long-gestating project he agreed to play Long John
Silver in another movie just in order to secure financing. The
result is a masterwork of staggering proportions, blending five
Shakespeare plays to tell the epic story of Falstaff, a tragicomic scalawag perfectly aligned with Welles fixations. Caught for
years in legal wrangling, the film was nearly impossible to see.
But a brand new restoration has returned it to the big screen
in all its majestic and mournful glory. Critic supreme Vincent
Canby called it the greatest Shakespearean film ever made,
bar none. But what gives us chills is the fact that Welles once
said, if he had to offer up as a summation of his lifes work,
just one film to get into heaven, Chimes at Midnight would
be it. In Person: Beatrice Welles, Orson Welles daughter,
featured in the film.
THU 12 NOON BUZZ
100 TH ANNIVERSARY
100 TH ANNIVERSARY
1916 | USA | NR | 78 min.

Directed by Reginald Barker, Thomas H. Ince, and
Raymond B. West
As far as silent big-budget spectacles go, D.W. Griffiths
Intolerance may get all the glory, but in its time, this
little-known treasure was so popular, and so influential,
the Democratic National Committee credited it with
helping to re-elect President Woodrow Wilson in 1916.
Remembered today as perhaps both the first anti-war
film and the first film to depict the Son of God, its the
story of Jesus Christ sending an order-defying submarine captain back to earth as a messenger of peace. Part
powerful allegorical drama, part historic curiosity, part
trippy triumph, Civilization is unlike anything you have
ever seen.
FRI 9 AM DUT
1916 | USA | NR | 116 min.

Directed by Arthur Berthelet
How did the only known surviving copy of the 1916 film
version of Sherlock Holmes show up almost 100 years
later in a Paris film archive? Its a mystery so beguiling that only the great detective himself could solve it.
Painstakingly restored by an international team, this
wondrously wry silent treasure is remarkable not only
for its astounding backstory, but also because it stars
renowned Sherlock interpreter William Gillette. Despite
performing the role over 1300 times, this 1916 film
remains the only record of Gillettes definitive depiction.
Sherlock devotees will not want miss this rare opportunity to see the legendary bard of Baker Streets first
major portrayal on the big screen in this gripping tale of
blackmail, kidnapping, and scandal.
WED 12 NOON DUT
CIVILIZATION
SHERLOCK HOLMES
75 TH ANNIVERSARY
WITH ORSON WELLES
DAUGHTER BEATRICE
WELLES IN PERSON
CITIZEN KANE
1941 | USA | NR | 119 min.

Directed by Orson Welles
It has almost become a clichwe take it
for granted that Citizen Kane is one of
the greatest films of all time. But when you
stop and actually watch it, for the twentieth time or for the first, its truly like witnessing cinema being born anew. At the tender age of 25,
Orson Welles crafted this towering masterpiece about publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, a
man who stopped at nothing in his ruthless pursuit of powereven when it cost him everything he
loved. With its iconic deep-space cinematography, innovative use of sound and lighting, and intricately structured narrative, this is a film of such staggering genius, such ravishing brilliance, and such
dazzling virtuosity that you owe it to yourself to experience it on the big screen, at the greatest theater in the worldwith Welles daughter Beatrice in attendance, no less! In Person: Beatrice Welles.
WED 3 PM ST
STATE CENTENNIAL
21
75 TH ANNIVERSARY
50 TH ANNIVERSARY
50 TH ANNIVERSARY
1941 | USA | NR | 122 min.

Directed by Frank Capra
Frank Capras peerless populist paean to the common man
and glistening tribute to American individualism remains a
wise and wonderful delight 75 years later. A spunky journalist
(Barbara Stanwyck), fired by her papers new owners, hatches
a clever scheme to get her job back. On her last day of work,
she discovers a letter written by a John Doe lamenting
the selfishness and injustice of the worldand announcing his plans to kill himself on Christmas Eve in protest. The
fraudulent missive proves to be a terrific PR stunt, capturing the countrys attention and forcing her to convince an
unemployed man (Gary Cooper) to take on the part of the
unnamed idealist. By turns sentimental and hard-hitting, the
most personal of Capras films is one you wont want to miss.
WED 6 PM BUZZ
1966 | UK, Italy, USA | NR | 111 min.

Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni
Italian master Michelangelo Antonionis first English-language feature, Blow-Up follows a trendy fashion photographer (David Hemmings) in mod-era London who
may have inadvertently photographed a murder. Both an
erotic thriller (glamorous stars like Vanessa Redgrave,
Sarah Miles, and Jane Birkin are never too far away) and
a portrait of the joyless decadence, casual sex, and ennui
of life in London in the 60s, this artful, Oscar-nominated
cinematic masterpiece unfolds as a captivating spectacle
of sights and sounds. As much about a lonely man as it is
about the essential nature of imagery, this true turning
point in the history of cinema helped pave the way for
many of the great films of the late 60s and 70s.
SUN 9 AM BUZZ
1966 | USA | NR | 131 min.

Directed by Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols made his auspicious debut directing
real-life couple Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in a
portrait of a marriage with, uh, some problems. A junior
professor and his young wife (George Segal and Sandy
Dennis) are cordially invited to George and Marthas for
an evening of fun and games. It soon becomes clear
that no fun will be had, and the innocent couple find
themselves unwitting collateral damage to the furious
resentment of their hosts. In their most iconic and electric pairing, Taylor and Burton argue, swear, drink, and
wound to rapturous effect. Aint love grand?
FRI 9 AM BUZZ
MEET JOHN DOE
BLOW UP
WHOS AFRAID OF VIRGINIA

WOOLF?
MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA WITH THE ALLOY ORCHESTRA
1929 | U.S.S.R | NR | 68 min.

Directed by Dziga Vertov
We are proud to present a rare live event on our beautiful silver screen as part of the centennial celebration of our
very own historic State Theatre of Traverse City. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of a global coalition of film
archivists, this groundbreaking early work of cinema is being presented in its entirety for the first time since its premiere in Moscow in 1929. And accompanying this magnificent new restoration, live on our stage, is the internationally-acclaimed Alloy Orchestraan ensemble so revered, the late Roger Ebert wrote that they were the very best in
the world at accompanying silent film. Soviet auteur Dziga Vertovs pioneering film captures a day in the life of 1920s
Moscow as seen through the lens of the kino-glaz (cinema-eye). Mixing quotidian footage of Russian life with the
poetic whir of machinery to dazzling effect, Vertov and his
editor wife Elizaveta Svilova established film as an art form
when they created a new cinematic language through
rhythmic editing, creative exposures, and inventive camera tricks. The Alloy Orchestra has chosen to carefully
follow the instructions laid out by Vertov himself when
composing their score for the film Michael Moore and
many other filmmakers consider to be one of the greatest documentaries of all time. The result is a spectacular
and vital cinematic experience unlike anything youve ever
seen. We encourage you to get your tickets early for this
once-in-a-lifetime experience in Traverse City.
SUN 3 PM ST
22
US OFFICIAL SELECTION: NARRATIVE
THE 33
2015 | Chile, USA | PG-13 | 127 min.

Directed by Patricia Riggen
Even if you know every detail of the Chilean gold mine
collapse that trapped 33 miners underground in 2010,
youll be riveted to the edge of your seat by Patricia
Riggens captivating and rousing depiction of the real-life
events. Antonio Banderas, Lou Diamond Phillips, Juliette Binoche, and Cote de Pablo star in this suspenseful
crowd-pleaser that shifts between the claustrophobic
and unimaginable ordeal of the miners 2,300 feet underground, and the struggles on the Earths surface, where
family members helplessly wait, the government pushes
for action, and the mining company flounders. Riggen
skillfully and potently builds the tensiona feat all the
more remarkable considering the ending is a foregone
conclusionin this tear-jerking, heart-squeezing, ultimately uplifting testament to the strength of the human
spirit. In English, Spanish with subtitles
THU 9 AM BUZZ
THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL
2015 | USA | R | 102 min.

Directed by Marielle Heller
This exuberant, bold film that audaciously refuses to
apologize for the complexity of its 15-year-old protagonist may be one of the most honest and revolutionary
depictions of adolescence ever put on screen. Minnie is
a precocious, vivacious teenager on the cusp of a sexual
awakening. Unfortunately, her bohemian mother (Kristin
Wiig) is too absent to notice, and frequently leaves her
alone with the ludicrously handsome man shes dating,
Monroe (Alexander Skaarsgrd, True Blood). Minnie
and Monroe fall into a precariously complex affair that
director Marielle Heller handles with unparalleled skill,
eschewing melodrama and victimhood for more complex questions about love, longing, and agency. This
unerringly wise, achingly true film about the messiness
of young adulthood fearlessly slides from toughness into
tenderness, and hilarity into heartbreak.
SUN 3 PM BUZZ
ECHO PARK
2014 | USA | NR | 88 min.

Directed by Amanda Marsalis
Prepare to be charmed by this breezy color-blind romance that will move you with its sweet simplicity and
intimate, honest filmmaking that we see far too little of
today. Looking to escape the numbing constraints of a
coddled Beverly Hills life, Sophie moves to a rental in hip
Echo Park. When she responds to a used couch ad, she
meet-cutes with Alex, and sparks fly during a conversation
about Prince rarities on vinyl. With Alexs impending move
overseas a mere fortnight away, the two embark on a
no-risk causal romance, but they soon realize that, when
it comes to matters of the heart, theres no such thing as
risk-free. Mamie Gummer (The Good Wife) and Tony
Okungbowa play the nuances of falling in love to poignant
perfection in this lovely and wistful exploration of the
heart that puts a womans self-fulfillment at the forefront
of the story. In Person: Director Amanda Marsalis.
WED 9 PM BUZZ | FRI 9 PM BIJ
CERTAIN WOMEN
2016 | USA | R | 107 min.

Directed by Kelly Reichardt
No one can make quiet, small moments feel as cacophonously loud as American auteur Kelly Reichardt. In her
latest masterpiece, Certain Women, she makes them
scream with emotion. Pulling you into the intersecting
lives of three disparate Montana womenall yearning, all searching, all intoxicatingly complicatedwere
presented with a new vision of the American West, one
told with refreshing elegance and grace. A morally-conflicted lawyer (Laura Dern) diffuses a hostage situation;
a woman (Michelle Williams) struggles with marital discord unearthed by the process of building a new home;
and an ambiguous relationship develops between a
ranch hand (Lily Gladstone) and a lawyer (Kristen Stewart) who seems to be out of her league. Together these
tales collide with the stark beauty of Reichardts images,
the depth of the phenomenal performances, and
consciously low-key drama to form something uniquely
marvelous. TCFF is delighted to present this Midwest
premiere from one of Americas greatest directors.
SAT 12 NOON COH
US OFFICIAL SELECTION: NARRATIVE 25

MY BLIND BROTHER
2016 | USA | NR | 86 min.

Directed by Sophie Goodhart
Starring a veritable whos-who of comedy stars, Sophie Goodharts winning crowd-pleaser
puts a refreshing female spin on the slacker-comedy genre that has been almost entirely
dominated by male filmmakers. Self-effacing softie Bill (Nick Kroll) has spent his life living
in the shadow of his blind brother Robbie (Adam Scott), an over-achiever doted on by his
parents and celebrated in the community for his increasingly nutso athletic feats. But Bill
sees something behind Robbies inspiring heroics that everyone else seems to miss: Hes
actually a pompous, intolerable ass. Ever the also-ran, Bill doggedly stands by his brother,
thanklessly assisting him even as his own life stays painfully stuck in neutral. But when Bill
falls for kindred spirit Rose (Jenny Slate), and a bizarre love triangle begins to develop, his
listless existence is given a shot in the arm, and he must decide if he will finally stand up to
Robbie. Blending biting cynicism with unabashed sweetness, this quirky romantic comedy
about the merits of selfishness is bound to be a festival favorite. Its charming. Its eccentric. Its 86 minutes of thoughtful comic delight.
WED 3 PM OTP | FRI 9 PM LARS | SAT 9:45 PM BOAT
OPERATOR
2016 | USA | NR | 87 min.

Directed by Logan Kibens
If youve ever tried to pay a bill or get tech support over the phone, then you know: Automated answering systems are the absolute worst. Operator asks: What if humans could
create one that works perfectly? Thats the task facing Joe (Martin Starr, HBOs Silicon
Valley) when he is charged with programming the algorithm for a health care companys
answering system. Joe struggles to find the perfect voice for the programuntil he realizes
that the soothing tones of his wife Emily (Mae Whitman, TVs Parenthood), a hotel desk
clerk, are an ideal match. But as he builds the system, his interactions with the automated
Emilyalways agreeable, always right there when he needs herstart to replace his
real marriage. A film that will appeal to anyone who loved Her, Login Kibens Operator
is a brilliant, funny, and painfully timely skewering of our tech-dependent world. In Person:
Director Logan Kibens and producer Sharon Greene.
SAT 6 PM LARS
WOMEN WHO KILL
2016 | USA | NR | 93 min.

Directed by Ingrid Jungermann
Perfectly timed for our post-Serial age, Women Who Kill follows podcast co-hosts
and ex-lovers Morgan and Jean, who work together on a true-crime series interviewing
female murderers. Enter Morgans new love interest, the mysterious Simone, who fuels
Morgans paranoia about the possible horrors that lie beneath the surface of their seemingly normal Park Slope neighborhood. Is she prone to imagining things, or are the threats
real? As Morgan is pulled deeper into a paranoid psychological state, she makes the dubious decision to seek advice from Lila, a jailed serial killer played with seething ferocity by
Annette OToole. Known for her popular web series The Slope and F to the 7th, Ingrid
Jungerman has made a smart move into film, with her electric directorial debut being
dubbed by IndieWire as the best lesbian comedy-horror ever.
WED 6 PM OTP
28
US OFFICIAL SELECTION: DOCUMENTARY
ALL THIS PANIC
2016 | USA | NR | 79 min.

Directed by Jenny Gage
Whats it like to come of age in the city that never
sleeps? Shot over the course of three years, this warm
and intimate documentary follows teenage sisters
Ginger and Dusty and their friends as they navigate New
York City during the tenuous time surrounding the high
school to college transition. The films dreamy cinematography perfectly captures the beauty and truth of
these young women, who candidly and vulnerably discuss
struggles with family, identity, friendship, and everything
that inspires panicfrom what to wear on the first day
of junior year to mentally unstable parents who lose
their jobs. The strength, resilience, and strange wisdom
of these brave teens will instill you with new hope for the
next generation. Scheduled to Appear: Director
Jenny Gage.
THU 3 PM BIJ
AUDRIE & DAISY
2016 | USA | NR | 95 min.

Directed by Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk
Audrie and Daisy are like most teenage American girls:
They come from loving families, go to good schools,
spend time on social media. And sometimes, at parties with their friends, they drink. After nights of binge
drinking, both Audrie and Daisy were assaulted by boys
they knewassaults that continued the morning after
on social media, where they were accused of having
somehow been responsible for the crimes. Sadly, the
similarities between Audrie and Daisy end here. This alltoo-common nightmarish scenario drove Audrie to hang
herself, while Daisy survived her suicide attempt. The
films unpacking of the complexities surrounding cases
like these is required viewing for parents of teenagers,
and may inspire open conversations about tough issues
and safe havens in dire circumstances.
SAT 3 PM COH
BY SIDNEY LUMET
2016 | USA | NR | 103 min.

Directed by Nancy Buirski
A few minutes into this luminous chronicle of the astonishing career of director Sidney Lumet, its clear that
this is no stuffy biopic. One of the giants of American
cinema, Lumets vast body of work spanned 44 films over
the course of 50 yearsincluding Twelve Angry Men,
Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, and Network. Emmy
Award-winning filmmaker Nancy Buirski spins clips together with never-before-seen interview footage from
the end of Lumets career to present a veritable master
class on the art of filmmaking and living life to the fullest.
Hes the dinner guest you always wished you had at your
parties, as masterful a storyteller in front of the camera
as he is behind it. This brilliant film will leave you feeling
like youve just had one of the best conversations of your
life. In Person: Director Nancy Buirski.
FRI 12 NOON COH
THE C WORD
2016 | USA | NR | 89 min.

Directed by Meghan OHara
Cancer: Few words are more feared. But in her sharply
researched, deftly humorous message of hope, survivor
Meghan OHara (Oscar-nominated producer of Bowling
for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, and Sicko) changes
the way we think about this terrifying disease, showing
that its time to stop being afraid of cancer and time to
make cancer afraid of us. Following her diagnosis, OHara
met neurologist Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, who was
diagnosed with brain cancer while doing cancer research.
Together they explore daily Western behaviors that
are linked to 70% of cancer deaths: smoking, processed
foods, stress, contaminants, and lack of exercise. Narrated and executive produced by Morgan Freeman, The
C Word is an unflinching look at our complacency with
cancer culture, the vibrant cast of characters who are
changing the game, and the tools we already have to beat
the dreaded scourge of our time. Scheduled to Appear:
Director Meghan OHara. In English, French with subtitles
THU 6 PM COH | FRI 9 PM MIL
US OFFICIAL SELECTION: DOCUMENTARY 29

CAMERAPERSON
2016 | USA | NR | 102 min.

