AADL Talks To: Frank Uhle, Film Projectionist, Author, and Cultural Historian

Thu, 01/22/2026 - 2:46pm

Frank Uhle came to the University of Michigan as an art student, joined the campus film society Cinema II, and has worked for several decades as a University of Michigan and Michigan Theater film projectionist. He also hosts a radio program at the local U-M independent radio station WCBN, and enjoys researching regional music history. In 2023, Frank penned the book Cinema Ann Arbor, which takes a look back at the history of Ann Arbor’s vibrant campus cinema culture from the 1960s through the turn of the 21st century. I talked with Frank about Ann Arbor’s love affair with cinema, from its early history to its cutting-edge film festivals; the maverick professors and students who built the vibrant campus film societies; and the cultural changes he's witnessed in Ann Arbor and in the film industry over the past several decades. 

Frank's book Cinema Ann Arbor is available in our catalog to check out or download. You can also read Frank's essay about legendary Ann Arbor record producer Ollie McLaughlin, written for AADL's Ann Arbor 200 project in celebration of the city's bicentennial.

The Ann Arbor Ozone Homecoming Parade

Mon, 03/11/2024 - 8:39pm

In 1972, the University of Michigan decided to cancel their homecoming parade due to lack of interest and dwindling attendance.  Into that vacuum stepped counterculture artists, musicians, filmmakers, and performers to create the Ozone Parade, a free-for-all that showcased the wild creativity of Ann Arbor in the 1970s.  In The Ann Arbor Ozone Homecoming Parade, filmmaker Terri Sarris takes us through the life of the parade through archival footage and the voices of participants and creators.  

And for more stories about the Ozone Parade, check out the 75-minute director's cut.

The Ann Arbor Ozone Homecoming Parade: The Director's Cut

Mon, 03/11/2024 - 8:39pm

In 1972, the University of Michigan decided to cancel their homecoming parade due to lack of interest and dwindling attendance.  Into that vacuum stepped counterculture artists, musicians, filmmakers, and performers to create the Ozone Parade, a free-for-all that showcased the wild creativity of Ann Arbor in the 1970s.  In The Ann Arbor Ozone Homecoming Parade, filmmaker Terri Sarris takes us through the life of the parade through archival footage and the voices of participants and creators.  

This is the director's cut of Sarris's 24-minute original created for Ann Arbor 200.

AADL Productions Podcast: Donald Harrison, Ann Arbor Film Festival

Sun, 03/08/2009 - 3:05pm

The 47th Ann Arbor Film Festival is right around the corner, so we asked the festival's Executive Director, Donald Harrison, to give us a preview of this year's offerings. He let us in on some of the interesting events planned for this year as well as talking about some of the filmmakers who will be showing their work and giving talks. Aside from this year's highlights, we also discussed how the festival has changed over the last few years and how they go about whittling down over 2600 submissions to just 200 films.