Spotlight Shines On MSU at Traverse City Film Festival

July 22, 2016

The Traverse City Film Festival is no longer solely an event where films are shown. It’s also a place where filmmakers are born.

As the main educational sponsor for TCFF, Michigan State University is ushering in the next generation of creative talent, partnering with the festival to offer a dazzling array of student-produced films, filmmaking classes, an interactive multimedia gallery, and a special Spartan Headquarters open to the public. At this year’s event, MSU invites festivalgoers to learn, be inspired, and travel to the front lines where filmmaking and technology are intersecting in thrilling and thought-provoking new ways.

SPARTAN HEADQUARTERS

MSU is hosting a Spartan Headquarters in the heart of downtown Traverse City at 333 E. State Street. The venue will offer free Spartan gear, MSU and TCFF information, and up to four free tickets to the festival for MSU students when they present their student ID. The public is invited to stop by the Headquarters July 26-29 from 9 a.m.-noon and 4-7 p.m., and July 30 from 9 a.m.-noon. Go Green!

MSU STUDENT FILMS

MSU’s College of Arts & Letters, College of Communication Arts & Sciences, and College of Music are launching pads for talented young students pursuing careers in the arts. TCFF attendees will have an opportunity to experience tomorrow’s next big names in film with a slate of student-produced programming, including:

> “Sorta Late” – A full-length feature film, performed first as an original student play that was adapted for the screen, that follows student interns as they work a late-night talk show in Detroit. Made by more than 100 students, the 85-minute film will be shown July 27 at noon at the Old Town Playhouse (148 E. Eighth Street).

> “Shorts by MSU Students” This year’s roster of “Shorts by MSU Students” includes four unique projects that will be shown in one screening on July 29 at 3 p.m. at The Buzz (301 Seventh Street). Scheduled films include:

> “Blacktop” – An overworked, mentally exhausted paramedic happens upon a mysterious woman whose guidance spirals his troubled mind towards a sense of peace after he is unable to save the life of a young boy.

> “From Flint: Voices of a Poisoned City” – The story of the Flint water crisis as told by those who have experienced the tragedy firsthand and from activists working through grassroots organizations to make a difference.

> “#LendMIHand” – This film follows MSU Media Sandbox students as they mentor homeless youth in Lansing while working for the charity Pictures of Hope.

> “Run, Jump, Paddle” – The environmental aspects of what athletes experience during extreme sports is the focus of this film featuring an ultra-runner, water athlete, and first-time skydivers.

“This outstanding work by our students is a testament to the collaborative culture being fostered at MSU,” said Christopher P. Long, Dean of the College of Arts & Letters. “It’s interdisciplinary work like this that cuts across disciplines and facilitates experiential learning opportunities for our students that truly enhances our film and media arts programs and positions MSU to be a national leader in film.”

THE WOZ

The film festival’s most buzzed-about venue is moving to a new location for 2016. The newly opened Hotel Indigo in downtown Traverse City’s Warehouse District (263 W. Grandview Parkway) will host The Woz, a hands-on interactive media and gaming showcase where festivalgoers can explore the future of storytelling and experience virtual worlds in ways never before possible.

Programmed and sponsored by the Game Design and Development program in MSU’s College of Communication Arts & Sciences, this multimedia gallery will feature the latest in gaming and virtual reality technology, including the recently released HTC Vive, which combines a virtual reality headset with motion-tracked handheld controllers to fully immerse users in virtual environments.

The Woz also will offer some of the most cutting-edge games on the market as well as a diverse collection of entertainment options created by the next generation of game developers at MSU’s Games for Entertainment and Learning (GEL) Lab.

“Our game design program is one of the best in the nation,” said Prabu David, Dean of the College of Communication Arts & Sciences at MSU. “We are excited to showcase at The Woz some of their work along with some new virtual reality gear and applications.”

The Woz is free and open to the public July 27-30 from noon-9 p.m. and July 31 from noon-5 p.m. A free welcome party is scheduled for July 27 from 6-9 p.m.

MSU FILM SCHOOL

TCFF’s annual Film School offers a rare and invaluable opportunity to learn directly from filmmakers about their craft. In “Striking the Right Chords,” an MSU/TCFF Film School presentation, MSU Associate Professor of Journalism and documentary filmmaker Geri Alumit Zeldes, and Composer and Mott Community College Instructor Bill Withem will explore the collaborative process between composers and documentary filmmakers. Having collaborated on nearly a half-dozen documentary films, Zeldes and Withem will share their best practices for combining emotion and science to underscore silence, ideas, and action in film projects.

“Striking the Right Chords” is scheduled for July 29 at 3 p.m. in Scholars Hall at Northwestern Michigan College. Tickets are $5.

OTHER SPARTAN FEATURED FILMS

MSU will share the spotlight in two other major TCFF screenings this year. Spartan fans won’t want to miss “Men of Sparta,” a riveting documentary by former MSU fullback and actor Bob Apisa about Michigan State’s 1965 and 1966 national championship football teams that helped lead the charge in integrating college football. The documentary plays July 31 at noon at the Dennos Museum.

Emmy award-winning actor Timothy Busfield stars in “One Smart Fellow,” one of the four funny and philosophical shorts playing in “Shorts: It’s Complicated” on July 29 at 3 p.m. at Old Town Playhouse. Busfield joined MSU as an artist in residence this summer, co-teaching courses on acting and filmmaking and serving as director of national content for WKAR, mid-Michigan’s NPR and PBS station.

FOLLOW ONLINE!

For more information on Michigan State University at the Traverse City Film Festival, visit tcff.msu.edu. On social media, follow the hashtag #MSUTCFF for the latest updates.

Clockwise from top left: “From Flint: Voices of a Poisoned City;” “#LendMIHand;” “Run, Jump, Paddle;” “The Woz;” “Blacktop”