Directed by Kirsten Johnson
Acclaimed documentary cinematographer Kirsten Johnson has spent her entire career
behind the camera, unseen but ever present, making decisions to frame a shot a certain
way in Pray the Devil Back to Hell, or to zoom in on a subject at a particular moment in
Citizenfour or Fahrenheit 9/11. For Cameraperson, Johnson assembled footage from
her 25-year career to create a visual memoir collage that raises complicated questions
about the nature and ethics of documentary filmmaking. While filming a Bosnian toddler
who is trying to play with an ax, Johnson is heard muttering a terrified Oh Jesus! when
his hands get perilously close to the bladebut she doesnt interfere. She records what
happens, good or bad. The balance between compassionately telling the stories of others
and becoming part of the stories is explored with bracing intensity and insight in one of
the years most buzzed-about films. In Person: Director Kirsten Johnson.
THU 6 PM MIL | FRI 3 PM BIJ
THE CHAMPIONS
2015 | USA | NR | 90 min.

Directed by Darcy Dennett
If you enjoy films that inspire as much as they educate, and enrich as much as they entertain, The Champions is simply a must-see. In 2007, Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick
was convicted of running a vicious and illegal dogfighting ring. After serving jail time, Vick
was able to return home to lucrative endorsements and a continued NFL careerbut
whatever happened to the 50+ deadly pit bulls he left behind? The Champions tells the
amazing, little-known story of the people who stepped in to try and spare the abused
canines from almost certain death. Determined to give the surviving dogs a chance at a
happy life, this group of animal lovers risked everything to prove that even the most dangerous of dogs could live in harmony with humans, and surprised themselves by being
transformed through the process. This heartfelt story about four-legged stars who were
bred for violence, and then offered a second chance through love, is glorious proof that
you absolutely can teach an old dog new tricks. In Person: Director Darcy Dennett and
special guests.
SAT 3 PM ST | SUN 9 AM LARS
DEATH BY DESIGN
2016 | USA | NR | 73 min.

Directed by Sue Williams
What does it cost to upgrade to the newest iPhone every year? The price is likely higher
than you think, because its not just financial, its social and environmental. Did you know
that it takes 500 pounds of raw material to make just one 8-ounce iPhone? Sue Williams
fascinating documentary traverses the globe to track the true cost of our ever-increasing
addiction to devices that are deliberately designed for obsolescence, much as Detroits
cars once were. As consumers, we constantly crave the latest laptops, tablets, phones,
and gaming systems, lured by promises of faster speeds and more powerful technology.
But the whole world pays a heavy price for our ravenous appetite. From Chinese workers
laboring in unsafe conditions and families exposed to toxic materials to factories dumping
their pollutants into our communities, Williams offers a no-holds-barred account of our
technology churnas well as some surprising ideas for fixing it. In Person: Director Sue
Williams.
SAT 6 PM BUZZ | SUN 12 NOON COH
30
EQUAL MEANS EQUAL
2016 | USA | NR | 93 min.

Directed by Kamala Lopez
Women these days are bombarded with messages of empowerment, female strength,
and anything-is-possible girl power. But dig deeper and listen to their actual stories,
as Kamala Lopez does in this tour-de-force examination of equality and feminism in the
U.S. and abroad, and youll quickly find out how painfully hollow those messages ring to
the women theyre designed to bolster. Using interviews with four generations of women, from every-day subjects to famous figures like Patricia Arquette and Gloria Steinem,
Lopez demonstrates that issues ranging from workplace harassment and wage inequality
to sexual assault and eroding reproductive rights expose a system that repeatedly fails
women. The situation can be even more terrifying abroad, where the war on women has
become a literal bloodbath. But Lopez doesnt just lay the injustices bareshe presents
an inspirational call to arms. This world premiere event at TCFF is a must-see. In Person:
Director Kamala Lopez.
WED 6 PM COH | THU 12 NOON BIJ
FLORENCE, ARIZONA
2014 | USA | NR | 78 min.

Directed by Andrea B. Scott
Welcome to Florence, Arizona: a cowboy town with a prison problem. Just 8,500 residents
call the tiny community homebut over 17,000 inmates live there, housed in nine jails
spread out over a sprawling industrial prison complex. The economic fate of the towns inhabitants is inextricably linked with the prisonsand the townspeople are not necessarily
happy about it. Director Andrea B. Scott follows four colorful characters whose lives are
tied up with the prisons, including the towns aspiring mayor, a retired correctional officer
and speed shooter, a barber who longs for the towns free-spirited cowboy days, and troubled teen Marcus, whose parents met through their prison careers. Florence, Arizona is a
richly drawn, humorous look at a singular small town whose Wild West roots are still very
much alive in its outlaw identity today. In Person: Director Andrea B. Scott.
WED 3 PM BUZZ | THU 6 PM BUZZ
HOOLIGAN SPARROW
2016 | USA, China | NR | 84 min.

Directed by Nanfu Wang
Its unlikely that anyone faced as much danger while making their TCFF 2016 film than did
filmmaker Nanfu Wang and her heroic subject, Chinese human rights activist Ye Haiyan.
Under the pseudonym Hooligan Sparrow, Haiyan first came to national attention for her
bold campaigns to improve the deplorable conditions of sex workers and to promote
womens rights. But when she publicly sought justice for six elementary school girls who
were sexually abused by their principal, the government intervenedand Haiyan became a target. Wang plunges into the fray right next to Haiyan, capturing police chases,
interrogations, surveillance, harassment, imprisonment, and multiple relocations as Haiyan
refuses to back down or be silenced in her fight for justice. A harrowing work of guerilla
journalism that required Wang to literally smuggle film out of the country on hard drives,
this is one of the most important documentaries of the year. In Person: Director Nanfu
Wang. In Chinese, English with subtitles
FRI 6:30 PM BUZZ | SUN 3 PM MIL

THE LAST LAUGH
2016 | USA | NR | 88 min.

Directed by Ferne Pearlstein
Is there such a thing as a good joke about the Holocaust? Is it okay to laugh about 9/11
or the AIDS epidemic? Too soon? Ferne Pearlstein seamlessly weaves together film
clips, stand-up performances, interviews with notable Jewish comediansincluding
Rob Reiner, Sarah Silverman, and Mel Brooksas well as incredible archival footage of
cabarets inside concentration camps to make a smart, provocative, and often hilarious
documentary about the way laughter can be lifesaving when were in the midst of our
darkest hours. The Last Laugh features an unforgettable cameo by Auschwitz survivor
Renee Firestone, who describes life under Nazi occupation and finds humor in her horrific
past. This brilliantly crafted film will force you to think while you laugh out loud. In Person:
Director Ferne Pearlstein.
WED 9 PM MIL | THU 9 AM OTP
NORMAN LEAR: JUST ANOTHER VERSION OF YOU
2016 | USA | NR | 91 min.

Directed by Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
Legendary producer Norman Learnow a lively 93is literally a walking history of
television. After getting his start writing for Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Lear embarked
on a groundbreaking career writing and producing socially and politically edgy sitcoms in
the 1970s. All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, and The Jeffersons did nothing
less than transform the TV medium and the national consciousness with their humorous
and humanistic take on the most important issues facing Americans. As Everybody Loves
Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal says, there are two eras in television: Before Norman,
and After Norman. Filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp, TCFF 2006;
Detropia, TCFF 2012) strike a perfect balance between the irresistibly witty Lear sharing
illuminating stories from his life, and entertaining clips of his iconic work. Lear claims that
laughter adds years to your life. If hes right, this brassily delightful film might just help you
make it to 93 yourself. In Person: Director Heidi Ewing. Scheduled to Appear via Skype:
Norman Lear.
FRI 9 PM COH | SUN 9 AM BIJ
OBIT
2016 | USA | NR | 96 min.

Directed by Vanessa Gould
Whose obituary would you read first: the leader of the Soviet Union, or the inventor of
the Slinky? Questions like this are part of the daily routine for the writers and editors of
The New York Times Obituaries section, lovingly spotlighted in Obit. This deceptively
lighthearted documentary takes us to the front lines of the worlds most lauded obituary
section and explains, among other fascinating curiosities, how a word count is assigned
to a human life, what happens when a public figure dies unexpectedly on a weekend, and
which living celebrities have pre-written obituaries on file at the newspaper of record.
Whether theyre writing about the bassist in Bill Haleys Comets, JFKs campaign advisor,
or an infamous exotic dancer with bizarre connections, the Times obituarists are revealed
as archaeologists of the people who shaped our world. In Person: Director Vanessa
Gould, NYT Obit Desk Editor Bill McDonald.
WED 9 AM BIJ | THU 3 PM COH
32
OLYMPIC PRIDE, AMERICAN PREJUDICE
2016 | USA, Germany | NR | 90 min.

Directed by Deborah Riley Draper
Jesse Owens phenomenal performance in track and field at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
including his record-breaking win of four gold medalshas been widely, and rightly,
celebrated. But did you know that 17 other African-American athletes15 men and
2 womenalso bravely competed in Hitlers Aryan-exalting affair? These amazing
individuals are finally given their due in this revelatory and resonant documentary that
combines never-before-seen archival footage with interviews of family members,
athletes, journalists, and historians (both American and German). This essential account
of a little-known but deeply important moment in historynarrated by Blair Underwood
(LA Law)vividly brings to life the heroism of competitors who battled racism abroad
and at home. In Person: Director Deborah Riley Draper.
FRI 12 NOON OTP | SUN 6 PM BUZZ
ROSENWALD
2015 | USA | NR | 95 min.

Directed by Aviva Kempner
Chances are you have never heard of Julius Rosenwald, but he may well be one of the
most important figures of the American 20th century. Aviva Kempner tells the astonishing
and heartening true story of the Jewish Chicago businessman whose towering generosity
left a lasting legacy for generations to come. Rosenwald amassed a tremendous fortune
as part-owner of Sears, Roebuck & Co. in the 1890s. But rather than rollick in his riches,
Rosenwald devoted 1/3 of his income to philanthropy. In the early 20th century, feeling a
kinship with persecuted peoples, he partnered with Booker T. Washington to build more
than 5,000 schools for African-American children in the south during the Jim Crow era
educating the generation that would give birth to the Civil Rights movement. His schools,
affordable housing complexes, and artistic fellowships touched the lives of a staggering
number of modern black leaders and luminaries including Langston Hughes, Marian Anderson, Ralph Ellison, and Quincy Jones. Rosenwald is a fascinating, enlightening portrait of a man whose extraordinary impact is still keenly felt today, and who set a profound
and important example for all of us. In Person: Director Aviva Kempner.
FRI 9 AM MIL | SAT 3 PM BIJ
SOLITARY
2016 | USA | NR | 90 min.

Directed by Kristi Jacobson
Imagine spending 23 hours a day in an 8x10 cell, completely alone and deprived of all human or outside contact. Its a torturous reality experienced by more than 100,000 American prisoners every single dayoften with devastating psychological consequences. To
create this essential, provocative documentary, Kristi Jacobson spent over a year capturing the profoundly moving stories of those on both sides of the bars in Virginias Red
Onion State Prison, one of Americas toughest supermax prisons. Delivering a staggering
account of the mental anguishand often violent effectswreaked by solitary confinement, not only on prisoners but on guards as well, this gripping doc is mandatory viewing
that will challenge your thinking and prompt much-needed discussion about punishment
in todays America. In Person: Director Kristi Jacobson.
SAT 12 NOON BIJ

TRAPPED
2016 | USA | NR | 90 min.

Directed by Dawn Porter
Is abortion still legal in America? No matter what Roe v. Wade might say, the answer is
not as simple as you think. Filmmaker Dawn Porter (Gideons Army, TCFF 2013) takes an
infuriating deep-dive into the efforts in several statesincluding Alabama, Mississippi, and
Texasto restrict access to abortion through so-called TRAP laws (Targeted Regulations
of Abortion Providers). The imposed litany of requirements on abortion clinics runs the
gamut from minimum hallway widths to maximum height of grass on a clinics property
(we kid you not). Aimed at making it prohibitively expensive and difficult for clinics to operate, TRAP laws have led to the closure of scores of clinics. Mississippi only has one left, and
in all of Texas, there are now just six, making it all but impossible for ordinary women to
obtain an abortion. This award-winning, eye-opening documentary takes us to the front
lines of the fight between legislators who seek to restrict access to abortions, and determined health care providers and clinics who are furiously mowing their lawns, widening
their hallways, and refusing to give up the battle to protect womens right to choose. In
Person: Director Dawn Porter.
THU 3 PM MIL
UNLOCKING THE CAGE
2016 | USA | NR | 91 min.

Directed by Chris Hegedus, D.A. Pennebaker
Should animals have the same legal rights that people do? Even if you go in thinking this is
a cuckoo concept, youll be surprised by your answer at the end of this deeply provocative
film. Attorney and animal rights activist Steven Wise has dedicated his career to pursuing legal personhood status (a distinction weve already bestowed on corporations) for
certain intelligent animals, such as chimpanzees and whales. His goal is not for the animals
to be categorized as human, but rather to have their rights protected under the law. This
fascinating concept is made potently persuasive as Wise exhibits evidence of high animal
IQs, acute awareness of surroundings, and suffering caused by deplorable conditions in
amusement parks and labs. Legendary Oscar-nominated filmmakers and TCFF honorees
D.A. Pennebaker (Dont Look Back) and Chris Hegedus (The War Room) have created
an enthralling, thought-provoking film, as riveting as a great courtroom drama, that just
might forever change the way you view animal rights. In Person: Directors Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker.
SAT 9 PM COH | SUN 3 PM OTP
WEINER
2016 | USA | R | 96 min.

Directed by Elyse Steinberg, Josh Kriegman
Some things in life simply defy explanation and make no earthly sense. The sexting
scandal of disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner, and the very existence of
this riveting, entertaining, and compulsively watchable documentary about the aftermath,
equally fit that bill. This Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner tells a story so cringe-inducing,
so mind-boggingly bonkers, it begs the unanswerable questions, What could he possibly
have been thinking? and Why would anyone have agreed to let this be filmed? Weiner
gave filmmakers Elyse Steinberg and Josh Kriegman unprecedented access to his comeback New York City mayoral campaign. And even after the second scandal, you may find
yourself wishing Weiner wasnt so flawed, because he is right about so many issues facing
us. His Shakespearean downfall is an infuriating look at modern politics, masculinity, and
narcissism that makes you want to root for this flawed man surrounded by a media circus.
Filled with laugh-out-loud moments that you just have to see to believe, Weiner leaves
you wondering why these particular flaws derailed him, when other politicians who spew
racism are left to run for office. Scheduled to Appear: Director Elyse Steinberg.
TUE 9:45 PM BOAT | THU 6 PM ST | SAT 9 PM LARS
36
MEN MAKE MOVIESTHE STRUGGLE CONTINUES
COMMAND AND CONTROL
2016 | USA | NR | 92 min.

Directed by Robert Kenner
One day in a storage facility in Little Rock, during a routine maintenance check, an
airman accidentally dropped a six-pound socket wrenchand pierced a hole in a nuclear
warhead. In this heart-thumping documentary, Robert Kenner (Food, Inc.) plunges
viewers inside a U.S. missile facility in 1980, where the Titan IIa weapon more powerful
than all the bombs dropped in WWII combinedsat idly, until all hell broke loose.
Skillfully interweaving reenactments and riveting interviews with witnesses and former
crew, Command and Control explores the devastating fallout of a simple accident, one
that could easily happen any day of the year. Its a bracing look at the potentially deadly
consequences that can come from even the smallest of human errors as our everincreasing nuclear arsenal leaves us more exposed to disaster than ever.
In Person: Director Robert Kenner.
SAT 9 AM BUZZ | SUN 6 PM OTP
FOLK HERO & FUNNY GUY
2016 | USA | NR | 88 min.

Directed by Jeff Grace
The best-laid plans often go awryespecially when they involve stand-up comedy careers. Floundering comic Paul (Alex Karpovsky, Girls) is struggling both onstage and off
when he gets an unexpected break: His childhood best friend offers him an opening act
slot on an East Coast tour. A hit folk singer and unrepentant womanizer, Jason (Wyatt
Russell, son of Kurt and Goldie) pushes Paul to break out of his shell. But as the comedian
continues to bombonly now in front of bigger crowdshe begins to doubt both his
talent and Jasons intentions. An attractive musician (Meredith Hagner) joins them on tour
and further tests their friendship. Folk Hero & Funny Guy is a witty road-trip comedy
driven by great music, lots of laughably terrible jokes, and three captivating leads full of
humor and heart. In Person: Director Jeff Grace; Producer Ryland Aldrich.
WED 3 PM BIJ | SAT 9 PM OTP
THE PHENOM
2016 | USA | NR | 90 min.

Directed by Noah Buschel
Major League Baseball rookie pitcher Hopper Gibson has talent. He also has an abusive
ex-con father (Ethan Hawke) who thinks he is doing whatever it takes to make sure that
talent isnt wasted. When Gibsons father makes a sudden reappearance in his life, a case
of performance-stunting anxiety sets in for the rising ace. Before long, a miserable record
earns him a ticket back to the minors. Struggling with the knowledge that his father is
both his most dangerous detractor and greatest motivator, Gibson turns to a sports psychologist (Paul Giamatti) for guidance, and a way back to the big leagues. A sharply incisive
look at the psychological side of professional sports, boasting powerful performances
from its lead actors, The Phenom engrossingly pivots not on an athletes battle with a
rival team, but rather on a battle with his own mind. In Person: Director Noah Buschel.
FRI 9 PM OTP | SAT 3 PM LARS
MEN MAKE MOVIESTHE STRUGGLE CONTINUES
37
THE PISTOL SHRIMPS
2016 | USA | NR | 75 min.

