Central Michigan International Film Festival to showcase impressive lineup of films
Wednesday night marked the open of the 2019 Central Michigan International Film Festival. This years festival brings in a healthy mix of powerful international documentaries, stunning period dramas, critically acclaimed films, and even a Made-In-Michigan feature film. Central Michigan University film students will own the spotlight on Saturday, as they tout their work on recent short films.
All-in-all, the 2019 Central Michigan International Film Festival boasts an exciting and diverse lineup of films not often seen in the Mid-Michigan region. Consider attending one of these fine films over the next few days and as always, support #MiFilmFestivals.
Exxodus Pictures project, My Soul to Keep, gets film festival debut at Central Michigan International Film Festival
Check out this MY SOUL TO KEEP Exclusive Trailer on JoBlo
From Michigan based Exxodus Pictures comes their latest feature film "My Soul To Keep" (MSTK). Directed and co-written by Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad, MSTK follows the story of Eli Braverman. Like many young children, Eli believes something evil lurks in his basement. One fateful night, Eli is left home alone to face his worst fear...and find if the horror is real, or all in his mind. MSTK will relate to anyone who thought (or still thinks) there's something lurking under their bed. Ahmad and producer and co-writer Justin Hynous wanted to capture the magic and fear of childhood. Hynous says "We definitely wanted to make a scary movie...but we wanted it to be one you could watch with your entire family." Richard Mandell and Najam Syed are executive producers and Yolanda Kennedy is producting MSTK along side Ahmad and Hynous.
My Soul To Keep is already getting industry attention as the trailer was premiered exclusively on Joblo.com on Feb 6th. Mike Sprague of Joblo writes "This exclusive trailer is slick as hell and boasts Ahmad as a potentially major new horror filmmaker to keep our eyes on. This movie looks to have style to burn and I dig it's HOME ALONE meets MONSTER SQUAD feel. Sounds good to me!". My Soul To Keep has also won the Award of Excellence at the 2019 Indiefest Film Festival. Indiefest writes "Suspenseful storytelling, superb sound design, tasteful vfx and a surprise ending."
Perhaps even more exciting is that MSTK is an official selection of the Horror Hound Film Festival in Cincinatti, Ohio. With an attendence of over 35,000 dedicated horror fans, it is the largest festival of its kind. Horror Hound festival director Jason Hignite writes "MSTK is a nightmare that delivers!". MSTK is kicking off its festival screenings on Feb 16th at the Central Michigan International Festival. MSTK is now also honored as an official selection of the Phoenix film festival and International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival.
Exxodus Pictures is an independent studio with heart, that has a unique and fresh perspective on things. They make movies, tv commercials, music videos, and even a 600hp supercar called the Firebreather! With over 8,000,000 hits on their Youtube content, we think you should check out some of their work after you watch the trailer for My Soul To Keep. If you're one of those that get scared easily, then take a look instead at the charitble documentary work Exxodus is doing around the world and in the U.S.. We'll put a few links below. You can also catch their previous feature film "Jinn" on Amazon Prime. Jinn was released theatrically around the world in 2014 as well as Netflix, blu-ray and other digital platforms.
Exxodus Pictures was founded in Michigan prior to the well publicized film incentive and the company is still here after. Exxodus is truly committed to building a real and sustainable film industry in Michigan with or without the help of incentives. Supporting a company like this is something all Michiganders should do. Their latest film is completely produced, shot, cast and finished all here in the Great Lake State. We ask that you follow My Soul To Keep on Facebook and Instagram and become a fan. Help Exxodus Pictures make more movies in the future and know that you were there when it all started. Links below.
It's the first project from a joint venture that Daniels formed with two well-known actors and ex-Michiganders, Timothy Busfield and Melissa Gilbert.
And while Daniels is the star of "Guest Artist," much of the cast comes from the Purple Rose Theatre Company that he founded in 1991.
"Regardless of where he is in the world, he's never far from his theater," says Purple Rose artistic director Guy Sanville, who served as casting director for the movie.
On Thursday, Deadline broke the news of a production company formed by Daniels, whose permanent home is in Chelsea, and Busfield and Gilbert, who moved to Brighton in 2013 soon after getting married and relocated to New York City about a year ago.
It is titled Grand River Productions, a name connected to the longest river in Michigan and the major Detroit avenue.
