2008 Traverse City Film Festival
Related Photos
-
Douglas Tesner
-
Douglas Tesner
-
Douglas Tesner
-
Douglas Tesner
Festival praised for attracting new tourists
TRAVERSE CITY -- About 200,000 paid and free admissions to the Traverse City Film Festival prove its popularity the past three years, but festival founder Michael Moore hopes to position the area as more than a quick stop for movie buffs and popcorn-munching visitors.
"Now we're finding people are actually coming the weekend before and stay through the next weekend," Moore said. "They get here early and just spend time enjoying the area."
Local residents and visitors will pack six venues to see more than 70 flicks, some with multiple screenings, from Tuesday through Aug. 3.
It's the first festival to be held since the State Theatre reopened last November after a near-total renovation. The State shows movies year-round with a focus on independent, documentary, foreign, classic and children's films.
The festival has grown in size and popularity since Moore and co-founders John Robert Williams and Doug Stanton launched the first event in 2005.
That year the Traverse Bay Freedom FilmFest was held as a conservative alternative to the "extremist" movies shown at the State Theatre, according to Freedom FilmFest coordinators at the time. It hasn't returned since.
It took a leap of faith to sponsor a film the first year, said David Denison, owner of Amical restaurant next to the State Theatre.
"The very first year people were leery about what was going to happen," he said. "Now, it's been totally embraced."
It's certainly helped that the State Theatre is run by the film festival, he said.
A slow day at the movie house brings in a couple hundred people who otherwise might not come downtown, Moore said. But it can attract a couple thousand visitors on a big day.
Moore plans to announce another project in the coming days that would expand on the film venue's success.
"Things like the State Theatre and film festival aren't so much to bring tourists to town, but rather to attract good jobs to this town, to attract businesses, and employers who will bring smart jobs for the 21st century here and will employ people and pay them a middle-class wage," he said.
Moore said he's heard from real estate agents who get calls from interested festival-goers.
"I think people leave here thinking, 'Wow, wouldn't this be a nice place to live,'" he said.
He also wants the event to trigger filmmakers to bring their work here, a move that's already gaining speed with the state's incentive program for movie and television productions.
In the mean time, local businesses are taking advantage of more traffic.
This time of year is already busy for downtown merchants, but the festival brings in visitors who otherwise might not have come to the area, said Peter Schmitz, owner of American Spoon Foods on Front Street and member of the Downtown Development Authority's board of directors.
"It's creating a new fan base of people who fall in love with Traverse City," he said. "Business-wise, it's helpful, but the key is, I think about what it does as an introduction for the rest of the year."
A different crowd comes out for the film festival compared to the National Cherry Festival or regular tourist season. The Cherry Festival tends to bring more families, while the film attracts more young adults, couples and retirees.
"It's great we have all these different events to cater to different groups," said Jamie Roster, owner of the downtown store Cherry Stop.
Williamsburg resident Paige Wiard has never attended a film festival movie, but said she'd like to see one.
"It's a nice boost to the community," she said. "It brings people from other areas into Traverse City to see what we have to offer."
-
-
Film Festival Outtakes: 08/04/2008
Sights and sounds from the Film Festival.
Continued ... -
Video: Standing ovation for Baghdad High
Only one of the four young men featured in "Baghdad High" was able to travel to Traverse City for the film's screening, but video was taken of the standing ovation to share with those who could not make it.
Continued ... -
Moore shares some life lessons
A laid-back, more comfortable side of Michael Moore came through in the final panel discussion at the Traverse City Film Festival, as he reminisced with some old friends and co-workers about what it took to pull his films together.
Continued ... -
Roll the Credits: Film Festival wraps up
Traverse City Film Festival founder Michael Moore gave the audience two surprises at Sunday's "Mike's Surprise": a special screening of his 2002 live stage show in London and one of local resident Adam Ziegler proposing to girlfriend Erynn Rademacher — both of who were in the audience — in front of the State Theatre.
Continued ... -
10:18 p.m.: Festival award winners announced
Winners of the jury awards from the 2008 Traverse City Film Festival have been announced.
Continued ... - August 2, 2008
-
Crowd rewarded with wave from Madonna
They gathered for hours, waiting for a moment that lasted just five minutes. But what an important five minutes it was. Madonna, headliner of the fourth annual Traverse City Film Festival, stepped out of a sport-utility vehicle about 7:15 p.m. Saturday under the lights of the State Theatre downtown, as hundreds of fans screamed and snapped pictures.
Continued ... -
Madonna: film was 'journey of lifetime'
World-famous superstar Madonna made a warm and much-welcomed return to her home state. quot;There's a lot of poetic things about me being here ...," Madonna told a packed State Theatre crowd Saturday night. "You know what they say. You can take the girl out of Michigan, but you can't take the Michigan out of the girl."
Continued ... -
What's funny? At this panel, almost anything
Comedy is a serious business. What's offensive, what's funny and the fine line in between was tackled by Saturday's Film Festival "All-Star Comedy Panel" in front of another large crowd at the City Opera House downtown.
Continued ... -
Sunday's Film Festival schedule
Traverse City Film Festival schedule for Sunday, Aug. 3, 2008.
Continued ... -
Traverse City welcomes megastar Madonna
A packed movie house will see the queen of reinvention in person, but all of Traverse City has caught Madonna mania. The entertainment superstar, singer, tabloid fixture, trend-setter, philanthropist, Michigan native and Traverse City Film Festival headliner is scheduled to introduce her documentary "I Am Because We Are" at an 8 p.m. screening tonight at the downtown State Theatre.
Continued ... - August 1, 2008
-
Film takes aim at religions
The name of the movie "Religulous" pretty much describes how the filmmakers view organized religion. Combining the name of what many people hold dear with the word ridiculous may seem like box-office poison, yet its two showings at the Traverse City Film Festival were the first to sell out -- not counting Madonna's film. And director Larry Charles and star Bill Maher expect it to do well in multiplexes everywhere.
Continued ... -
Donahue panel takes a political turn
Michael Moore's Friday film discussion segued into a politically-charged anti-war rally. Moore and his guest panelist, former television talk show host Phil Donahue, related candid personal experiences and vented their frustrations in crossing paths with the country's corporate media.
Continued ... -
Businesses help set tone for festival
If "just great movies" are the main attraction at the Traverse City Film Festival, downtown display windows celebrating cinema and its stars are helping to set the mood for the event.
Continued ... -
Saturday's Film Festival schedule
Traverse City Film Festival schedule for Saturday, Aug. 2, 2008.
Continued ... - Film Festival Outtakes: 08/02/2008
Click here for more 2008 Traverse City Film Festival stories
-
Film Festival Outtakes: 08/04/2008