Directed by Brent Hodge
Like a real-life Bad News Bears, LAs trash-talking, wisecracking, Space Jam-loving, all-female Pistol Shrimps
are a rebellious band of misfits born out of one womans
dream: to play on a basketball team. Reviving a long-dormant Los Angeles rec league, a gaggle of enthusiastic
women sign up to play, including writers, models, musicians, moms, and Parks and Recreation star Aubrey Plaza. And despite the fact that most of them are uniquely
terrible at basketball, aint nobody gonna stop them from
having a good time. Posting their antics on Instagram
and going out for pizza and milkshakes, they support
each other through losses in the way only teammates
can. And then, the craziest thing happensas they grow
closer as friends, they actually start winning. Heartfelt,
hilarious, and really, really good, this documentary about
finding your people and your purpose is pure exuberance
in cinematic form. Just try to stop yourself from smiling
as Molly oldest Bachelor contestant Hawley and Ingrid
Han Ma Boogie Walla take to the court and shoot
straight into your heart. You wont find a more delightfully charming, hysterically funny, or sweetly inspiring film at
this years fest. In Person: Director Brent Hodge.
WED 6 PM BIJ | WED 9:45 PM BOAT | THU 9 PM COH
TONY ROBBINS: I AM NOT

YOUR GURU
2016 | USA | NR | 115 min.

Directed by Joe Berlinger
Every year, over 200,000 people descend on hotel ballrooms and convention centers in search of passion, in
search of purpose, in search of Tony Robbins. Hes known as
a self-help guru with an insatiable hunger to end suffering,
so, when one of the countrys top documentary filmmakers
takes him on as a subject, you might expect the result to be
a gloves-off searing expos. But what if the guru is actually a good guy, who actually does good for those who seek
him out? What if he doesnt want to be anyones guru in the
first place? Acclaimed filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Paradise
Lost trilogy) has made a richly emotional and compelling
filmdevoid of the cynicism endemic to biodocsthat
takes us behind the scenes of one of Robbins biggest
annual events, his Date with Destiny in Boca Raton. This
tantalizing glimpse behind the wizards curtain reveals what
Robbins is all about, without irony, free of an arrogant lens.
Replete with powerful moments of the true agony people
go through to find a happy life, the film captures Robbins
startlingly effective techniques for shaking people out of
their comfort zones. An unprecedented close-up look at a
man you may have seen and dismissed on late night infomercials, the raw emotion and delirious intensity on display
in I Am Not Your Guru makes it an undeniable marvel to
behold. (Cynics and miserable cranks should avoid this movie.) In Person: Director Joe Berlinger.
THU 9 PM BIJ | FRI 6 PM OTP
FOREIGN OFFICIAL SELECTION: NARRATIVE
3000 NIGHTS
2015 | France, Jordan, Lebanon, UAE, Qatar | NR | 103 min.

Directed by Mai Masri
Lets say youre a kind woman who lives in Palestine and
you give a ride to a boy in need of help. Later, the boy is
accused of being a terrorist, and youre accused of aiding
and abetting. Do you lie on the stand and incriminate him
in order to avoid punishment? This is the agonizing dilemma facing Layla, a newlywed Palestinian schoolteacher
whose well-intentioned deed has tragic consequences.
Refusing to say the boy threatened her, she is sentenced
to prisonand once there, discovers shes pregnant.
Pressured to have an abortion, she instead makes the very
risky choice of giving birth and raising her child behind
bars. Documentary filmmaker Mai Masri uses her keen eye
for realism to bring riveting nuance to her first feature, a
stirring celebration of courage in the face of injustice, and
a testament to the power of a mothers love in the darkest
of circumstances. In Arabic, Hebrew with subtitles
FRI 6 PM BIJ
ADULT LIFE SKILLS
2016 | UK | NR | 96 min.
Directed by Rachel Tunnard
Annas mother and grandmother arent impressed. Shes living
in the shed out back, making videos starring her thumbs,
working as a summer camp counselor, and microwaving her
bras instead of remembering to do laundry. But when youre
a quirky British woman, about to turn 30 without your twin
brother who died recently in a tragic accident, your best school
friend is due in town for a visit, and youre dogged by a handsome but terrifically awkward real estate agent and a troubled
8-year-old camper with a dying mother, maybe you can be
forgiven for taking a while to earn your Adult Life Skills badge.
Winner of the Nora Ephron prize at the Tribeca Film Festival,
Jodie Whittaker stars in this disarming, unapologetically brash,
and refreshingly unsentimental comedy about growing up and
moving on. In Person: Director Rachel Tunnard.
WED 7/20 7 PM VOGUE | THU 9:45 PM BOAT
SAT 3 PM OTP | SUN 12 NOON ST
THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT
2015 | Belgium, France, Luxembourg | NR | 110 min.

Directed by Jaco Van Dormael
Imagine God as an overbearing crank, shuffling around in a
bathrobe, yelling at his family, and plotting ways to torment
humanity, and youll get an idea of Belgian director Jaco
Van Dormaels wicked sense of humor. What if the Son of
God story were used to hearing was suddenly about the
Daughter of Godand what if she was a bratty, rebellious 10-year-old living in Brussels? Strap yourself in for
this wildly inventive satire that follows Gods daughter, Ea,
as she hacks her dads computer and sends a text to everyone on Earth giving them the exact date of their death.
As humans grapple with the fallout of DeathLeaks, God
must leave his comfort zone to restore order...or at least
His version of it. Toying with ideas of fate and free will with
a cheeky smirk, this smart, irreverent comedy is a rare treat
for slapstick fans and the philosophically inclined alike.
In French, German with subtitles
FRI 9 PM BUZZ | SAT 9 PM ST
THE CLUB
39
2015 | Chile | NR | 98 min.

Directed by Pablo Larran
The club at the center of Pablo Larrans subversive
feature may be exclusive, but its not one youd ever want
to join. In a remote Chilean fishing village, a nun looks after
a group of ex-priests, all of whom have been forced into
early retirement for various unmentioned sins. Ostensibly a sanctuary of prayer and refuge, the villa provides
a serene escape from the mens dark pasts. But when the
arrival of a new member draws the attention of a sharpeyed Jesuit investigator, the houses many secrets threaten
to come spilling out. Larrans pitch-black comic critique of
the Catholic Churchand the barbed questions he raises
about guilt, denial, and redemptionmake this one of the
most uncompromising, thought-provoking films of the
festival. In Spanish with subtitles
SUN 9 AM MIL
40
A CONSPIRACY OF FAITH
2016 | Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Norway | NR | 112 min.

Directed by Hans Petter Moland
Fans of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and True Detective will be first in line for this gritty thriller, which shattered
Denmarks 15-year box office record when it concluded the
Department Q trilogy. Standing alone narratively and cinematically, A Conspiracy of Faith follows a Copenhagen cold
case squad as they track a serial killer back to a tight-knit
religious community after a message in a bottle, written in
blood by children, is found 14 years after a kidnapping. Detectives Mrck and Assad uncover a horrific case involving
a psychopathic murderer, religious fanaticism, and abducted
siblings never reported missing by their parents. The films
rivetingand utterly terrifyingvillain, its expertly plotted
twists, and the searching questions it poses about faith,
God, and the nature of evil make this sophisticated thriller
one of the best crime dramas of the year. Warning: scenes
of extreme child endangerment. In Danish with subtitles
THU 9 PM LARS
DHEEPAN
2015 | France | R | 115 min.

Directed by Jacques Audiard
Dheepans Palme dOr win at the 2015 Cannes Film
Festival shocked pundits, but its hard to imagine any other
outcome after seeing this exquisitely crafted masterpiece that lodges itself in your soul like sand in an oyster.
A veteran Tamil Tiger, Dheepan finesses his way into the
French immigration system by forming a makeshift family
with a woman and a young girl who are also seeking a way
out of the refugee camp. But political asylum in a Parisian
suburb and the uneasy alliance they form for survival is an
exhausting, spirit-sapping daily grind. And when a neighborhood turf war puts them in the crosshairs, they are
as unable to escape the simmering threat of violence as
they were back home. Be sure to set aside time after the
screening to discuss the dramatically controversial ending
of this undeniable tour de force. In English, French, Tamil
with subtitles
THU 9 AM MIL
THE LAST REEL
2014 | Cambodia | NR | 106 min.

Directed by Kulikar Sotho
A young woman in Phnom Penh is irresistibly drawn to an
old man in a broken down cinema. Why does he play the
same film over and over? Why is the last reel of the film
missing? What happens at the end of the story? And why
does the films romantic lead actress look just like her? The
shocking answers to these questions lead her to a decision:
she will remake the last reel herself, directing and acting in
the lead rolesif the developer who bought the theater
doesnt turn it into condos first. This movie, made by the
first Cambodian woman to direct a narrative feature since
1970, has everything we love: historic cinemas, derring-do,
female filmmakers, mystery, love, and romance. We
laughed, we cried, we wanted to watch it all over again as
soon as the final frame hit the screen. Do not miss this top
pick of the festival. In Person: Director Kulikar Sotho. In
Khmer with subtitles
WED 6 PM MIL | FRI 3 PM ST
EL CLSICO
2015 | Norway, Iraq | NR | 95 min.

Directed by Halkawt Mustafa
The only thing Alan cares about more than his beloved
Barcelona soccer team is his childhood sweetheart,
Gona. When her father rejects his marriage proposal
because Alan is a little person, he decides to embark on
a road trip with his brother in a dream-big attempt to
impress Gonas father: He will travel from Iraq to Spain
and deliver a pair of Kurdish shoes handmade by Gonas
father to his favorite soccer player, Cristiano Ronaldo.
On a scooter. In the middle of a desert. With no visas.
What could go wrong? Through the brothers eyes,
director Halkawt Mustafa shows us the Iraq we never
get to see, combining everything we love about classic
road movies with a playfully absurdist love story. This
one-of-a-kind adventure love storybeautifully filmed,
wondrously fantastical, and deeply humanewill make
your heart soar. In Kurdish with subtitles
WED 12 NOON ST
FOREIGN OFFICIAL SELECTION: NARRATIVE 41
A MAN CALLED OVE
2015 | Sweden | PG-13 | 116 min.

Directed by Hannes Holm
The most beautiful love story in the festival this year is also a smart blockbuster comedy from Swedenoh happy day! Treat yourself to the story of Ove, a grumpy widower
who patrols his block every morning like clockwork, locking up stray bikes and telling his
neighbors exactly what he thinks of their rule-breaking. Thankfully, many of the people in
his tight-knit community know that his cantankerous veneer hides the grief and despair he
feels over the death of his beloved wife. The film moves between a series of comedic failed
attempts by Ove to off himself so he can join his wife (turns out hes really bad at suicide),
and flashbacks to his earlier life when he met, wooed, and married his soul mate. Fortunately for everyone, the arrival of new neighbors gives Ove an unexpected reason to keep
goingand challenges him to rediscover in himself the man his wife loved. As rare as it is
to discover a film this great, it would be rarer still to find a person who wouldnt enjoy it. In
Person: Director Hannes Holm. In Swedish, Persian with subtitles
TUE 7/19 7 PM ELK RAPIDS | THU 3 PM LARS | FRI 9 AM ST
MARGUERITE
2015 | France, Czech Republic, Belgium | R | 129 min.

Directed by Xavier Giannoli
Baroness Marguerite Dumont is determined to be an opera star. She has everything she
needs to realize her dream: passion, drive, rave reviews from her family and friends, and
enough wealth to hire private tutors and host her own recitals. Theres just one problem:
Marguerite is hopelessly tone deaf. Inspired by the life of Florence Foster Jenkins, director
Xavier Giannoli creates a satirical and compassionate portrait of a woman who loves her
art so much, shes blind to her own ineptitude. Catherine Frot is brilliant in her Csar-winning performance of the title role, and Denis Mpunga shines as her dutiful butler/accompanist/photographer, who seems to defend and protect her while her philandering
husband jeers behind her back. But glimpses behind the veil at the end of the film open
the entire story up to a different interpretation. Was she an object of ridicule and abuse,
or was she in control all along? Many things are not what they seem in this exquisitely
balanced, lush period piece of a tragicomedy. See it at TCFF, and youll be able to compare the French version to the upcoming Stephen Frears-Meryl Streep project. In English,
French, Italian with subtitles
THU 7/21 7 PM BAY THEATRE | FRI 3 PM MIL | SAT 9 AM ST
MUSTANG
2015 | France, Germany, Turkey, Qatar | PG-13 | 97 min.

Directed by Deniz Gamze Ergven
An innocent beachside frolic celebrating the end of school with classmates turns tragic for
an inseparable pack of five orphaned sisters when a neighbor accuses them of pleasuring
themselves on the shoulders of their boy peers. Their uncle beats them, they are subjected to virginity tests, Grandma confiscates anything perverting (cell phones, makeup,
computers, tight clothing), and gates and bars are put over the windows. The house of
their severe and forbidding relatives becomes a wife factory / prison, while they wait to be
married off to suitable husbands. As intelligent, fierce, and radiant as the girls at its center,
this spirited saga about the demonization of young female sexuality in a remote Turkish
village delivers beautifully composed, brutal truths wrapped in quietly profound moments
of heroism. At turns incendiary, enraging, and deeply moving, Mustang combines the
ethereal dreaminess of The Virgin Suicides and the gut-punch power of The Wolfpack
into a luminous, evocative, universally-celebrated Turkish triumph and Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominee that is more than deserving of its international acclaim.
In Turkish with subtitles
SUN 12:30 PM BUZZ
42
MY GOLDEN DAYS
2015 | France | R | 123 min.

Directed by Arnaud Desplechin
French auteur Arnaud Desplechin won Best Director at
Cannes for this achingly beautiful portrait of young love
and the golden hue it casts over our memories. Both specific and universal, the film exquisitely captures the humor,
heartbreak, and terror of that one early relationship that
gets under your skin and never quite gets out. Starring a
new generation of emerging talent that will be cropping
up in French cinema for decades to come, My Golden
Days is written, shot, edited, and performed with palpable
joy, intelligence, and warmthplus it has one of the best
soundtracks weve heard in a while. In three chapters, Desplechin exquisitely captures the way early romance stays
with us the rest of our lives. How accurately do we remember the details of our youth? This masterful coming-of-age
story suggests that even if our golden years were different
in reality than they are in memory, they remain every bit as
defining. In French, Hebrew, Russian with subtitles
THU 9 PM MIL
ONE WILD MOMENT
2015 | France, Belgium | NR | 105 min.

Directed by Jean-Franois Richet
Joining the storied ranks of audience-delighting TCFF
French comedies is this irresistibly charming and frothy
farce. French superstars Vincent Cassel (Black Swan) and
Franois Cluzet (The Intouchables) star as best friends
who come to regret bringing their teenage daughters
on holiday. Laurent is a newly-minted bachelor ready to
get back in the game. Antoine is his neurotic foil, fretting
over his wifes philandering. They arrive at the shimmering
Corsican coast ready to kick back and forget their troubles,
but their bored children have other plans, and Antonies
Lolita-esque daughter sets her sights on Laurent. The
explosions and implosions that follow make for some wickedly funny relationship-illuminating drama. With an exotic
location that could not be more stunning, and the kind of
glossy and stylish filmmaking that couldnt be more intoxicating, One Wild Moment is everything a sexy, sun-dappled summer romp should be. In French with subtitles
WED 9 PM LARS
PARENTS
2016 | Denmark | NR | 86 min.

Directed by Christian Tafdrup
Empty nest syndrome is given a Danish cinaste treatment
in the story of Kjeld and Vibeke, a middle-aged couple
who are adrift after their son leaves for university. Rattling around in a too-big house, unsure who they are if not
parents, they decide to shake things up by moving closer to
their son, into the student apartment where they had spent
their happiest days. They enjoy traipsing down memory
lane, and Kjeld begins to playfully place their old things
records, wall hangings, etcin the same spots they had
been years ago. This project becomes an obsession for the
handy Kjeld, who turns back the clock until the apartment
is nearly the same. Then, after a strange night, they wake
up to find themselves the same age as their son, who still
lives around the block. Its wonderful at first, but eventually
they must decide what to do with their lives. Surreal and
existential, Parents will find its audience in lovers of high
cinema. In Danish with subtitles
FRI 6 PM MIL
MY INTERNSHIP IN CANADA
2015 | Canada | NR | 108 min.

Directed by Philippe Falardeau
Determined to find an internship in Canada, Haitian political science student Sovereign writes to all 338 Members
of Parliament. Arriving at the office of the one MP to reply
(the entrance is through a lingerie boutique), he meets
the well-meaning if clueless ex-hockey-playing MP from
the Quebec backwoods, and realizes that the internship is
going to go both ways. Director Philippe Falardeau (Monsieur Lazhar, TCFF 2012) brings us a breezy French-Canadian political comedy about Steve Guibord, an MP who
is saddled with making the tie-breaking vote as to whether
Canada will go to war or not, and his intern, who is far
more politically savvy than his boss. Blinded by the national
spotlight, Guibord decides to crowdsource his decision,
and embarks on a Democracy Tour of town hall meetings
to hear from the people. His quirky constituents definitely have opinions on the issue, as do his hawkish wife and
peace-loving daughter. This feel-good, farcical yet sincere
comedy is a balm for this absurdly serious US election year.
In Creole, English, French with subtitles
WED 12 NOON LARS | SAT 12 NOON ST
SING STREET
2016 | Ireland, UK, USA | PG-13 | 106 min.