Daniels originally wrote "Guest Artist" in 2006 for Purple Rose. In the film version, he stars as a legendary, troubled playwright who's not too happy about staging his play in a small Michigan town when he meets an aspiring writer (Thomas Macias) out to make him stay.
Daniels, Busfield and Gilbert (aka Laura Ingalls Wilder in the classic series "Little House on the Prairie") produced the movie along with Tony-winning Broadway producer Michael Alden.
Busfield, the "thirtysomething" alum whose main focus now is helming prime-time TV shows, also directed it.
Filming took place in December 2017 at several iconic locations in Chelsea, including the town's historic depot.
Sanville says "Guest Artist" was a passion project for Daniels, who, like Busfield, threw his total commitment into the shoot.
"Watching these guys work, they're consummate professionals. ...To tell you the truth, it was very moving to be around people who care so much about what they're doing."
Besides Daniels, the best-known member of the cast is Erika Slezak of "One Life To Live" soap opera fame.
The other roles were filled mostly by the Purple Rose troupe, including the lead role of the aspiring writer opposite Daniels.
It went to Macias, a Purple Rose stage manager and aspiring actor, who asked Sanville if he could have a crack at auditioning.
Says Sanville, recalling the moment that took place in the theater offices, "I said, 'I'll make a deal. If you Xerox these (script) pages for me, I'll let you audition.' He was the last person to audition and he got the part."
Adds Sanville, "He'll be onstage next year if he doesn't become a movie star first."
"Guest Artist" also was a family affair for its makers. Two of Daniels' sons were part of the crew: Ben, who provided the music, and Lucas, who was a camera operator. Together, the two young men make music and commercial films at the Chelsea-based 2188 Studios.
Busfield's son from a previous marriage, Wilson Coates Busfield, was the cinematographer.
A Michigan premiere for "Guest Artist" is expected after its run on the festival circuit, according to Sanville.
Job Opportunity: MEDC Video & Media Content Designer
An excellent job opportunity has opened at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation for those with skills with a variety of video and audio formats, technologies, video and audio compression, post production, delivery requirements, video capture and encoding, graphic design and motion graphics. As an added benefit, you'd get to work with an amazing and talented team.
Greater Farmington Film Festival returns March 7-9
The Greater Farmington Film Festival returns for a sixth year with six “good films for a better world.”
Presented by kickstART farmington, Oakland Community College and other , the festival takes place March 7-9 at venues in Farmington and Farmington Hills. These recently released feature films and documentaries were chosen to engage the heart and mind, explore important contemporary issues, and inspire action.
This year our program is made up of great documentaries, including The World Before Your Feet, The Rescue List, Intelligent Lives, Emanuel, Midnight Traveler, and The Devil We Know, along with our annual FREE presentation for children: the best of the New York Int'l Children's Film Festival (NYICFF).
There are 8,000 miles of roads and paths in New York City and for the past six years Matt Green has been walking them all – every street, park, cemetery, beach, and bridge. It's a five-borough journey that stretches from the barbershops of the Bronx to the forests of Staten Island, from the Statue of Liberty to Times Square, with Matt amassing a surprisingly detailed knowledge of New York's history and people along the way.
Something of a modern-day Thoreau, Matt gave up his former engineering job, his apartment, and most of his possessions, sustaining his endeavor through couch-surfing, cat-sitting and a $15-per-day budget. He’s not sure exactly why he’s doing it, only knowing that there’s no other way he’d rather spend his days. Executive produced by Oscar® nominee Jesse Eisenberg, The World Before Your Feet is a tribute to an endlessly fascinating city and the freedom to be found, wherever you live, in simply taking a walk.
In a Ghanaian safe house, a team works to rehabilitate two boys who were trafficked into slavery to fishermen on Lake Volta. As it moves from rescue operation to healing process, this riveting film follows the boys through their recovery and reveals the extraordinary dedication of their rescuer.
This film is a catalyst to transform the label of intellectual disability from a life sentence of isolation into a life of possibility for the most systematically segregated people in America.
Intelligent Lives stars three pioneering young American adults with intellectual disabilities – Micah, Naieer, and Naomie – who challenge perceptions of intelligence as they navigate high school, college, and the workforce. Academy Award-winning actor and narrator Chris Cooper contextualizes the lives of these central characters through the emotional personal story of his son Jesse, as the film unpacks the shameful and ongoing track record of intelligence testing in the U.S.
