57th Ann Arbor Film Festival: Trailers for Friday, March 29 screenings

Mon, 03/18/2019 - 12:56pm by christopherporter

FRIDAY, MARCH 29 TRAILERS & EVENT LISTINGS:

57th Ann Arbor Film Festival: Trailers for Saturday, March 30 screenings

Mon, 03/18/2019 - 12:55pm by christopherporter

SATURDAY, MARCH 30 TRAILERS & EVENT LISTINGS:

57th Ann Arbor Film Festival: Trailers for Sunday, March 31 screenings

Mon, 03/18/2019 - 12:54pm by christopherporter

SUNDAY, MARCH 31 TRAILERS & EVENT LISTINGS:

Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series Winter 2019 lineup

Fri, 01/11/2019 - 1:00pm by christopherporter

U-M alumna Penny W. Stamps died from leukemia on Dec. 18, 2018, but her dedication to bringing arts and ideas to Ann Arbor community continues with the school and speaker series named in her honor.

The winter lineup of U-M Stamps School of Art & Design's Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series was announced Jan. 11 with 12 events, primarily at the Michigan Theater and many in conjunction with other performances and events at the university and in the community.

Immersive India: Rasa Festival celebrates arts and cultural from the subcontinent

Wed, 08/01/2018 - 1:00pm by christopherporter

Building a month-long festival from the ground up is challenging enough when it focuses solely on one artistic discipline, such as music.

But last year's inaugural Rasa Festival was a multidisciplinary party with performing, visual, literary, media/films, and culinary arts from India, presented in various Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti venues.

Middle School Memories: Bo Burnham's "Eighth Grade" at Cinetopia

Tue, 06/05/2018 - 12:00am by christopherporter

I saw nine films over four days at Southeast Michigan's annual Cinetopia film festival, beating my record of eight last year. While I enjoyed many of movies, the one I truly loved was opening night’s Eighth Grade.

The film follows 13-year-old Kayla during her final week of middle school as she tries to overcome her classmate’s perception of her as shy. The film won the Grand Jury Prize for Drama at Sundance and is Bo Burnham’s directorial debut. If you recognize that name, it may be from Burnham’s early 2000s YouTube videos, successful comedy specials, or supporting roles in recent films including The Big Sick and Rough Night. 

Film Studies: A preview of this year's Cinetopia movies in A2

Mon, 05/21/2018 - 1:45pm by christopherporter

Cinetopia's website states that its film festival, which features acclaimed movies from Sundance, Cannes, and more, was "created for the people of southeastern Michigan." 

That's cool, but for our Pulp preview, we're keeping it strictly provincial and have highlighted films playing in Ann Arbor at the Michigan and State theaters. (Click here for the full Cinetopia schedule.)

"Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun?" is a film about threats -- racial and otherwise

Thu, 04/05/2018 - 8:00am by christopherporter

“Trust me when I tell you this isn’t a white savior story. This is a white nightmare story.”
--Travis Wilkerson

Diaspora Dimensions: The films in URe:AD TV grapple with black representation

Tue, 04/03/2018 - 1:30pm by christopherporter

“The diaspora is a cultural continuum. An ever-evolving consideration of Blackness is its vehicle.”
--Ashley Stull Meyers

Ephraim Asili’s "Diaspora Suite" explores the influence of African culture throughout the world

Thu, 03/29/2018 - 11:30am by christopherporter

The first time that I really thought about the African diaspora was in college. During a Caribbean literature class, the concept of diaspora was ever present. Despite having taken several American history classes, considering the Caribbean diaspora is what led me to attempt to understand myself as a part of the African diaspora. 

Ephraim Asili’s Diaspora Suite -- shown March 22 at the Michigan Theater as part of the Ann Arbor Film Festival -- presented an excellent opportunity to examine someone else’s take on the topic. This collection of five films explores the interaction of past, present, and place it relates to the African diaspora. The films were shot in a variety of locations, among them Ethiopia, Harlem, Ghana, Philadelphia, Brazil, and Detroit.