Directed by John Carney
Anyone who has dreamed about starting a rock 'n roll band
will love this infectious coming-of-age story that cements
director John Carney (Once, Begin Again) as the John
Hughes of the Emerald Isle. After a family financial crisis,
sweetly smitten Dublin teenager Connor tries to survive a
rough new public school and win the heart of the cute girl
in denim by starting his own New Wave band. It's hard not
to stand up and dance to the film's exhilaratingly effervescent, high-energy soundtrack peppered with real 1980s
hits and catchy original tunes inspired by the likes of The
Cure and Duran Duran. "Sing Street" will make you feel like
you're young and in love and aspiring to greatness, and like
one awesome song really could change your life. Brimming
with romance, humor, and fun, movies just dont get much
more endearing and enjoyable than this.
THU 6 PM BIJ | FRI 12 NOON LARS | FRI 9:45 PM BOAT
SAND STORM
SON OF SAUL
2015 | Hungary | R | 107 min.

Directed by Lszl Nemes
Audacious first-time filmmaker Laszlo Nemes took home
the Foreign Language Oscar for this immersive, masterful
film that captures the horrors of the Holocaust through
the eyes of one man. Saul Auslander endures daily life in
a concentration camp as a Sonderkommando, one of the
prisoners forced to deliver fellow Jews to the gas chamber.
When Saul recognizes the body of a young boy during his
work, he sets out on a mission to find a Rabbi among the
prisoners who can give the child a proper burial. In so doing, he risks his life and jeopardizes a brewing rebellion. This
haunting, unforgettable, searingly brilliant film reopens the
debate around the Holocaust and its cinematic thinkability, and offers a daring perspective on the best and worst
of humanity. It is, quite simply, essential viewing. In French,
German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Slovak,
Yiddish with subtitles
WED 9 AM BUZZ
2016 | Israel, France | NR | 87 min.

Directed by Elite Zexer
Men are not permitted at the Bedouin ceremony that opens "Sand
Storm," welcoming (with varying levels of enthusiasm) the arrival of
a second wife. The older women, including first wife Jalila, wear fake
mustaches, symbols of both strength and vulnerability. Jalila is the
caged-tiger energy center of this emotionally intelligent first feature
written and directed by a Jewish Israeli woman, Elite Zexer. Jalila glowers and smolders and paces magnificently, delivering tongue-lashings
not just about the younger newcomer, but also about the newly discovered secret lover of her daughter, Layla. Suliman, the story's husband
and father, has given his eldest child many modern advantagesa
cell phone, driving lessons, an educationbut he still seems willing to
sacrifice Layla's promising future to an arranged marriage with a village
man she barely knows. Filled with alluring visuals of the Negev desert's
stark beauty, muscular acting, and intricate psychology, "Sand Storm" is
much more than a familiar feminist story about a teenage girl trapped
between her deep attachment to a traditional family and a desire for
love and freedom. Theres no cheap Hollywood ending here, just a bracing touch of mordant humor and a hint at rebellions yet to come. "Sand
Storm" is one of our top picks at the festival. In Arabic with subtitles
THU 3:30 PM ST | SAT 9 PM MIL
TAXI
43
2015 | Iran | NR | 82 min.

Directed by Jafar Panahi
What do you do when youre a filmmaker banned by your
government from making movies? If youre fearless Iranian
director Jafar Panahi (This is Not a Film), the answer is
simple: Keep making movies anyway. Posing as a taxi driver
with hidden cameras mounted on the dashboard, Panahi navigates the vibrant streets of Tehran and picks up
passengers (non-actors) who spill their secrets in a series
of enthralling vignettes. Panahi's guerilla-style docufiction
film acts as a window into the multidimensional landscape
of Iran, highlighting the dark humor, sharp political criticisms, and tapestry of dreams, fears, and frustrations
carried by the passengers we meet in Panahis cab. The film
took home the highest prize at the Berlin Film Festival with
good reason. Taxi is a defiant celebration of artistic freedom and the power of laughter and personal expression to
combat oppression. In Persian with subtitles
SAT 12 NOON MIL | SUN 9 PM MIL
44
VIVA
2015 | Cuba, Ireland | R | 100 min.

Directed by Paddy Breathnach
When word of mouth spread like fire last year at Telluride and made this under-the-radar
Irish film shot in Cuba the hottest ticket around, we knew we had to bring it to TC. Set
in Havana (the most beautiful slum in the world, according to one of the characters),
this is the story of Jesus, who lives alone in the apartment where his mother died years
ago. He tries to make ends meet by cutting the hair of older women in his neighborhood,
but he enjoys maintaining wigs at a drag club much more. And privately, he practices his
heart out, hoping to become a performer himself one day. Some queen-related drama
creates an opening on stage, and the clubs kind and wise grande dame, Mama, helps
Jesus become Viva, the lip-synching diva. As fate would have it, the macho ex-con father
who left Jesus at age three turns up, and demands that Jesus make room in the cramped
apartment, and give up his dreams. Torn between two father figuresMama and the homophobic biological father he never knew, who returned home harboring a secretJesus
struggles with poverty, family, and identity in this crowdpleasing tearjerker that is punctuated by rousing musical numbers that make audiences cheer. In Spanish with subtitles
WED 9 PM COH
WELCOME TO NORWAY!
2016 | Norway | NR | 90 min.

Directed by Rune Denstad Langlo
On the verge of losing the resort thats been in his family for generations, Primus decides
to convert his hotel into a state-supported refugee reception center. Its the latest in his
long line of go-nowhere schemes, which have exhausted his wife so much that she mostly
stays in bed. And in typical Primus fashion, he agrees to take in 50 asylum-seeking refugees, mainly from Muslim, Arab-speaking countries, before renovations are finished and
even before the facility is approved by the state. The ensuing fracas is played for plenty of
laughs while it intelligently illuminates the painful issues facing immigrants. Primus cluelessness about the people he is sheltering would be an even bigger disaster were it not
for a helpful African youth, Abedi (the luminous Olivier Mukata, who came to Norway as a
real-life asylum seeker). Abedi speaks five languages, explains the difference between Sunni
and Shia, and becomes an advisor, and eventually a friend, to the xenophobic, casually racist
Primus, helping him navigate the demands of authorities and tenants, as the center slowly
becomes livable, and Primus more human. This ironically titled, heartwarming comedy is
sure to be a top audience favorite. In Arabic, English, French, Norwegian, Swahili with subtitles
MON 7/18 7 PM GARDEN | WED 9 AM ST | SUN 6 PM LARS
WOMEN IN OVERSIZED MENS SHIRTS
2015 | Norway | NC-17 | 106 min.

Directed by Yngvild Sve Flikke
Sticking to your guns when life and love come barging through the door, and the tradeoff between self-sacrifice and artistic commitment, are cleverly explored in Yngvild Sve
Flikkes directorial debut, which falls somewhere between a chick-lit romcom and a bawdy
Pedro Almodovar-style romp. 23-year-old feminist poet Sigrid abhors sexist clichs like
women who don their male lovers shirts after sex, and rails about them to anyone who
will listen in her pretty little Nordic hometown. But her youthful ideals are tested when
a chance encounter with a famous writerwho is 20 years olderblossoms into an
uneasy romance. Sigrids dilemma is loosely linked to those of Trine, a heavily pregnant
40ish performance artist who plans to give birth inside a cage while dressed as Marie
Antoinette, and Agnes, a 60-something timber warehouse worker haunted by her radical
feminist past, when she wrote a notorious cult novel and gave up her son for adoption.
Sprinkle in some magical realism and recurring cameos by cartoon birds, plus symbolic
slo-mo footage of butterflies, jellyfish, and other animals, and you get this wonderfully
self-aware, spiky slant on rom-com conventions with a steady undercurrent of cheerfully
crude humor that is sharper and deeper than the sunny comedy first appears. In Norwegian
with subtitles
WED 12 NOON COH
FOREIGN OFFICIAL SELECTION: DOCUMENTARY 45
CENSORED VOICES
2015 | Germany, Israel | NR | 84 min.

Directed by Mor Loushy
Shortly after Israels decisive 1967 victory in the Six-Day Warwhile the country celebrated the seizure of the Sinai Peninsula, West Bank, and Gollan Heights which tripled
Israels sizereturning soldiers sat down to record their battlefield experiences. When
authors Amos Oz and Avraham Shapira went to publish those interviews, the Israeli army
censored all but 30 percent of them. Now, for the first time, the soldiers tortured words
are finally being heard, and they tell a very different tale than had previously been reported. Oz and many of the men he spoke with, now grown old, revisit the anguish, guilt,
and doubt they felt over their actions in the war that excised Palestine with such harrowing force. It seems that the march of time does not heal all wounds. We were told not
to show mercy, says one. Asks another, Are we doomed to live in the pauses between
wars? This momentous film casts new light on old ideas about the famous conflict, and
stands as a clear-eyed reminder of all the other histories from around the world that still
remain untold. In Hebrew with subtitles
WED 9 AM OTP
CONFUSION
2015 | Switzerland | NR | 71 min.

Directed by Yacine B., Dario C.
This utterly unbelievable and totally unauthorized account of a Guantanamo prisoner set
to be extradited from the US to Switzerland is truly the kind of filmmaking that will make
you stop, turn your head, and say whoa. Bringing the innermost workings of international politics to center stage are two anonymous student filmmakers following Caroline
Gautier, Chief of Staff of the Security Department in Geneva, as she prepares to welcome
a soon-to-be-released detainee and offer him a brand new life. But, wouldnt you know
it, the events surrounding this momentous occasion begin to quickly, and precipitously,
unravel. Political protests, strained diplomatic relations, anxious ambassadors, and international misunderstandings force Gautierwith cameras rollingto decide how far shes
willing to go to save her career and protect the prisoner. Slyly political, highly subversive,
and wickedly funny, this cinematic experiment in docufiction makes a piercing point about
human rights. Scheduled to Appear via Skype: Directors Yacine B. and Dario C. In Chinese, English, French, Swiss, German with subtitles
SAT 9 AM OTP | THU 3:30 PM BUZZ
DEMOCRATS
2015 | Denmark, Zimbabwe | NR | 100 min.

Directed by Camilla Nielsson
If Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were forced to sit down together to write a new US
Constitution, how do you think it would go? Democrats follows a real-life example of
this scenario in Zimbabwe, where opponents from two rival parties were tasked in 2008
with writing the countrys constitution in the wake of a contentious general election. With
both parties trying to secure maximum power, is the exercise just an absurd farce? Or can
genuine compromise and agreement be reached? With unprecedented access to both
politicians, director Camilla Nielsson makes the most of her penetrating, remarkable footage to reveal a country trying to leave behind its corrupt pastand take its first fumbling
baby steps toward democracy. In English, Shona with subtitles
WED 12 NOON BUZZ
46
FOREIGN OFFICIAL SELECTION: DOCUMENTARY
DISTURBING THE PEACE
2016 | USA | NR | 86 min.

Directed by Stephen Apkon, Andrew Young
What happens when enemy combatantsraised to hate and harm one anotherlay
down their weapons and say, Enough? This question lies at the heart of a transformative
documentary about former elite Israeli and Palestinian soldiers who unite under a common banner to protest the bloodshed that has traumatized both of their countries. Directors Steve Apkon and Andrew Young use gripping footage spanning multiple decades to
poignantly illustrate the suffering and loss both sides have endured. This footage takes on
deeper meaning when the filmmakers interview the members of Combatants for Peace, a
group of former soldiers who advocate for healing and life-saving love. As both Israelis and
Palestinians share the deeply moving experiences that opened their eyes to the humanity of the opposing side, the films soaring spirit will make you believeas they dothat
reconciliation is possible, one day. In Person: Director Steve Apkon and special guests.
THU 12 NOON ST | FRI 12 NOON BUZZ
EAT THAT QUESTION: FRANK ZAPPA IN HIS

OWN WORDS
2016 | France, Germany | R | 90 min.

Directed by Thorsten Shtte
If youre going to break the rules, youd better do it with purposethats what made
Frank Zappa great, and thats what makes this documentary about his life and legacy so
exhilaratingly essential. Whether or not youre familiar with the prolific output (over 80
albums are credited to his name) of one of rock n rolls most controversial and misunderstood cult figuresknown as much for his lacerating wit as his musical geniusyoull be
completely absorbed by this vivid portrait of an undeniably brilliant mind. Made up entirely
of interviews and performances by Zappa, Thorsten Schtte defies traditional biopic
tropesand in the process, perfectly captures the provocative artists essence. Zappa
tackled everything with fierce intelligence and biting humor, from his battles with Tipper
Gore over parental music labels and his ferocious opposition of artistic censorship, to his
role in inspiring the Czechoslovakian revolution. All of his glorious complexities are on full
display in this film that is as uncompromising, energetic, and brash as the legend himself.
SAT 9 PM BIJ | SUN 9 PM COH
FRANCOFONIA
2015 | France, Germany, Netherlands | NR | 88 min.

Directed by Aleksandr Sokurov
Among the countless personal and cultural tragedies that unfolded during WWII, one potential lossthe desecration of the Louvre in Pariswas mercifully averted thanks to an
unlikely and remarkable partnership between two enemies. During the tumultuous Nazi
Occupation, with the museum at risk of being ransacked, the German assigned to seize
the treasures defied his superiors. His actions, and those of the Louvres head administrator, ultimately ensured the survival of the museum and its priceless artifacts. The retelling
of the duos story is just one of many breathtaking threads Aleksandr Sokurov (Russian
Ark) weaves into this tapestry of art, history, and filmmaking. Featuring stunning aerial shots of Paris, and whimsical fantasy sequences of artnot to mention the ghost of
Napoleoncoming to life, this enthralling and visionary tribute to the spirit of civilization
is unlike anything you have ever seen, or will ever see again. In English, French, German,
Russian with subtitles
WED 9 AM MIL | FRI 12 NOON BIJ
FOREIGN OFFICIAL SELECTION: DOCUMENTARY 47
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!
2016 | Croatia, Germany, Czech Republic | NR | 88 min.

Directed by iga ga Virc
Calling all conspiracy theorists: Do we really know the truth
about NASAs origins? Theres plenty of ammo to convince
us otherwise in iga Vircs fascinating and groundbreaking
film, which explores the Cold War-era space race between
America and the USSR, and a supposed secret billion-dollar sale of Yugoslavias space program to the US in the
1960s. Brilliantly combining archival footage with modern
interviews of Slovenian philosopher Slavoj iek and key
players in the events under investigation, Virc focuses his
keen eye on the media apparatus and propaganda machine
at work from the 1960s onward, as the US grew into a
global superpower and Yugoslavia precipitously declined.
Blurring the line between fact and fiction, Houston, We
Have a Problem! challenges us to take an inquisitive look
at our own countrys mythos. Scheduled to Appear via
Skype: Director Ziga Virc. In Croatian, Serbian, Slovenian
with subtitles
WED 12 NOON BIJ | SUN 9 AM OTP
I AM BELFAST
2015 | UK | NR | 84 min.
Directed by Mark Cousins
Acclaimed filmmaker Mark Cousins (The Story of Film) has
taken his love and concern for his Irish hometown of Belfast and transformed it into a masterwork of cinema that
will shake you to your core. Cousins walked every street of
the Northern Ireland capital to create this transcendent
sensory journey that captures the essence of Belfasts rich,
often tragic history, and its complex, proud modern day
resurrection. He imagines Belfast as a woman (played by
veteran actress Helena Bereen): poised and gently weathered with age, her golden hair swept up into a neat bun, her
voice melodic and steady. Cousins narrates an emotional
journey while the camera reveals unexpected, colorful
beauty around every corner. The result is a wonderfully
inventive and moving mosaic, a refreshingly uncynical meditation that ends with a brilliant stroke of hopeful genius,
bringing one of the worlds great cities to mesmerizing,
unforgettable life. In Person: Director Mark Cousins.
WED 9 PM BIJ | FRI 12 NOON MIL
LO AND BEHOLD, REVERIES OF THE

CONNECTED WORLD
2016 | USA | NR | 98 min.

Directed by Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man, TCFF 2005) proves once
again why hes the undisputed king of documentaries in this
hypnotic treatise on the internet, the future of technology,
and our rapidly interconnecting lives. Herzogs boundless
curiosity makes him uniquely suited to tackle huge concepts and make them intimately human. He asks all the
right questions in a 10-part exploration of topics ranging
from the origins of computer science to the possibility of
human telepathy to Terminator-style robot apocalypses.
Herzogs brilliant, philosophical mind makes him an ideal foil
for interview subjects like inventor Elon Musk, Google X
founder Sebastian Thrun, and hacker Kevin Mitnick. Infused
with Herzogs trademark wit and humor (and that voice!),
Lo and Behold is mandatory viewing in the digital agea
film that alternately floods you with existential dread and
fills you with hope for the future.
THU 9 AM BIJ
KINGS OF KALLSTADT
2014 | USA, Germany | NR | 92 min.