Intelligent Lives challenges what it means to be intelligent, and points to a future in which people of all abilities can fully participate in higher education, meaningful employment, and intimate relationships.
On June 17, 2015, national headlines blazed the story: Churchgoers gunned down during prayer service in Charleston, South Carolina. After a 21-year-old white supremacist opened fire in Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, nine African Americans lay dead, leaving their families and the nation to grapple with this senseless act of terror.
Featuring intimate interviews with survivors and family members, Emanuel, from Executive Producers Stephen Curry and Viola Davis, is a poignant story of justice and faith, love and hate, examining the healing power of forgiveness.
Presentation of this program is made possible by the generous support of the Farmington Friends of the Library.
This program provides a warm welcome to all budding cinephiles with this lively international lineup of fun. Kick off the festivities with good hygiene and great dubstep in Party Mouth (USA), then let your hair—or,er fur—down and hang loose in I Want to Live in the Zoo (Russia). And, even if you get into a tangle, there will be someone to catch and cheer you on with the charming If You Fall (Canada).
When the Taliban puts a bounty on Afghan director Hassan Fazili’s head, he is forced to flee with his wife and two young daughters. Capturing their uncertain journey, Fazili shows firsthand the dangers facing refugees seeking asylum and the love shared between a family on the run.
Touching on topics of broad political interest like the refugee crisis in Europe, the film puts a human face on these issues by providing first-person access to one family’s choices, anxieties, and hopes as they try to survive deportation, a life in hiding, and the smuggling route to Europe.
When a handful of West Virginia residents discover DuPont has been pumping its poisonous Teflon chemical into the air and public water supply of more than 70,000 people, they file one of the largest class action lawsuits in the history of environmental law.
As the citizens of Parkersburg rise up against the forces that polluted their town, the story builds out to dozens of other American cities. In fact, as many as 110 million Americans may be drinking water tainted with PFAS chemicals. Exposure to this class of chemicals has even become a global phenomenon, spreading to places like Italy, the Netherlands, and China.
Parkersburg is ground zero for this story, but this clearly is not about one place or one chemical: because of the power of the chemical lobby, PFOA is one of more than 80,000+ untested chemicals that have been approved for use, their dangers unknown.
Grand Rapids Creative Chamber to host Launch event on February 27
The Grand Rapids Chamber has long supported the creative community in Michigan. This was recognized when we were chosen as one of five chambers in the state of Michigan to partner with the Michigan Film and Digital Media Office on their Grand Rapids Creative Chamber Initiative. This program offers funding for chambers to further support the creative community in the regions they serve.
The Grand Rapids Creative Chamber, through its community outreach, creative led focus groups and advising of the council, determined the three ways in which they will be supporting the creative economy here in Grand Rapids:
Build Culture by connecting creatives to one another to build collaborations and a sense of belonging with one another and the community.
Retain Creative Business by helping creative businesses connect to traditional business for partnerships and workshops to develop their capacity for growth.
Attract Creative Talent by telling the stories of the creative economy to showcase Grand Rapids as a creative hub.
CALLING CREATIVES FROM ALL INDUSTRIES!
Advertising Architecture Arts Schools, Artists & Agents Creative Technology Culture & Heritage Design Fashion, Garment & Textile Film, AV & Broadcasting Literary, Publishing & Print Music Performing Arts Visual Arts & Crafts And many more!
This mixer is the starting point for creatives (like you!) to get to know one another and to connect to the traditional business community. We want you to begin building collaborations to further your creative business growth!
We know it’s important to retain clients, just as much as it is to get them in the first place.
By telling the story of creative businesses here, we hope to change the perception that in order to find high quality creative talent you must go outside of the region. We hope to help local creative businesses to continue to develop and grow through workshops and connections to traditional businesses that need YOUR skills and expertise!
YOU’RE INVITED: The Grand Rapids Creative Chamber Mixer! WHEN: Wednesday, February 27, 5:30-7:30 p.m. WHERE: GR Chamber, 250 Monroe Ave. NW, Suite 150, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
This event will bring together creatives from across industries to connect with each other and to build relationships with businesses who are seeking creative talent.
