The Ann Arbor Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Ann Arbor in the U.S. state of Michigan. The festival accepts entries in most film and video formats from all over the world and it has become one of the premiere film festivals for independent and, primarily, experimental filmmakers to showcase their work. It is the oldest continually operated experimental film festival in North America. Held every year in the month of March, the film festival screens over 100 films in six days.

History

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The Ann Arbor Film Festival was started in 1963 by University of Michigan professor George Manupelli. Manupelli originally screened only films in the 16 mm format, and thus the festival was called the 16 mm Film Festival. The festival gained prominence quickly, as it was one of the few outlets for experimental filmmakers to screen their work. The festival began accepting entries in the 35 mm format and moved from Lorch Hall on the University of Michigan campus to the Michigan Theater, an Ann Arbor landmark with a seating capacity of 1700. In 1980, after becoming independent from the University of Michigan, the festival changed its name to the Ann Arbor Film Festival. In 2003 the festival began accepting entries in digital formats, opening up the festival to more filmmakers.

External links

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• The Ann Arbor Film Festival
• The Michigan Theater

Film festivals | Michigan culture | Cinema of the United States | Ann Arbor, Michigan