Directed by Simone Wendel
Donald Trump may seem like he sprang forth fully formed from
Americas collective unconscious, but his paternal roots can actually
be traced to the quaint German village of Kallstadt, a tiny community
that remarkably produced both the Trump and Heinz family dynasties.
German director Simone Wendel employs her delightfully wry wit in
drawing out Kallstadts charming villagers about Trumps grandfather,
who went to seek his fortune in America, failed, returned and then
wasare you ready for this?deported back to the US! We get to
watch The Donald as he hears this family immigrant/deportee story
for the first time, and it is priceless. Then a gaggle of Kallstadt citizens
decide they must go to America to visit the Heinz ketchup factory and
attempt to meet Trump. They get invited to march in the New York
German Day Parade (Trump had been the Grand Marshall the previous
year). They also try a baseball gamesomewhere in the second inning,
one of them asks, When does this thing start? One of our favorite
documentaries of the year, and a must-see this election year, Wendels
under-the-radar gem plays like a real-life Christopher Guest movie
about the ancestral home of Americans strangest presidential candidate. In Person: Director Simone Wendel. In German with subtitles
WED 3 PM LARS | SAT 6 PM ST
48
FOREIGN OFFICIAL SELECTION: DOCUMENTARY
MAGNUS
2016 | Norway | NR | 75 min.

Directed by Bejamin Ree
Magnus Carlsen is called the Mozart of Chesshis brain can do what no human brain
should be able to do. In his early twenties, he achieved, and has since maintained, the
highest rating in chess history, playing in a way no one else ever has. Most chess masters
memorize games and moves. Magnus does that, and adds instinct. If you love the excitment of epic chess showdowns, you will get your fill of them in this film, but at its heart,
Magnus is about family. Carlsens father has traveled with Magnus to all of his tournaments, and he is our guide through this superb documentary. From his earliest matches
to the media circus that surrounded him at the 2013 World Chess Championship, we see
that, for all his genius, Magnus owes much of his success to his family. While other chess
champions have famously succumbed to the insane mental pressures of the game, his
supportive family keeps him groundedhe may be the most normal chess genius ever
to top the game, and hes so handsome, hes a model, too! Even if you have zero interest in
chess, you will not want to miss this top pick of TCFF 2016. In Person: Director Benjamin
Ree.
THU 9 AM ST | SUN 6 PM COH
PRESENTING PRINCESS SHAW
2015 | Israel | NR | 83 min.

Directed by Ido Haar
Lets face it, the most productive thing most of us will ever do on YouTube is watch cat
videos. But Ido Haars rousing documentary demonstrates the powerful true potential
of YouTube, with the true Searching for Sugarman-like story of two musicians halfway
across the world who form a transformative alliance online. Samantha Montgomery (aka
Princess Shaw) is a 39-year-old woman working at a retirement home in New Orleans.
She has had her share of ups, and more than her share of downs. In her free time,
the would-be chanteuse belts out heartrending, confessional songs into her webcam,
uploading them on YouTube. In Israel, Ophir Kutiel creates video mashups using songs
by other artists. When he comes across Shaws channel, he adds instrumentation to
one of her songsand the result goes viral. A Cinderella story for the digital age, Shaw
was clearly born to be star, but it took Kutiels producing magic to bring her to a global
audience. Dont forget your tissueswhen the musicians finally come together for a live
performance in front of an adoring crowd, there wont be a dry eye in the house.
In Person: Subject Samantha Montgomery; Producer Steve Apkon.
WED 9 PM ST | FRI 6 PM COH | SUN 9:45 PM BOAT
RESET
2015 | France | NR | 109 min.

Directed by Alban Teurlai and Thierry Demaizire
Prepare to be completely captivated on the count of undeuxtrois. In 2015, New York
City Ballet principal Benjamin Millepied made waves when he took over the illustrious,
nerve-wracking job of director of the Paris Opera Ballet. The dancerwho choreographed Black Swan and later married that films star, Natalie Portmanpromised to
shake up the worlds oldest and most iconic ballet company and bring it into the 21st century. No more all-Caucasian casts, lousy stage facilities, and instructional brow-beating
he incorporated technology into administration, encouraged dancers to let their unique
personalities show on stage, and, for the first time in the Ballets history, he cast a mixedrace lead for a classical ballet. Alban Teurlai and Thierry Demaizire give us a behindthe-scenes seat as Millepied takes over and prepares his debut show, Clear Loud Bright
Forward. Contrasting a pulsing contemporary score with impossibly beautiful rehearsal
footage of some of the worlds best dancers, Reset is an arresting snapshot of a historic
cultural institution being pushed into the future. Recently, following the films wrap, Millepied stepped down from the job after just two and a half years as director. Watch closely
and you might find clues as to the possible reasons why. In French with subtitles
WED 3 PM COH
THE DOCUMENTARY BRANCH
FILMS BY MEMBERS OF THE NEWLY EXPANDED ACADEMY AWARDS DOC BRANCH
49
THE BLACK PANTHERS:

VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION
2015 | USA | NR | 115 min.

Directed by Stanley Nelson
Like a thunderbolt in the wake of current events and the Black Lives Matter movement
comes this searing documentary that is one of the most important films of the past year.
Often marginalized for their public image of anger and violence, the Black Panthers are
given a more complex, fully realized voice by veteran filmmaker Stanley Nelson, who
explores the groups grassroots community efforts alongside the armed citizens patrols
that gave them their gun-toting reputation. Juxtaposing archival footage, contemporary
interviews with group members, and opposing insight from wary police officers, Nelson
creates a 360-degree portrait of the Panthers. Set to a soundtrack of electric soul and
funk, this film is a blistering look at the explosive rise and sudden fall of a movement as
relevant today as it was fifty years ago.
SAT 12 NOON BUZZ | SUN 9 PM BIJ
LIFE, ANIMATED
2016 | USA, France | PG | 89 min.

Directed by Roger Ross Williams
An autistic boy trapped in a world of silence finds a key to freedom and connection
through Disney movies in Oscar-winner Roger Ross Williams incredible and uplifting
documentary. When Owen Suskind suddenly stopped talking at age three, doctors feared
he might never recover the ability to speak. For years, he was unable to express his
thoughts and feelings, even with his familybut he did watch Disney films, over and over.
Then one day, his parents discovered that what they believed to be gibberish was actually
dialogue from Disney films like The Little Mermaid, and Owen was using that dialogue to
communicate about his life. The exaggerated facial expressions and emotions of characters like Aladdins Jafar taught Owen social cues and language, and gave him a basis
for reconnecting with the world around him. Weaving together classic Disney sequences
with delightful original animation illustrating Owens inner world, this powerful documentary proves that fairy tales can create magic in the real world. In Person: Subjects Ron
and Cornelia Suskind.
WED 6:30 PM ST | THU 12 NOON LARS
TWO TRAINS RUNNIN
2016 | USA | NR | 80 min.

Directed by Samuel D. Pollard
Mississippi was a dangerous place to be in the summer of 1964. Hundreds of college
students traveled south in support of Freedom Summer, the Mississippi Summer Project,
to face down the Ku Klux Klan and a violent police force. With those events as a backdrop, two separate groups of young menneither aware of the otheralso headed to
Mississippi with an altogether different mission. They wanted to track down two forgotten,
mystifyingly missing blues singers and bring them out of retirement. In this searing documentary, Sam Pollard explores both the explosive events that unfolded in Mississippi that
summer and the captivating hunt for the legendary musicians, two campaigns that eventually collided in tragic fashion. Narrated by Common, and featuring new music by Buddy
Guy, Lucinda Williams, and a slew of acclaimed blues performers, Two Trains Runnin is a
must-see film about hot-button issuespolice brutality, racism, civil rights, and the legacy
of black musicthat are as urgent today as they were in 1964. In Person: Director Sam
Pollard; Producer Benjamin Hedin; Editor Dava Whisenant.
FRI 9 AM OTP | SAT 6 PM BIJ
50
FOOD ON FILM
THE SIDEBAR:
FOOD ON FILM
After its resounding success last year, were
bringing back our mouthwatering showcase
of the best in culinary cinema. Stick around
after the screenings of these documentaries
to hear candid conversations between stars
of the Michigan food scene, and sample bites
prepared by the chefs and inspired by the films.
Tickets for these special screenings are $15.
JEREMIAH TOWER:
THE LAST MAGNIFICENT
2016 | USA | NR | 103 min.

Directed by Lydia Tenaglia
Celebrity chefs may be a dime a dozen today, but outrageous and controversial envelope-pusher Jeremiah Tower
created the mold. His towering influence on the restaurant world in the 70s and 80s is legendary within the
industry, but his name has otherwise disappeared into obscurity. Culinary superstar and producer Anthony Bourdain seeks to remedy that injustice and restore Tower to
his rightful place among the giants with this fascinating
doc, featuring interviews with famous foodies like Mario
Batali and Martha Stewart. Following Tower from Alice
Waters Chez Panisse in the 70s to his hugely popular 80s
era San Francisco eatery Stars, and finally to his recent
stop at Tavern on the Green, we see Towers dramatic rise
and fall in a classic American story that serves up as much
delicious gossip as it does rich food for thought about the
countrys first celebrity bad-boy chef.
FRI 3 PM COH
COOKING UP A TRIBUTE
2015 | Spain | NR | 87 min.

Directed by Andrea Gmez, Luis Gonzalez
With chefs today regularly achieving rock star status
in the eyes of the Western world, it seems only natural
that they should also embark on world tours from time
to time. After the famed Spanish eatery El Celler de Can
Roca unseated Noma to be named the best restaurant
in the world by Restaurant magazine, the three Roca
brothers who run it decided to shut down their business
for five weeks and take their entire staff on a six-city
tour. Their ambitious goal: to expand their palettes and
create 57 new dishes using local flavors and ingredients
as a tribute to each region. As they globetrot to Lima,
Bogota, Monterrey, Mexico City, Dallas, and Houston,
the tantalizing food and drink of each city takes center
stage. Part mouthwatering foodie doc, part sweeping
travelogue, Cooking Up a Tribute demonstrates how a
great meal can transcend cultural divides and connect us.
In Spanish with subtitles
SAT 6 PM COH
NOMA: MY PERFECT STORM
2015 | UK | NR | 95 min.
Directed by Pierre Deschamps
After winning the title of Best Restaurant in the World
three out of four years in a row, some chefs would be
happy to hang up their apron and call it a day. But Rene
Redzepi is no ordinary chef, and his famed Copenhagen
restaurant Noma didnt land on top of Restaurant magazines list by resting on its laurels. After the Nordic chef
is dethroned in 2013 (see Cooking Up a Tribute)a
humiliating defeat for the proud Redzepi Pierre
Deschamps cameras followed his determined attempts
to reclaim the title. Deschamps explores the personal
and creative influences that drive Redzepi forward, and
captures Nomas groundbreaking foodits essentially
edible artin exquisite detail, with stunning and lush
cinematography. Warning: do not watch on an empty
stomach; Noma will leave you searching for the next
cheap flight to Denmark. In Albanian, Danish, English,
French, Spanish, Swedish with subtitles
SUN 3 PM COH
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
WHERE TO INVADE NEXT: A WORLDWIDE SCREENING EVENT
2015 | USA | R | 120 min.

Directed by Michael Moore
Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime screening event of Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moores latest film, Where to Invade
Next, a hilarious, gut-turning, stimulating, thought-provoking, entertaining call to arms. When Mike set out to invade
European nations, American flag in hand, demanding to know why free healthcare, compassionate criminal justice systems,
stellar schools, and happy workers are de rigueur thereand not here at homehe found that the solutions to Americas
most entrenched problems already exist out there in the world. Extended paid vacations and family time: OK, Italy! Public
schools with healthy lunches and high-performing students: Got it, Finland! Free college tuition: If you say so, Slovenia!
This special screening will happen simultaneously in the nine countries featured in the filmworldwide audiences will
watch it along with us, and afterward join us live via Skype for Q&A and discussion. In Person: Director Michael Moore.
In Arabic, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese with subtitles
FRI 12 NOON ST
51
MIKES SURPRISE
?? | ?? | ?? | ??
Each year, our most popular screening is the one no one
knows anything about. Not the stage manager. Not the projectionist. No one. Festival founder Michael Moore presents
Mikes Surprise on the final day of each years fest. He may
show up with a sneak preview of a big upcoming movie, a
buried treasure, or he may just show you some of his home
movies. One time he just talked for two hours. That was
interesting. Another year he got the whole audience up and
took them for a walk. That was different. All we can promise
is that you wont want to miss it!
SUN 12 NOON LARS
NATIVE AMERICAN MATINEE

TE ATA
DOUG LOVES MOVIES PODCAST
Join beloved TCFF fixture Doug Benson (Last

Comic Standing, Super High Me) and other
special surprise guests as they record a nationally-renowned podcast featuring imaginatively titled
games and spirited discussion, all about movies.
Help us welcome back Traverse Citys adopted son
for an electric evening of outrageous hilarity. What
exactly can you expect? You never really know,
and thats the best part. Tickets for this special live
event are $20.
WED 9 PM OTP
2016 | USA | NR | 105 min.

Directed by Nathan Frankowski
The extraordinary life of Chickasaw Nation citizen
Mary Thompson Fisher is given a heartfelt tribute in
this moving look at a culture in transition, and the way
one woman used her voice to keep Native traditions
and stories alive. Raised in Indian Territory, Fisher left
home to pursue her dream of becoming an actress,
only to find that her true calling was at home all along.
From Chautauquas to Broadway and even the White
House, Fisher traveled the world performing Native
American songs and stories for heads of state, American presidents, and European royalty. Featuring Chickasaw citizens both in front of and behind the camera,
this touching portrait starring Qorianka Kilcher (The
New World) and Graham Greene honors a woman
whose own story was the most inspiring one she never
told. Join us for this anticipated festival event, sponsored each year by Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel,
featuring a pre-screening drum circle, theater smudging, and address from the Tribal Council of the Grand
Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.
SUN 9 AM ST
LOST GEMS OF 2015
53
DOPE
2015 | USA | R | 103 min.

Directed by Rick Famuyiwa
This exuberant and energetic gem is as ambitious as
its protagonist Malcolm (rising star Shameik Moore
in a breakout role), a whip-smart black nerd from the
mean streets of Inglewood, CA. Malcolm hopes to gain
entrance into Harvard with the help of a killer thesis
paper: an intellectual analysis of Ice Cubes hip-hop
classic It Was a Good Day. But first he has to survive
until graduationa task that becomes increasingly
difficult after a gang member plants guns and drugs in
his backpack. As stylish as it is smart, filmmaker Rick
Famuyiwa (Brown Sugar) collides hood drama with
geek culture to dizzyingly delightful effect. Its like Spike
Lee and Quentin Tarantino got together to remake
Ferris Buellers Day Off. A Sundance audience favorite,
Dope delivers a primo cinematic high.
THU 6 PM OTP | SAT 9 PM BUZZ
SUFFRAGETTE
2015 | UK | PG-13 | 106 min.

Directed by Sarah Gavron
An all-star cast of actressesincluding Carey Mulligan,
Meryl Streep, Helena Bonham Carter, and Anne-Marie
Duffgive the Womens Suffrage Movement the big
screen treatment it so richly deserves in this suspenseful and stirring account of the fight for voting rights
in 20th century Britain. Mulligan delivers a powerful
performance as Maud, a long-suffering laundress who
undergoes a painful transformation from dutiful wife
and mother to mighty activist. Battling overwhelming
odds mounted by abusive employers, police brutality,
and political patriarchy, Mauds story is told through a
collection of moving moments that are at once tender,
enraging, and inspiring. Director Sarah Gavron and
screenwriter Abi Morgan beautifully capture the courage, tenacity, and extreme sacrifice required of women
who demand that their voices be heard in a world that
wills them toward silence. Absolutely essential viewing,
Suffragette is a galvanizing reminder that the fight is
not over.
WED 3 PM MIL | FRI 9 AM BIJ
PREMIERES
55
MICHIGAN PREMIERE
MICHIGAN PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
2016 | USA | NR | 110 min.

Directed by Clay Tweel
The word uplifting gets thrown around a lot, but after
viewing this emotional powerhouse of a documentary,
youll agree that no other word does it justice. At the
young age of 34, NFL star Steve Gleason was diagnosed
with ALS and given a few short years to live. This turn of
events was made all the more devastating when, mere
weeks later, he discovered his wife was pregnant with their
first child. Constructed from interviews with those closest
to him, as well as years worth of video journals filled with
advice, jokes, and memories intended as a gift for his son,
Gleason is a powerful chronicle of a man and a disease,
and a lasting statement of what it means to truly live. Director Clay Tweel (Finders Keepers, TCFF 2015) brings a
surprising amount of humor and untold grace to this story
of resilience, family, marriage, fathers, and sons. Gleason
premiered at Sundance to standing ovations, and captured
audience and jury awards at the top festivals. What should
be a tough sit is instead sublimely rewarding, one of the
most life-affirming and inspirational films of this year.
THU 12 NOON COH
2016 | USA | NR | 84 min.

