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Chasing Lights: Ann Arbor's Melissa Kaelin knows the secrets to seeing the aurora borealis right here in Michigan

by christopherporter

On the left is the book cover of Below the 45th Parallel featuring a shot of the aurora borealis; on the right is author Melissa Kaelin

You don't need to go to Tromsø, Norway to see the aurora borealis—even though the town, more than 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, is considered one of the best spots to view the natural phenomenon.

You don't even need to drive your car to the upper parts of Canada to see the northern lights, which occur when energized sun particles smash into the Earth's outer atmosphere and are redirected by the magnetic field toward the planet's poles. (Southern lights exist, too.)

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Sites and Sound: The Regenerate! Orchestra aims to fill the Ypsilanti Freighthouse with community-made music

by christopherporter

A black and white photo of J. Clay Gonzalez standing on top of a mountain with a river down below.

J. Clay Gonzalez's The Regenerate! Orchestra encourages music-making, no matter your skill level. Photo courtesy of the artist.

The Ypsilanti Freighthouse was built in 1878 to host train-bound goods.

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Take a Leap: Fifth Wall's new abstract chamber-rock opera "The Precipice" debuts at Riverside Arts in Ypsilanti

by christopherporter

Grey Rose Grant and Karl Ronneburg rehearse their original abstract rock-opera The Precipice.

Grey Rose Grant and Karl Ronneburg rehearse their original abstract rock-opera The Precipice. Photo courtesy of Fifth Wall Performing Arts.

Our lives are not static.

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No Restrictions: Independent Film Festival Ypsilanti returns with a full slate

by christopherporter

iFFY logo

When Martin Thoburn and Donald Harrison launched the Independent Film Festival Ypsilanti (iFFY) in 2020, they offered cinema fans socially distanced, drive-in-style screenings and a momentary reprieve from the pandemic, which had shuttered movie theaters across the country.

Three years later—and one year after finding a new home at the Riverside Arts Center—iFFY is solidifying its spot on the local film scene with an ambitious scope and schedule, running April 19-23. 

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Gilbert and Sullivan’s 1881 comic opera "Patience" skewers a popular art movement of the day—and the satire still stings

by christopherporter

Detail from the program cover for the Savoy Theatre's 1881 production of Patience

Detail from the program cover for the Savoy Theatre's 1881 production of Patience.

When Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta Patience opened on April 23, 1881, London’s Savoy Theatre had another hit from the popular duo. Patience had another witty and stinging libretto from W.S. Gilbert and a witty and lush score from Arthur Sullivan.

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Office Space: EMU’s “9 to 5: The Musical” Pays Homage to the Comedy Film and Celebrates Female Empowerment

by strattonl

Eastern Michigan University Theatre's show poster for 9 to 5: The Musical

EMU's production of 9 to 5: The Musical pays homage to the 1980 comedy film. Artwork courtesy of EMU's Department of Communication, Media & Theatre Arts.

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A Quick Guide to the 61st Ann Arbor Film Festival

by christopherporter

The Ann Arbor Film Fest (AAFF) is always a tornado of activity and it's sometimes hard to keep up—not just with all the great events and screenings but also the media coverage.

We've published three articles highlighting the 61st edition of this Ann Arbor institution, which runs March 21-26 in person and through March 29 online, and fellow media outlets have also been on the case. Plus, AAFF published a wonderful series of video interviews with several directors whose films will be shown.

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Sound "Waves": Chien-An Yuan plays off the screen at the Ann Arbor Film Festival

by christopherporter

A portrait of Chien-an Yuan

The Ann Arbor Film Festival celebrates collaboration. Sure, there are some movie mavericks who do everything themselves when creating a film, but it's usually a talented group of people combining their resources to create something special.

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A Portrait Study: Ann Arbor Film Festival highlights the Black, queer, experimental cinema of Edward Owens

by christopherporter

Edward Owens, with his hand on his bowed head, as seen in his film Remembrance: A Portrait Study

Edward Owens as seen in his film Remembrance: A Portrait Study.

Edward Owens' story may have been lost to history were it not for film programmer, writer, and Bard College professor Ed Halter.

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Societies of Cinema: Frank Uhle creates AADL exhibit, hosts a roundtable at the 61st Ann Arbor Film Fest discussing the cultural influence of campus film groups

by christopherporter

Portrait of Frank Uhle on the left; image of a Cinema Guild poster listing events, taken from the Cinema Ann Arbor-related exhibit at AADL.

Left: Frank Uhle photo by Amanda Uhle. Right: Cinema memorabilia seen in the AADL exhibit "Cinema Ann Arbor: Film Societies, Film Festivals, and Filmmaking in the Analog Era"; photo by Nate Pocsi-Morrison.

Frank Uhle's upcoming book, Cinema Ann Arbor, covers the entire scope of film history in the city, from the old theaters no longer with us to the students who went on to be famous moviemakers.