Michigan State University is once again taking the expertise of its filmmaking faculty and creative talents of its students on the road to the 2017 Traverse City Film Festival (TCFF).
As the official Learning and Innovation Partner for TCFF, MSU will feature student-produced films and offer filmmaking workshops, an interactive hands-on gallery, and kids camps at this year’s festival, which runs July 25-30.
For the third year in a row, MSU’s Theatre 2 Film project will premiere a student-created, full-length feature film at TCFF. This year’s film, Stay With Me, is a psychological thriller in which a struggling Midwest farm family descends into dysfunction when threatened with the loss of their home. The premiere is set for Wednesday, July 26, at noon at the Old Town Playhouse, 148 E. Eighth Street.
A collection of five short documentary and fiction films produced by MSU student filmmakers will be shown together on Friday, July 28, at 3 p.m. at Kirkbride at the Commons, 700 Cottageview Drive.
The films include:
- The World is Beautiful
- Creativity: A Gut Reaction
- Amorphous
- On the Way Up
- Immiscible: The Fight Over Line 5
Other MSU-produced shorts appearing at this year’s TCFF include:
- Hard to Swallow, part of the “Shorts: Inside Flint” program onFriday, July 28, at 9 a.m. at the Central High School Auditorium, 1150 Milliken Drive
- Hubert: His Story, part of the “Shorts: Fork in the Road” program on Wednesday, July 26, at noon at Bijou by the Bay, 181 E. Grandview Pkwy
- Tenure, part of the “Shorts: All the World’s a Stage” program on Thursday, July 27, at 9 a.m. at Milliken at the Dennos Museum, 1701 E. Front Street
MSU’s Game Design and Development Program and the College of Communication Arts and Sciences is offering a hands-on interactive media and gaming showcase, also known as The Woz. Free and open to the public, The Woz offers festivalgoers an opportunity to explore and experience the latest in gaming and virtual reality technology. Located at Hotel Indigo, 263 W. Grandview Parkway, The Woz will be open daily, July 26-29, from noon to 8 p.m.; and July 30, from noon to 3 p.m. A free welcome party is scheduled for Wednesday, July 26, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Michigan State University is offering two-day camps for youth, ages 12-16, that focus on filmmaking and game design and development. These camps – Filmmaker Camp and Game Design Camp – will have participants creating their own short films and digital games from scratch. Both camps are being held July 27 and 28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Central High School, 1150 Milliken Drive. The cost is $200 for each camp. There are a limited number of openings available. To secure your spot, register at tcff.msu.edu/#camps.
Leading MSU faculty will discuss mobile storytelling and how to find funding for films at these workshops:
- DATE & TIME: July 29 at 3 p.m.
- LOCATION: NMC Scholars Hall, 1701 E. Front Street
- TICKETS: $5 per person and can be purchased through the TCFF website
- DATE & TIME: July 30 at Noon
- LOCATION: NMC Scholars Hall, 1701 E. Front Street
- TICKETS: $5 per person and can be purchased through the TCFF website
Shape the Next MSU Feature Film
- DATE & TIME: July 27, 4-6 p.m.
- LOCATION: NMC Scholars Hall, Room 105
- TICKETS: FREE
The public is invited to stop by the Spartan Headquarters, located at 333 E. State Street in Traverse City, to receive free MSU swag, free film tickets for students with an MSU ID, and more information on all TCFF events associated with MSU. Spartan Headquarters will be open daily July 25-28 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and July 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information, visit TCFF.MSU.EDU or follow #MSUTCFF.