Directed by Rob Meyer
Brimming with warmth and wit, this culture-clash comedy follows a close-knit interracial family as they move
from New York City to a small town in Washington. The
city-savvy trio soon find themselves adrift in cookie-cutter suburbia: Gina is lost among uptight colleagues at
the University, Marks entre into homeownership hits a
very rough patch, and 12-year-old Clark is befriended by
two girls who gleefully announce, We totally needed a
black kid. This town, its so white! Sharply observed racial moments such as these anchor writer Annie J. Howells script, highlighting the subtle prejudices simmering
just under Americas PC facade. And director Rob Meyer
(A Birders Guide to Everything) explores awkward-age
adolescents uneasily approaching their sexuality in the
bumpy preteen transitional period. Deftly plumbing issues of race, privilege, and class, Little Boxes is a clever
and poignant portrait of a true modern family.
SUN 6 PM BIJ
2016 | USA | NR | 87 min.

Directed by Sean Hanish
In this twisty and finely-observed family drama of
Chekhovian simplicity, four estranged and wildly different sisterseach named after the city they were born
inare called home following the death of their mother.
Free-spirited force of nature Mary Baxter lived a whirlwind life, and left her daughters adrift in her wake. After
they arrive for Marys funeral, a raging storm traps them
together in the house. Clashes ensue, old flames reappear, vodka is consumed, memories are triggered, and
secrets bubble up, forcing them to confront the things
they love about each other, and the things theyd just
as soon forget. By turns awkward, funny, and moving,
much like real-life family reunions, the fiery and forceful
women at the films center give this American dramedy
a winning appeal. Featuring an all-star cast including
Jackie Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook), Stana Katic
(Castle), Troian Bellisario (Pretty Little Liars), Michelle
Trachtenberg, and TCs own Amy Smart, we are excited
to play host to this films world premiere. In Person: Director Sean Hanish; Actress Amy Smart.
FRI 6 PM LARS
GLEASON
LITTLE BOXES
SISTER CITIES
MICHIGAN PREMIERE
HELL OR HIGH WATER
2016 | USA | R | 102 min.

Directed by David Mackenzie
Chris Pine and Ben Foster star in this blistering contemporary Western about two
brothers who need cash in a hurry and can think of just one way to get it: rob the bank
that is threatening to foreclose on their family ranch. Thus begins a dangerous catand-mouse game with a soon-to-be-retired Texas ranger played by a scene-stealing
Jeff Bridges, chewing his Southern drawl for all its worth. With an intoxicating amoral
ambiguity, the lament of these modern cowboys in search of their version of freedom
plays out like a sunbaked punk rock Johnny Cash songquietly mesmerizing and
rivetingly humane. Taking cues from an unbelievably taut script by Taylor Sheridan
(Sicario), the thrilling do-or-die, low-rent criminal drama and getaway action is both
searingly funny and tense as hell, a welcome adrenaline boost to the heist genre and a
serious awards contender.
FRI 9 PM ST | SAT 6 PM MIL
56
JULY 28, 2016: A DAY IN HISTORY
JULY 28, 2016: A DAY IN HISTORY
LIVE HILLARY CLINTON ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
Plenty of historic events are depicted in films at this years festival, but only at this special
event can you actually watch history being madelive. By popular demand from moviegoers who dont want to leave the festival to find a TV, well bring you Hillary Clintons
acceptance of the Presidential Nomination at the Democratic National Convention in
Philadelphia. This historic evening, 96 years after women won the right to vote, will be a
lifelong memory for Americans of all ages and genders, and some will remember experiencing it together with a TCFF audience. What was once considered impossible will be
impossible no more when Hillary Clinton puts a thunderous crack in the highest, hardest
glass ceiling in America on Thursday night.
THU 9 PM BUZZ
MOVIE RESOURCES
Sometimes, MPAA ratings just dont cut it.
Thankfully, there are more resources than
ever for the discerning moviegoer. Whether
you need to know if the cute doggie makes
it to the end of the film, or how ageappropriate a kids movie might be, our handy
guide to film websites has got you covered.
THE DOUG BENSON MOVIE INTERRUPTION:

A DONALD TRUMP FAVORITE BLOODSPORT
1988 | USA | R | 92 min.

Directed by Newt Arnold
In the interests of equal time, we offer you a TC exclusive: one of Donald Trumps favorite films, a
Jean-Claude Van Damme FIGHT TO THE DEATH: Bloodsport! This preposterously violent 1980s
classic has it all: Blood. Van Damme Crazy Eyes. Training montages. More blood. Illegal kung-fu
tournaments. Snakeskin jackets. Literally all the blood. The Muscles from Brussels milks his helicopter-jumping, roundhouse-kicking debut for all its worth in this loosely-plotted story about an AWOL
American soldier who joins an anything-goes martial arts ring. Especially brutal and casually racist,
you could read it as 90 minutes of insight into Donald Trumps mind. So stretch out those hammies
(side-splitting can hurt), and get ready for a hilarious round on the mat with Benson and buddies as
they provide a running commentary on Bloodsport, live from the front row.
FRI 12 MIDNIGHT ST
DOESTHEDOGDIE.COM
If youve ever been lured into seeing a movie based on a cute animal in the trailer, only to have your
heart broken when it dies tragicallythis is the site for you! Check out DoestheDogDie.com and
get all of your plot-related animal safety questions answered.
BECHDELTEST.COM
Does a movie have (1) at least two female characters, who (2) talk to each other, (3) about something other than men? Youll be shocked that so many films dont pass at BechdelTest.com.
COMMONSENSEMEDIA.ORG
Bookmark this ultimate resource for making informed family decisions on the age-appropriateness
of movies and a variety of other media. CommonSenseMedia.org has all the tools you need.
RUNPEE.COM
Wed never encourage you to miss a single minute of a great film, but sometimes the call of nature
gets the better of all of us. Find out the best time to take a quick break from a film without missing
anything too important at RunPee.com.
MIDNIGHT
57
HERE ALONE
THE DOUG BENSON MOVIE INTERRUPTION:

KISSES FOR MY PRESIDENT
1964 | USA | NR | 113 min.

Heres the premise of Curtis Bernhardts screwball comedy: Hey, wouldnt it be hilarious
if a woman were president? Hahahahaha! Spoiler alert, 1964 screenwriters: Itll take five
more decades for that craziness to go down, so knock yourselves out. Doug Benson, Michael
Moore, and friends will have a Reefer Madness-style field day with this painfully sexist romp.
The focus of the film, of course, is the Presidents poor, beleaguered First Husband (Fred
MacMurray) as he suffers the indignity of sleeping in a frilly bedroom designed for first ladies
and gives drunken White House tours while his wife (Polly Bergen) single-handedly runs the
country. Maybe if she gets pregnant, shell come round to her proper wifely responsibilities?
Get your election-year takedown of an insane film from a not-too-distant American past.
WED 12 MIDNIGHT ST
2016 | USA | NR | 89 min.

Directed by Rod Blackhurst
Fans of The Walking Dead, take note: This post-apocalyptic survival story is a rare treat for
smart genre movie lovers. A viral outbreak has decimated the world and left most of humanity dead, or infected with the taste for human flesh. Ann lives alone in a forest in upstate
New York, carefully planning each days survivalist activities and foraging for supplies, accompanied only by a radio that broadcasts a single transmission in French. Then one day, she
crosses paths with two other survivors, a teenage girl and her stepfather, and she must make
a decisioncontinue to fight on alone, or connect with other humans in a world where intimacy can be just as dangerous as the zombies she has learned to outsmart and outrun. The
winner of this years Tribeca Audience Award is not just for fans of the undead.
SAT 12 MIDNIGHT ST
SHORTS: BREAKING CURFEW
Program length: 79 min.

Tie your sheets together, climb out into the night, and join us for a wild assortment of midnight
shorts, with something for every late-night fan. Straight-up comedy, horror twists, clever critiques
of phone obsession, and misogynyeach minute is different from the last. Nick DenBoer (frequent
animator for Conan OBrien) delivers a mashup of The Shining, and a German operatic flash-mob
becomes...look, you just have to see it. This program will even answer the age-old question: Who
would win in a fight between Roddy Piper and Cthulhu?
THU 12 MIDNIGHT ST
ACCIDENTS, BLUNDERS
AND CALAMITIES
James Cunningham
2015 | New Zealand | 5 min.
LIFE SMARTPHONE
Chenglin Xie
2015 | China | 3 min.
PORTAL TO HELL!!!
Vivieno Caldinelli
2015 | Canada | 12 min.
NONE OF THAT
Isabela Littger, Anna Paddock,
Kriti Kaur
2015 | USA | 4 min.
A.D. 1363, THE END

OF CHIVALRY
Jake Mahaffy
2015 | USA | 3 min.
THE PROCEDURE
Calvin Reeder
2016 | USA | 4 min.
PIECE OF CAKE
Joseph Ahern
2015 | USA | 5 min.
TOMMY AND DAVID

Sara Joe Wolansky
2016 | USA | 4 min.
THE CHICKENING
Nick DenBoer, Davy Force
2015 | Canada, USA | 5 min.
TOO LEGIT
Frankie Shaw
2016 | USA | 17 min.
NIGHT OF THE SLASHER

Shant Hamassian
2015 | USA | 12 min.
METUBE 2: AUGUST SINGS

CARMINA BURANA
Daniel Moshel
2016 | Austria | 5 min.
#TWEEN
59
DARK HORSE
2015 | UK | PG | 85 min.
Directed by Louise Osmond
This unlikeliest of true stories begins when a barmaid and grocery store janitor in a
depressed Welsh coal mining town decides that since she successfully bred birds and
dogs in her younger days, she should be able to breed a race horse, too, and make a run
in the Sport of Kings. Her barmates and neighbors believe she can do anything she sets
her mind to doing, and the Dream Alliance is born when they pool their resources to buy
a foal, train him, and set out to enter the Welsh Grand National. The filmmakers take us
into their collaborative decision-making meetings, and treat us to the stares that Alliance
members draw from aristocrats when they turn up at the races with boxed lunches. This
inspiring Sundance Audience Award winning crowd-pleaser has all the elements of a great
sports story: a system that favors the privileged elite, a long shot at victory, a devastating
setback, and a heart-stopping conclusion that will keep you cheering in your seat all the
way to the finish line.
FRI 3 PM LARS | SAT 9 AM MIL
HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE
2016 | New Zealand | PG-13 | 101 min.

Directed by Taika Waititi
Kiwi accents make everything better, and thats never been truer than in Hunt for the
Wilderpeople. Troubled 13-year-old orphan Ricky is up against his last chanceno
longer welcome with any of the other foster parents in the system, hes dropped off in the
middle of nowhere with gruff mountain man Hector (Sam Neill, Jurassic Park) and his
wife. Fortunately for Ricky, Hectors better half is lovely. She gives him love, and a dog, and
soon he isnt even trying to run away any more. But when sudden tragedy takes his loving
foster mom out of the picture and authorities are alerted about Hectors past, Hector is
forced to flee into the bushand, unknown and very much against Hectors wishes, Ricky
follows with his dog. Hector and Ricky navigate their prickly bond, survive off the land,
evade authorities and other bush travelers, and eventually, predictably but delightfully,
they find redemption in each other. Brimming with clever visual gags, witty dialogue, spectacular scenery, a cute dog, and tons of heart, this is the funniest, most pleasing family
adventure film youll ever see about child welfare services.
SAT 12 NOON LARS | SUN 9 PM OTP
ICE AND THE SKY
2015 | France | NR | 89 min.

Directed by Luc Jacquet
Oscar-winning director Luc Jacquet (March of the Penguins) returns to Antarctica to
dig deeperliterallyinto the harshly beautiful landscape in this chilling exploration of
mans impact on planet Earth. French glaciologist Claude Lorius has been leading expeditions to the frozen continent since 1956, using innovative scientific techniques to study
800,000+ years of climate data trapped in the ice. His troubling findings caused him to
sound the alarm on climate change long before his peers. Jacquet follows Lorius, now 82,
as he continues to traverse arctic vistas today, dogged in his determined pursuit of the
truth. Stunning contrasts between Antarctic footage shot in the 1950s and shots from
today bring wonky but important scientific discussions about the fate of our planet to vivid
life. In French with subtitles
SAT 9 AM BIJ
60
AVANT GARDE

ELEPHANTS DREAM
2014 | Belgium, Congo | NR | 72 min.

Directed by Kristof Bilsen
A post office clerk waits for customers who never come, elderly coworkers tend a lonely
rail station, and firefighters point dripping hoses at fiery blazes. This hypnotic documentary follows ordinary citizens in Kinshassa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of
Congo, as they go about their jobs in three declining state-run institutions. The traumatic
effects of the Congos violent history hum through the background of every scene, as ordinary life quickly turns surrealand hauntingly revealing. The gentle humor and courage
of people struggling to rebuild their country pack an emotional punch in this critically-acclaimed meditation on a warzone, post war. Elephants Dream tenderly and beautifully
captures a country in transitionone simultaneously disillusioned and striving toward
hope for the future.
THU 12 NOON DUT | SAT 3 PM DUT | SUN 6 PM DUT
THE EVENT
2015 | Netherlands, Belgium | NR | 74 min.

Directed by Sergei Loznitsa
In August 1991, the people of Moscow woke up one morning to find their entire country
in upheaval, an attempted government coup underway, the future of the nation hanging in
the balance. The Event, winner of the 2016 Michael Moore Award for Best Documentary Film at the Ann Arbor Film Festival, is brilliantly constructed from footage shot by eight
independent documentary filmmakers in St. Petersburg as people gathered in the streets,
expressing wonder, exuberance, and restlessness over the looming end to the Soviets
70-year-long rule. As co-opted radio stations stubbornly refused to play anything but
Tchaikovskys Swan Lake, news of the coup dtat and the potential collapse of the USSR
spread through word-of-mouth and pamphlets. Sergei Loznitsa allows the found footage
to speak for itself, creating a riveting time capsule that connects directly to conditions in
Russia today. In Russian with subtitles
THU 6 PM DUT | SUN 12 NOON DUT
SIXTY SIX
2015 | USA | NR | 90 min.

Directed by Lewis Klahr
Collage artist Lewis Klahrs breathtaking mash-up of popular culture, comic books, and
Greek mythology is a hypnotic dream of 60s and 70s pop. An anthology told in 12 chapters, the film largely uses stop-motion to animate images drawn from pulp magazines,
old advertisements, and comics. In one chapter, two versions of The Flash face off against
each other. In another, an aging blonde bombshell faces her decline. And in the climatic
finale, a scientist uses a mysterious injection to return to his youth. Each chapter is so rich
in detail, so meticulously assembled, its no surprise the film took 13 years to make. Klahrs
wondrous kaleidoscope of art, music, and provocative storylines makes Sixty Six one of
the most visually stunning and audacious films of the festival.
WED 6 PM DUT | FRI 9 PM DUT
AVANT GARDE
61
HEART OF A DOG
2015 | France, USA | NR | 75 min.

Directed by Laurie Anderson
Love, loss, and the powerful bond between humans and
dogs are at the heart of Laurie Andersons spellbinding
autobiographical documentary. Inventively moving between surreal animation, ethereal footage, and abstract
imagery, Heart of a Dog is a home movie of sortsif
home movies were crafted of songs, dreams, and memories. Andersons masterful storytelling skills are exquisitely deployed as she contemplates life in post-9/11
New York and the deaths of her beloved piano-playing
rat terrier Lolabelle, the mother who showed her love
only once in her life, and her late husband Lou Reed,
who surfaces fleetingly, like a ghost. Featuring music
composed by both Anderson and Reed, this impressionistic meditation on love, memory, language, and loss is
lyrically and wholly human.
WED 9 AM DUT | THU 9 PM DUT
FRI 12 NOON DUT | SAT 6 PM DUT | SUN 3 PM DUT
TERRITORIO
2016 | USA, Ecuador | NR | 65 min.

Directed by Alexandra Cuesta
Part lush travelogue, part dreamlike meditation on
geography and space, artist and filmmaker Alexandra Cuesta takes us on an unforgettable exploration
of the geography and people of her native Ecuador
in Territorio. She follows the path taken by French
avant garde poet Henri Michaux in 1927, as recounted
in his Ecuador: A Travel Journal. Beginning with an
approach by sea, and continuing across the mountains
before descending into the jungle, this spectacular,
atmospheric journey through Ecuador is a temporal
experience rooted in the soul-revealing portraits she
creates of people she meets along the way. As Cuesta
retraces Michauxs steps, she points her camera toward
her own country for the first time, encountering Ecuadors rich and ever-varying terrain and people as things
both elusively foreign and intimately familiar. In Spanish
with subtitles
WED 3 PM DUT | THU 9 AM DUT
FRI 6 PM DUT | SAT 9 PM DUT
64
MICHIGANDERS MAKE MOVIES
DO NOT RESIST
2016 | USA | NR | 72 min.

Directed by Craig Atkinson
America has never been better-equipped to go to war
with its own citizens. In cities and towns across America, police forces are acquiring military-grade weapons
and vehicles to go along with rapidly improving surveillance and facial recognition technology. With incredible
access, this eye-opening documentary from director
Craig Atkinson (a Royal Oak, MI native) offers an on-theground look at the state of American policingfrom
protests in Ferguson, to heavily-armed SWAT teams issuing warrants, to drug raids in rural communities in the
South. We also meet Dave Grossman, Americas number
one trainer of US military and local law enforcement
personnel, who specializes in Killology. This deeply disturbing film on the rapid militarization of our countrys
police force, and the widening gap between citizens and
those meant to protect us, impressed Tribecas audience
so deeply that it won their Audience Award. Scheduled
to Appear: Director Craig Atkinson.
THU 3 PM OTP
GENERATION STARTUP
2016 | USA | NR | 93 min.

