The annual Capital City Film Festival will bring live music, independent films and art exhibitions to Lansing today through April 15.
Festival manager Emma Selby said that the scope of the festival has grown since she became involved with the event in 2019. Over 100 films will be shown, many of them being short films. Over 60 hours of content will be played across three different venues, she said.
The festival “aims to take spaces that aren’t traditionally theaters and turn them into high-quality theaters for the public to enjoy,” Selby said. The three main festival event sites are the former Franker Sears building at 3131 E. Michigan Ave., the Lansing Public Media Center at 2500 S. Washington Ave. and The Fledge at 1300 Eureka St.
The warehouse of the Sears was transformed into a theater and the former retail space was re-imagined into an art exhibition with art representing all seven continents.
“We are partnered with Michigan State to host a global art exhibition, co-curated by our Poet in Residence Nancy DeJoy," Selby said. "In the retail space of the Sears building, we have this flagship location for this art exhibition called ‘Creativity in the time of COVID-19 art for equity and social justice.”
"Aliens abducted my parents and now I feel kinda left out," a short film directed by Jake Van Wagoner, is the opening night feature. It will be shown on April 7 at 8 p.m. at Sears.
Selby describes the opening night feature as a “coming-of-age, comedy drama."
On April 6 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., the Capital City Film Festival is hosting a Red-Carpet Premiere party following opening night at Sears. The event will feature appetizers, DJ John Beltran and a collection of “Just a Vibe” short films.
“People can come, put on your best clothes or whatever you feel the best in, and walk the red carpet, get your photos taken by our photographers,” Selby said.
Tickets to the Red-Carpet Premiere are free and open to the public.
A "Fortnight Film Contest" screening and award ceremony will be held on April 13 at Sears Building, with a $5 entry fee.
Selby said filmmakers involved in the contest had two weeks to create a film. They were given specific elements to include to ensure the film was made during the given time. The ceremony will include a screening of the submitted films, awards given by a panel of judges and audience awards at the end of the night.
Tickets to the festival can be purchased on the Capital City Film Festival’s website. Film events cost $5 and special events cost $10, with some exceptions being free to the public. An all-access pass for all events can be purchased for $50, and a patron pass that includes all events, unlimited popcorn and a donation to the festival can be purchased for $100.
Free event list:
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