For more information or to sign up, please contact Brooke Corbin, Business Services Programs Manager, Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, corbinb@grandrapids.org.
Potterville grad's film 'Period. End of Sentence.' nominated for an Academy Award
by Rachel Greco, Lansing State Journal
POTTERVILLE - A year and a half ago, Sam Davis went to India and trained a camera on the plight of women half a world away.
The goal, Davis said, was to make a "beautiful cinematic film" that could shed light on their struggle.
"Period. End of Sentence." premiered in May and chronicles the hardship girls and women in Hapur, India face when they deal with menstruation. The film examines the stigma that surrounds it and the limited access girls and women there have to sanitary napkins. It then follows how things change after a machine that dispenses the napkins is installed in the community.
Earning an Oscar nomination was, at best, a dream for the project — until Tuesday.
That's when Davis, a 2011 Potterville High School graduate, gathered around a television set in a Los Angeles living room at 5 a.m. to listen as the film he helped make was announced as one of five films nominated for an Academy Award for "Best Documentary Short."
The concept for the film began in a classroom at Oakwood School in Los Angeles, Davis said, where a group of students decided to make a difference in Hapur.
Their crowdfunding effort raised $60,000, paying for both the machine installed in Hapur, and the film that documented it.
Davis, 26, called the film's creation "a scrappy effort" executed on a small budget.
"It was very much a passion project," he said.
Spotlighting an issue
A connection Davis made seven years ago when he interned as a camera assistant on "Love and Honor," a film shot in Ann Arbor starring Liam Hemsworth and Teresa Palmer, led him to "Period. End of Sentence."
"Love and Honor" producer and co-writer Garrett Schiff took Davis "under his wing" during the film's production and the two never lost touch.
In 2017, Schiff came to Davis with a concept. Students at Oakwood wanted to help women in Hapur get access to sanitary napkins, and Schiff wanted to document their struggle and the effort to help them.
"The pieces sort of organically fell into place from there," Davis said.
Rayka Zehtabchi, Davis' girlfriend, came on board to direct the film. She and Davis made two trips to India in 2017, spending about a month filming in the rural region.
The pair hired local residents as crew members during their stay, Davis said, and conducted countless interviews with local girls, women and men before the machine was installed.
Zehtabchi said many of the women they interviewed knew very little about menstruation and were ashamed of it.
"I was so taken aback and so heartbroken to hear about this, and I think it's what compelled me to take this project on and direct it," she said.
"This is a huge issue in India," Davis said. "There's a lack of access to feminine products. There's a taboo that surrounds menstruation. Girls were dropping out of school when they got their periods."
After the machine was installed, they documented local women being trained to make the sanitary napkins for the machine and learning to create a profitable business with the skill.
"It created a self-sustainable mini-economy in the village," Davis said.
When the filmmakers went back to India six months after the machine was installed, they were able to chronicle the difference it made.
"We saw how much this machine had impacted the women and their confidence," Zehtabchi said. "There was a lot more openness, and it really felt like the women were empowered because of this machine."
Next - tackling a local story
Davis said those involved spent a year and "countless hours" on the film, finishing much of its post-production in his Los Angeles apartment.
Davis and Zehtabchi have stayed in touch with the girls and women they met in Hapur. Zehtabchi hopes to help some of them attend the Oscar ceremony.
"We wanted to influence change," Davis said. "We both said, 'If we're going to do this, we're going to do it right."
Since its release "Period. End of Sentence." has picked up awards at The Cleveland International Film Festival, The Traverse City Film Festival and AFIFest in Los Angeles.
The film made the short list of possible Oscar nominees in December, but Davis said getting the nomination earlier this week was a surprise.
"It wasn't an expectation," he said. "We were hoping, but you can't be sure because the Academy Awards are as big as it gets."
Davis said he's looking forward to attending the Academy Awards, which will be broadcast live from the Dolby Theatre, in Los Angeles on Feb. 24.
"It will be a definite first for all of us," Davis said.
In the meantime he's writing a script for a possible feature film with very local ties.
“Cents” is the working title for Davis' coming-of-age story about a boy living in Potterville. It takes place during the 2002 train derailment that prompted the evacuation of his hometown for a week when Davis was 10.
If Davis can secure financing for the movie, he hopes to film it in and around Potterville sometime this year.