Directed by Cynthia Wade, Cheryl Miller Houser
Entrepreneurship has reached an all-time low in
Americaand its particularly challenged in economically
depressed communities. But as the six real-life stars of
Generation Startup prove, places like Detroit are still
attracting hardworking young people who are willing
to risk everything to get their dreams off the ground.
Follow six recent college graduates through their dayto-day hurdles, setbacks, successes, hopes, and despairs
as they attempt to carve out a career path in Detroits
growing startup industry. While documenting the
would-be moguls uphill climbs, the directors also explore
an intriguing new identity for Michigans struggling
metropolis: an innovative launching pad for Americas next
great economy-changing ideas. Do you have a business or
product idea kicking around in the back of your head? This
rousing documentary might just inspire you to take the
leap. In Person: Directors Cynthia Wade and Cheryl
Miller Houser, Subjects.
SUN 3 PM BIJOU
MEN OF SPARTA
2016 | USA | NR | 56 min.

Directed by Bob Apisa
Go green, go white, go see this riveting true story of
courage, race, and one unforgettable football game.
Michigan State University Coach Duff Daugherty upended college football by standing against the hatred
and discrimination of the 1960s and recruiting black
players. The fully integrated 1964 Spartan team stormed
the nation as two-time undefeated National Champions.
Their historic run culminated with the 1966 Game of
the Century, an epic clash of ideologies between the
integrated MSU and lily-white Notre Dame squads that
reverberated in sports and politics for decades to come.
Director Bob Apisa, a former All-American Spartan,
employs his own on-the-field recollections and unseen
footage from Daughertys personal vault to bring this
electric era to life. You wont need to be a Spartan to
swell with pride during this startlingly resonant telling
of a great chapter in sports history, making its world
premiere in TC. In Person: Director Bob Apisa.
SUN 12 NOON MIL
WALK WITH ME:

THE TRIALS OF DAMON J. KEITH
2016 | USA, Canada | NR | 90 min.

Directed by Jesse Nesser
We are proud to welcome US 6th Circuit Appeals Court Judge Damon J. Keith, a Detroit civil rights icon who has influenced the course of the nation with his legal rulings.
In his 94 years, Judge Keith has gone from Detroit-born janitor to preeminent federal
judge, while his country transitioned from a land with a segregated army, in which he
served, to a country led by an African-American Commander-in-Chief. Director Jesse
Nesser brings us the extraordinary life story of one of Detroits most celebrated sons.
He was mentored by Thurgood Marshall, welcomed Nelson Mandela to the Motor City,
called Rosa Parks a friend, and his landmark legal decisions forever changed America by
confronting discrimination in areas of jobs, housing, education, and law enforcement.
Told through interviews with luminaries including activist Julian Bond, US Rep. John
Conyers, and former Detroit Tiger Willie Horton, Judge Keiths life story gives us a
unique window into the history of our state and our country. We will be proud to walk
with him through a century of changes. In Person: Director Jesse Nesser, Subject
Judge Damon J. Keith, Producer Mitch Albom.
SAT 3 PM MIL | SUN 3:30 PM LARS
MICHIGANDERS MAKE MOVIES
65
MSU PRESENTS: SORTA LATE
2016 | USA | NR
A late night talk show in Detroit has hired a new group of fresh-faced interns. The smalltime production is turned upside down as two local celebrities vie for the role of host, and
the quirky but driven interns get their first taste of the chaotic and unpredictable world
of the entertainment industry. Who will be the king or queen of Sorta Late? For the
second year in a row, MSUs Theatre 2 film project brings a student-created full-length
feature film to TCFF. This project is a collaboration between the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, College of Arts and Letters, and College of Music. More than 100
passionate and enthusiastic students served as actors, directors, editors, composers, producers, and art directors. Come support the exciting and fresh talent behind this production, which is as ambitious as it is hilarious. In Person: MSU Student Filmmakers.
WED 12 NOON OTP
SHORTS BY MSU STUDENTS

For the third year at the TCFF, we are joined by four outstanding short films from student
filmmakers at Michigan State University. In Trevor Ferlas BLACKTOP, an overworked,
mentally exhausted paramedic happens upon a mysterious woman whose guidance spirals
his troubled mind toward a final sense of peace. From Flint by Izak Gracy and Jenna
Ange tells the story of the Flint Water Crisis from the perspectives of activists on the
ground who have experienced it firsthand. Extreme athletes of diverse forms face big
challenges and relentless environments in Jennifer Berggrens Run, Jump, Paddle. And
#LendMIHand, also by Izak Gracy, follows MSU students as they mentor homeless youth
in Lansing and build a media campaign to encourage others to pay it forward. In Person:
MSU Student Filmmakers.
FRI 3 PM BUZZ
BLACKTOP
Trevor Ferla
2016 | USA | 26 min.
RUN, JUMP, PADDLE

Jennifer Berggren
2016 | USA | 26 min.
FROM FLINT: VOICES OF A

POISONED CITY
Izak Gracy, Jenna Ange
2016 | USA | 23 min.
#LENDMIHAND
Izak Gracy
2015 | USA | 13 min.
SHORTS BY U-M STUDENTS

The University of Michigan Department of Screen Arts & Cultures returns to the TCFF
with their annual program of two shorts showcasing some of our states top young filmmaking talent. With the aid of a memory recall solution, Denny, a recovering alcoholic,
trades his present and future to go back to the past to get things right with the love of his
life in director Ryan McDonoughs Present Day. And in Claudia Fuentes The Dejects,
Ivy gets rejected from her dream school, and her classmates seek to give her the high
school experience she never had, forcing Ivy to finally question the madness of the college
acceptance game. In Person: U-M Student Filmmakers.
THU 12 NOON OTP
PRESENT DAY
Ryan McDonough
2016 | USA | 27 min.
THE DEJECTS
Claudia Fuentes
2016 | USA | 30 min.
66
SHORTS PROGRAMS
SHORTS: ART

Drawing, painting, documentary, animation, and virtual reality blend together in this colorful mix
of films about putting vision to page (or screen, or sculpture). The prolific and visceral activist pencil
drawings of Laurie Lipton, largely ignored by the art world, receive their due in Love Bites; director
Lisanne Skyler explores the definition of art by following the trail of her familys Andy Warhol piece
over 40 years in Brillo Box (3 off); a renowned Disney animator demonstrates the new world of
virtual reality drawing in Step into the Page; and in MissMe: The Artful Vandal, a successful advertising art director quits to become an anonymous underground street artist, working in opposition to
the world in which she once lived.
WED 12 NOON MIL
BRILLO BOX (3 OFF)

Lisanne Skyler
2016 | USA | 40 min.
M SEEKING W
Marina Moshkova
2015 | France | 12 min.
I AM A PENCIL
Joe DArcy
2015 | Australia | 6 min.
STEP INTO THE PAGE

Ashley Rodholm
2015 | USA | 5 min.
MISSME:
THE ARTFUL VANDAL
Mohammad Gorjestani
2015 | USA | 4 min.
LOVE BITE: LAURIE LIPTON

AND HER DISTURBING
BLACK & WHITE DRAWINGS
James Scott
2016 | UK | 34 min.
STEMS
Ainslie Henderson
2015 | UK | 3 min.
SHORTS: BEST OF FESTS

Our favorite award-winning dramatic short narratives from around the world are packed into this
inspiring best-of program. A young cellist must overcome fear in order to keep her position in an orchestra in Hold On (Best Short Narrative, Tribeca); Salman Rushdie narrates a story of class, dictatorship, and an overthrow in Concerning the Bodyguard; an eight-year-old girl struggles to find her
place when father brings a new family home to join his old one in Mother(s) (Jury Award, Sundance);
a local girls efforts to help an immigrant shes fallen for have unforseen consequences in Balcony
(Crystal Bear Winner, Berlin); and in Over, mysterious events in an average neighborhood play out in
reverse. Scheduled to Appear: Director Jrn Threlfall (Over).
SAT 12 NOON OTP
HOLD ON
Charlotte Scott-Wilson
2016 | Netherlands | 22 min.
BALCONY
Toby Fell-Holden
2015 | UK | 17 min.
HOW WAS YOUR DAY?

Damien ODonnell
2015 | Ireland | 14 min.
OVER
Jrn Threlfall
2015 | UK | 14 min.
THINGS USED
TO BE HIDDEN
Tara Mercedes Wood
2015 | UK | 4 min.
NKOSI COIFFURE
Frederike Migom
2015 | Belgium | 14 min.
MOTHER(S)
Maimouna Doucour
2015 | France | 21 min.
CONCERNING THE
BODYGUARD
Kasra Farahani
2015 | USA | 11 min.
SHORTS PROGRAMS
67
SHORTS: FISH OUT OF WATER

Sometimes life puts you out of your element, and sometimes you choose to venture there yourself.
It may not always pay off, but its always an interesting journey in these award-winning short docs.
Two Polish bros with no experience decide to get rich farming escargot in Snails; the man behind
the gritty voice of the first gay-themed country album, released 40 years ago, recounts his journey in
These C*cksucking Tears (Best Short Doc, SXSW); the losingest horse in history becomes a bright
pink ray of hope for an economically challenged Japan in The Shining Star of Losers Everywhere
(Best Short Doc, Hot Docs); and in Sundance Jury Award-winner Bacon & Gods Wrath, a 90-yearold Jewish woman reflects on her life as she prepares to try bacon for the first time.
THU 12 NOON MIL
SNAILS
Grzegorz Szczepaniak
2015 | Poland | 30 min.
FREE LIKE THE BIRDS

Paola Mendoza
2016 | USA | 9 min.
SMALL TALK
Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell
2016 | USA | 6 min.
PICKLE
Amy Nicholson
2015 | USA | 15 min.
THESE C*CKSUCKING
TEARS
Dan Taberski
2016 | USA | 16 min.
THE SHINING STAR OF

LOSERS EVERYWHERE
Mickey Duzyj
2016 | USA, Japan | 18 min.
BACON & GODS WRATH

Sol Friedman
2015 | Canada | 9 min.
SHORTS: FRIENDS INDEED

Whether they stand against the metaphorical force of social injustice or the literal force of a bullet,
the heroes in this program remind us how much one person can do to change the lives of others. The
staggering challenges of Philadelphias volunteer clinic for immigrants are balanced with individual
human victories in Clnica de Migrantes; scenes of tragedy tell a powerful story of seemingly inevitable violence in Speaking is Difficult; European tourists and Syrian refugees on the Greek island of
Lesbos sit down for casual conversations about their contrasting lives in The Island of All Together;
and in Joes Violin, a small gift connects the story of a Holocaust survivors past to a 12-year-old
schoolgirls future. Scheduled to Appear: Producer Raphaela Neihausen (Joes Violin).
SUN 12 NOON BIJ
CLNICA DE MIGRANTES:
LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Maxim Pozdorovkin
2016 | USA | 39 min.
SPEAKING IS DIFFICULT
AJ Schnack
2016 | USA | 15 min.
THE ISLAND OF
ALL TOGETHER
Philip Brink,
Marieke van der Velden
JOES VIOLIN
Kahane Cooperman
2016 | USA | 24 min.
68
SHORTS PROGRAMS
SHORTS: ITS COMPLICATED

Its not just boy meets girl in these funny and philosophical shorts that challenge our conventional ideas about relationships and intimacy. A family beach vacation takes an awkward and funny turn
when the dad (Timothy Busfield, The West Wing) confesses his true feelings, and his wife (Melissa
Gilbert, Little House on the Prairie) reacts unexpectedly in One Smart Fellow; when a couple
decides to divorce, and declares that they have never been happier together, their friends seek the
connection between their own marriage and happiness in We Are Happy; Cuddling With Strangers
explores the developing industry of non-sexual snuggling services, aimed at alleviating loneliness; and
a brother (Kevin Nealon) and sister (Elizabeth Perkins) come up with the perfect birthday gift for their
father (Ed Asner) in Super Sex, directed by TCFF regular Matthew Modine.
In Person: Director Timothy Busfield and actress Melissa Gilbert.
FRI 3 PM OTP
WE ARE HAPPY
Matt Winn
2016 | UK | 17 min.
ONE SMART FELLOW

Timothy Busfield,
Tommy Lohmann
2015 | USA | 44 min.
SUPER SEX
Matthew Modine
2016 | USA | 9 min.
CUDDLING WITH STRANGERS

Sara Joe Wolansky
2016 | USA | 17 min.
SHORTS: LOVE & MARRIAGE & BABY CARRIAGE

These hilarious and touching stories are about men, women, parents, children, best friends, and the
humor that comes from navigating these day-to-day relationships, from age seven to seventy. Set in
the family hatchback, Pearl tells the life story of a father and daughter using striking animation and
music; Danny DeVito directs and stars in Curmudgeons about two senior citizens whose relationship
shocks their families; a big-hearted stranger turns an accidental pet death into a little girls adventure
in Madam Black; two septuagenarians manifest their petty judgments of others into a darkly comical
plan in Ernestine & Kit; and a fathers attempt to share a harsh reality with his daughter backfires
uproariously in The Talk.
SAT 3 PM BUZZ
MADAM BLACK
Ivan Barge
2015 | New Zealand | 11 min.
A TEACHABLE MOMENT
Jason Jeffrey
SO GOOD TO SEE YOU

Duke Merriman
2016 | USA | 9 min.
A SUBWAY STORY
Eugene Kolb
2015 | USA | 5 min.
CURMUDGEONS
Danny DeVito
2016 | USA | 16 min.
THE ORCHESTRA
Mikey Hill
ERNESTINE & KIT

Simon Bird
2015 | UK | 11 min.
THE TALK
Joe Otting
2016 | USA | 8 min.
PEARL
Patrick Osborne
2016 | USA | 6 min.
AVANT GARDE SHORTS
69
SHORTS: ANIMATED AT THE ANN ARBOR FILM FESTIVAL

For 53 years, the Ann Arbor Film Festival has brought remarkable cinematic experiences to experimental film lovers. And since 2010, we have brought our favorites from their comprehensive selection
Up North. This year, we present ten shorts reflecting diverse approaches to the fine art of animation.
We begin with Herman, a rat who enjoys heavy drinking, loud grind music, and chess, until a tidy cat
with a weakness for messy macho-men decides to move in with her vacuum cleaner and classical music record collection. And we end with LOVE, a film in three chapters describing affection through
an impact on a distant solar system. In between, Bottom Feeders try to make it through the day; an
abandoned child grows up with wolves after his mother rescues him from a violent father in Daewit;
and Edmond journeys backwards through life while contemplating his options lakeside. In Person:
Leslie Raymond, Executive Director, Ann Arbor Film Festival.
WED 9 PM DUT | SAT 12 NOON DUT
LIFE WITH HERMAN H. ROTT

Chintis Lundgren
2015 | Denmark | 11 min.
BOTTOM FEEDERS
Matt Reynolds
2015 | USA | 3 min.
ISLANDERS REST
Claudius Gentinetta, Frank Braun
2015 | Switzerland | 18 min.
PHANTASMATA
Grace Shin
2015 | USA | 5 min.
DAEWIT
David Jansen
2015 | Germany | 15 min.
THE SLEEPWALKER
Theodore Ushev
EDMOND
Nina Gantz
2015 | UK | 10 min.
PEARL PISTOLS
Kelly Gallagher
2014 | USA | 3 min.
LOVE
Rka Bucsi
2016 | Hungary, France | 14 min.
CATHODE GARDEN
Janie Geiser
2015 | USA | 8 min.
SHORTS: STRANGE PLANET

Making the familiar unfamiliar and the familiar revealed is the common thread in this program of our
favorite award-winning avant garde shorts from the past year. In the beginning, with We Chose the
Milky Way, Eva Marie Rdbro pays an anthropological visit to a mysterious tribe of young girls on a
planet called Earth, emerging with a blinged-out, hip hop, social-realist, scifi doc version of Spring
Breakers, where everything is artificial, except friendships. And at the end, we trace the fascinating
material biography of road salt from Chiles Atacama Desert to the ice-covered streets of America.
Along the way, we visit a Dragstrip; learn how to make women look dead in What Happened to
Her; hear statements of universal truth laced with wry humor in Welcome to David Wojnarowicz
Week; and imagine the 400,000 refugees who flee war, persecution, and poverty each year against a
hypnotic factory backdrop. Prepare to be mesmerized.
THU 3 PM DUT | FRI 3 PM DUT | SUN 9 PM DUT
WE CHOSE
THE MILKY WAY
Eva Marie Rdbro
2015 | Denmark | 26 min.
WELCOME TO DAVID
WOJNAROWICZ WEEK
Steve Reinke
2016 | USA, Canada | 14 min.
FUNDIR
Allison Cekala
2016 | USA | 22 min.
DRAGSTRIP
Daniel Claridge and Pacho Velez
2016 | USA | 4 min.
IRREGULARS
Fabio Palmieri
2015 | Italy | 9 min.
NEIGE
David Redmon & Ashley Sabin
2016 | Canada, UK | 6 min.
WHAT HAPPENED TO HER

Kristy Guevara-Flanagan
2016 | USA | 15 min.
KIDS FEST
71
The under-12 set just cant get enough of Kids Fest,

and its easy to see why! With great movies, popcorn,
and activities galore, there is simply no better place
to spend a summer day than at our FREE lawn party.
After the $1 family movies at Lars Hockstad
WednesdaySaturday, join us from 11 am to 2 pm on
the beautiful lawn outside for games, arts and crafts,
performances, bubbles, sports, food, giveaways, and
much more. Bring some sunscreen and kids who are
ready to have fun. The smiles are on us!
MOVIES
DRAMA STAGE
FLIP BOOKS
CASTLE CRAWL
TINY TOTS AREA

COSTUMES
MUSIC
FREE POPCORN
PASSPORTS
Take a journey around the world without leaving TC!

Come to the daily $1 movies during Kids Fest, and collect
stamps from the countries featured in the Kids Fest films.
Collect stamps from all four days, and youll be entered
into a drawing for prizes!
This year travel to Australia,

France, Germany, and Japan!
72
KIDS FEST
PHANTOM BOY
2015 | France, Belgium | NR | 84 min.

Directed by Jean-Loup Felicioli, Alain Gagnol
Hes eleven, hes invisible, he can fly, and hes
got 24 hours to save New York. Leo is a brave
11-year-old with a serious illness, a loving family,
a heart like a lion, and a superhero talent: he can
float free of his body and roam his home city of
New York at will. When a mobster with a face like
a Picasso painting takes New York hostage, locking up its computers with a virus and demanding
a huge sum of money, Leo teams up with a police
officer who is recovering in the hospital where he
is undergoing chemotherapy, and uses his unique
gift to follow suspects, report on criminal activities, and, ultimately, get the bad guys. The makers
of A Cat in Paris (TCFF 2011) have created a
warm, whimsical detective story that will delight
tweens and entertain adults. In English. Contains
detective and gangster genre cartoon violence, and
illness-based thematic elements.
THU 9:30 AM LARS
9 10 11 12 13 14
Recommended Ages
SHORTS FOR KIDS 4+

Kids ages 4 and up will love this program of films from around the world about imaginary friends, mechanical boys, Oscar-nominated stoplights, puppet bands, and wagon rides to worlds of fantasy.
WED 9:30 AM LARS
SHINY
Daniel Cloud Campos,
Spencer Susser
2016 | USA | 4 min.
EXCLAMATION MARK
Virginia Wilkos
2014 | USA | 7 min.
THE ESCAPE
Carter Boyce
2015 | USA | 5 min.
TINYS NEW HOME

Justin Hayward
2015 | USA | 7 min.
THE LONELIEST STOPLIGHT

Bill Plympton
2015 | USA | 6 min.
(OTTO)
Job, Joris & Marieke
THE SLEEPWALKER
Theodore Ushev
DAISY CHAIN
Galvin Scott Davis
STEMS
Ainslie Henderson
2015 | UK | 3 min.
POWERS OF TEN
Charles Eames, Ray Eames
1977 | USA | 9 min.
THE GIRL WHO SPOKE CAT

Dotty Kultys
2014 | UK, Poland | 6 min.
TAKING FLIGHT
Brandon Oldenburg
2015 | USA | 6 min.
AGE OF OBSCURE
Mirai Mizue, Hana Ono
2015 | Japan | 3 min.
VIOLET
Maurice Joyce
2015 | Ireland | 8 min.
Recommended Ages
KIDS FEST
73
ODDBALL
2015 | Australia | G | 95 min.

Directed by Stuart McDonald
Oddball is an adorable sheepdog who just will not
listen. Hes supposed to protect Farmer Swampy
Marshs chickens from prowling foxes, but instead,
his main pastime is tearing through town and
knocking things overhes number one on the
Warrnambool dogcatchers most wanted list.
But when the oceanside town is threatened by
potential closure of the penguin sanctuary that
financially supports most of the towns inhabitants, including Farmer Marshs daughter, Oddball
becomes an unexpected hero. Turns out, Oddball
does have a knack for protecting flightless birds,
so long as theyre black and white. Grab the whole
family and treat them to one of the sweetest,
cutest films you ever will see, complete with an
environmental message and (spoiler alert) a very
happy ending. And the best part? Its a true story!
SAT 9:30 AM LARS
Recommended Ages
SHORTS FOR ALL KIDS

What do you get when you mix walking sushi, singing cows, puppet scientists, Taoist mice, and a
world-famous pigeon? An exceptional shorts program for our youngest film fans!
FRI 9:30 AM LARS
LIGHT MOTIF
Frdric Bonpapa
2014 | France | 5 min.
GENIUS EXPO
Mirai Mizue
2015 | Japan | 6 min.
STO[NE]S
Marcin Gizycki
2015 | Poland | 2 min.
THE DUCKLING GETS

A COOKIE
Pete List
2014 | USA | 8 min.
HEAD UP!
Gottfried Mentor
LAMBS
Gottfried Mentor
SOME THING
Elena Walf
THE TEENY-WEENY FOX

Aline Quertain, Sylwia Szkiladz
2015 | France | 8 min.
ARIA FOR A COW

Dan Lund
2015 | USA | 7 min.
CABALLITO DE MAR
Yenny Santamara Amado
2014 | Colombia | 4 min.
SKY HIGH
Stewart Powers
2015 | UK | 2 min.
PAWO
Antje Heyn
FRIDGE PRINCESS
Tale Linh Do, Michelle Oh,
Ruby Xia
KONIGIRI-KUN
Mari Miyazawa
2015 | Japan | 5 min.
ENTRANCE EXAM
Boqing Tang, Xiaolan Zeng
2013 | China | 7 min.
NO BONGO TING KWA KWA
Walter Santucci
2015 | USA | 2 min.
Recommended Ages
74
FILM SCHOOL
FILM
SCHOOL
Returning to Scholars Hall

thanks to the generous support
of Northwestern Michigan
College, our Film School
offers twice-daily sessions
featuring visiting filmmakers
and professionals sharing their
insights and experiences with
students and film lovers of all
ages. Tickets are only $5 per
class. Class topics and instructors
are subject to change.
Wednesday
12 NOON | PITCH SESSION
Jim Burnstein, Director of Screenwriting Program,

University of Michigan
If youve ever thought to yourself, This would make a great

movie!and thought you might like to do something about
itheres your chance to pitch your story to an accomplished writer who has taken his own story ideas to the finish
line. Whether its an original narrative that hit you out of the
blue, a true story that happened to somebody you know, or
a great book that somehow never found its way to the silver
screenall you need for this special pitch session is a couple
of sentences that capture your idea, and Michigan-based Hollywood screenwriter Jim Burnstein (Renaissance Man, D3:
The Mighty Ducks) will help you develop your movie kernel,
and explain how you can take it from there.
3 PM |
MAKING MOVIES IN MICHIGAN
Michigan Film Industry Professionals
Take it from our panel of experts: theres no better place to

make a film than in the beautiful state of Michigan. Learn how
to legally protect your idea, develop your project, attract funding, identify talent, and put together a Michigan-based production team. Drawing on the experiences and lessons of successful films made in Michigan, the panel will provide a realistic and
insightful overview for anyone looking to create and produce a
film here, using brief presentations, a step-by-step guide, and
questions from the audience. Presented by the Michigan Film &
Digital Media Office.
Thursday
12 NOON |
MUSIC IN FILM: THEN AND NOW
Grammy-Nominated Composer David Joseph Wesley
Music has been an essential part of the art of cinema since the
earliest days of filmthe movies have never truly been silent.
And it is the soundtrack, perhaps even more than the image,
that makes us laugh, cry, and cheer at the movies. As part of
our State Theatre Centennial celebration, Grammy-nominated
composer David Joseph Wesley will take us on a journey
through the history of music in film, from the 1920s when
musicians performed live in classic movie palaces, to modern
musical collaborations between some of cinemas greatest
filmmakers and composers. No previous musical knowledge is
required. Whether youre a filmmaker or a film fan, this audible
trip through time is for you.
MR. MANNERS:
FILM ETIQUETTE ON SET
3 PM |
Director Rich Brauer
No director wants to experience a Christian Bale-style tantrum

thrown by cast or crew. This panel will help you head off such
catastrophes by exploring the importance of treating actors,
crew, and location owners with respect and consideration.
TCFF 2009 Michigan Filmmaker Award winner and nicest guy
in the biz Rich Brauer will bring years of experience to this
insightful crash course on how to run a professional set so
that you can get the jobs, actors, crew, and locations you want.
Learn how to get things done and maintain a schedule while
still having plenty of fun on set.
Wednesday & Thursday

2:45 PM | YOUNG FILMMAKERS WORKSHOP: CLAYMATION ANIMATION
Ages 7-11 years
Animate your own clay creations and make a short film that will be shown on Saturday before the Kids Fest
shorts program! Students will design and bring 3D claymation characters to life in this two-day workshop
presented by Blackbird Arts. You can read more about their additional workshopsincluding off-site, two-day
claymation animation camps for middle and high school studentsat blackbirdartstc.com.
FILM SCHOOL
Friday
12 NOON |
ACTING FOR THE CAMERA 5.0
Robert Rayher, Screen Arts & Cultures Lecturer,

University of Michigan, and Pamela Guest,
Casting Director-Actor
Our perennially popular U-M acting class is back with a new

spin, exploring the relationship between director and actor that
is the key to eliciting unique and powerful performances on
film. Learn how directors and actors with different backgrounds,
languages, and training styles can collaborate on set through
shared sensitivity, intelligence, and a willingness to listen.
The focus of this years workshop is finding ways to bring the
technical, external directors perspective together with the
emotional, inner storytelling of the actors approach in order to
create the best possible work.
3 PM |
STRIKING THE RIGHT CHORDS
Bill Withem, Composer and Instructor of Music,

and Geri Alumit Zeldes, Associate Professor,
Michigan State University
Composing music for film is part instinctual channeling of

emotion, and part design through technique. This session will
dissect the collaborative process between composers and
documentary filmmakers, which relies on clear communication in order to strike the right chords and achieve the right
feel. Composer Bill Withem and documentary filmmaker Geri
Alumit Zeldes will share the best practices for combining
emotion and science to underscore silence, ideas, and action
in film projects, gleaned from their collaborations on nearly a
half-dozen documentary films.
Saturday
Sunday
Oscar-winning Filmmaker Michael Moore and

Documentary Filmmaker Kirsten Johnson
Director Rich Brauer
THE BASICS OF
DSLR FILMMAKING
3 PM |
CONSEQUENCES FOR ALL

WITH MICHAEL MOORE AND
KIRSTEN JOHNSON
12 NOON |
Join a personal and revealing conversation with two awardwinning filmmakers who have truly seen it all. Oscar winner
Michael Moore (Where to Invade Next) and Kirsten
Johnson (Cameraperson) have worked together on
Fahrenheit 9/11, witnessed countless tragedies, and found
themselves in dangerous situations that put their lives at risk.
But what happens when the cameras stop rolling? This class
will shine light on a rarely-discussed side of the documentary
process: the consequences over time both for the people
filmed and the filmmakers.
3 PM |
Eric Limarenko, Assistant Professor, and

Aaron Jones, Video Unit Head & Instructor,
Central Michigan University
The low-budget DSLR camera system has opened doors to

a whole new generation of filmmakers, putting professionallooking cinematography within the reach of everyone who
has a true passion for filmmaking. Get an introduction to the
DSLR world of products, discover hints and techniques in
pre-production, lens choice, and post-production procedures,
and find out how to take your films to the next levelwithout
breaking your budget.
75
THE DOS AND DO KNOTS

OF FILMING IN CHALLENGING
ENVIRONMENTS
12 NOON |
In a Film School first, well take you out of the classroom

and on location for an exclusive film class on the Inland Seas.
Set sail on beautiful Grand Traverse Bay, and gain hands-on
experience from filmmaker extraordinaire Rich Brauer as he
shows you the ropes of filming in challenging environments.
Learn how to think on your feet, techniques for getting the
shot when Mother Nature is calling the shots, and how to
prepare for the unpredictability of working outdoors and at
sea. This session will be cancelled only in the event of high winds
or lightning; rain and cold will not deter us.
THE FEATURE FILMMAKING OF A

TEENAGE GIRL
Directors Bailey Webber and Mike Webber
If you have a passion for filmmaking, youre never too

young to step behind the camera. Take a page from Bailey
Webbers book in this course, as the high school-aged
filmmaker behind the acclaimed documentary The Student
Body (TCFF 2015) returns to TC to share her inspiring
story of transformation from shy teenager to outspoken
activist and award-winning filmmaker. Class topics will range
from concept development to documentary storytelling,
production funding, distribution, and activism through film.
Baileys father Mike Webber, director of The Elephant in the
Living Room (TCFF 2010), will co-present.
PANELS
PANELS
Join our visiting filmmakers

from Hollywood, New York, and
abroad as they share their best
moviemaking stories, mixing
it up with each other and the
audience. Panels begin at 9:30
am WednesdaySunday at the
City Opera House. Panel topics are subject to change, and
are free and open to the public.
Tickets are not issued. Check
tcff.org for up to date panelist
announcements.
77
Wednesday
Friday
Has there ever been a year when weve needed

such a massive dose of nonfiction to counteract
the boatload of crazy confronting us? Do we even
need to state the obvious? What the hell is going
on? We kick off the first full day of the festival with
our popular documentary panel featuring a slew
of nonfiction filmmakers who have nothing to lose
by spilling the beans on all the madness. Hosted by
TCFF head honcho/doco-Zapata Michael Moore.
Please arrive early to get your seat for this historic

summit of the female filmmakers behind some of
the years most amazing and brilliant films. These
incredible directors will discuss how they do what
they do, and what has to change so that we can
see more of them do it. The revolution has to
start somewhereso why not on a Friday morning in Traverse City?
COME TO THE DOC SIDE
Thursday
MEN MAKE MOVIES

THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES
Weve all heard the stories about how hard it is

for men to get their movies made in Hollywood.
Far too often, studio executives turn a deaf ear to
worthwhile films full of car chases and things that
explode, and coming-of-age screenplays are rejected for their over-sensitivity to what boys have to
go through to make their voices heard. Our panel
will feature the few token men who made it here
this year with their excellent filmsand we expect a
lively exchange about the struggles theyve endured.
A once-in-a-lifetime TCFF panel.
WHO LET THE WOMEN IN?
Saturday
THE COMEDY PANEL
Because theres nothing a little laughter cant

fix, join directors Sophie Goodheart (My Blind
Brother), Logan Kibbens (Operator), Timothy
Busfield (One Smart Fellow), and Ryland
Aldrich (Folk Hero & Funny Guy), along with
comedians Doug Benson and Geoff Tate, as
they offer up wisecracks, witticisms, humor, and
repartee, and explore the funny business of
making comedy. This panel is a cherished festival
tradition. We promise youll leave happier than
you were when you entered!
Sunday
ONE-ON-ONE WITH ???
Traditionally, on festival Sunday, Michael Moore

sits down with a filmmaking legend for a candid
conversation about a storied career lived in the
movies. Stay tuned for an announcement about
the next luminary who will join the ranks of Wim
Wenders, Susan Sarandon, Michael Apted, Paul
Feig, and Roger Corman!

2016 Traverse City Film Festival Guide

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STATE THEATRE CENTENNIAL 1916-2016

100 YEARS of CINEMA

TO THIS YEARS TRAVERSE

stories from the majority of the population? Are we ever better

PUBLICATION DESIGN BY TCFF ART DIRECTOR:

Tickets: Regular admission $12

JULY 26 - 31, 2016 | TRAVERSE CITY FILM FESTIVAL

Folk Hero & Funny Guy..................................................................36

JULY 26 - 31, 2016 | TRAVERSE CITY FILM FESTIVAL

Your complete guide

OPENING NIGHT: Infinitely Polar Bear

OPENING NIGHT: Infinitely Polar Bear

(9:30 am) PANEL: Come to the Doc Side

(9:30 am) Shorts for Kids 4+

Women in Oversized Mens Shirts

MSU Presents: Sorta Late

(6:30 pm) Life, Animated

Equal Means Equal

Women Who Kill

Presenting Princess Shaw

Doug Loves Movies Podcast

One Wild Moment

Benson Movie Interruption:

(9:30 am) PANEL: Men Make Movies

The Last Laugh

(9:30 am) Phantom Boy

Disturbing the Peace

Shorts by U-M Students

(3:30 pm) Sand Storm

A Man Called Ove

The Pistol Shrimps

Shorts: Breaking Curfew

A Man Called Ove

(9:30 am) PANEL: Who Let the Women In?

Two Trains Runnin

(9:30 am) Shorts for All Kids

Where to Invade Next: Worldwide Event

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice

The Last Reel

FOOD ON FILM: Jeremiah Tower

Shorts: Its Complicated

Presenting Princess Shaw

Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru

Hell or High Water

Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You

Benson Movie Interruption:

(9:30 am) PANEL: The Comedy Panel

(9:30 am) Oddball

Shorts: Best of Fests

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Audrie & Daisy

Adult Life Skills

FOOD ON FILM: Cooking Up a Tribute

Five Nights in Maine

The Brand New Testament

Unlocking the Cage

Folk Hero & Funny Guy

(9:30 am) PANEL: One-on-One

Houston, We Have a Problem

NATIVE AMERICAN MATINEE: Te Ata

Adult Life Skills

Man with a Movie Camera with the Alloy

FOOD ON FILM: Noma: My Perfect Storm