Visitors flock to Ann Arbor every year for special occasions – move in week, home football games, move out week, the Art Fairs and for the Ann Arbor Film Festival (AAFF). The 63rd annual AAFF will screen in person this year from March 25 to 30, bringing creative film makers from all across the world to the Ann Arbor community.
The campus area’s two landmark theaters — the Michigan Theater and the State Theater — will screen 120 feature length and short films over the 6 days of the Festival, with topics covering the gamut from documentary to romance – all with an emphasis on experimental creativity.
Supporting filmmakers
AAFF Director Leslie Raymond explained that the AAFF is unusually supportive of the film makers: “You get validation, and this is the fourth or fifth year of paying the film makers for showing their films in the competition. Typically, like most juried art competitions in the United States, you pay to submit your entries and, maybe, you’ll get in the show. Generally, artists are not paid to be in the show. But we’ve heard, from more and more filmmakers, the question — ‘why can’t we get paid to show our films?’ — so we made the decision to pay film rental fees to the filmmakers in the competition. Hopefully, with our 63 years of history, and the stature that we have gained through that history, AAFF is hoping that other film festivals will do the same.”
Each of the 120 selected films will be screened once during the Festival. The AAFF pays a rental fee to the filmmaker of $50 per short and $100 per feature film
2600+ entries
The Festival’s recognition and prestigiousness is significant, especially for the indie film community. The eight feature length productions and 112 short films that will be screened this year were selected by employing a rigorous jury system to decide which of the 2,600-plus submissions submitted for review by the Festival will be screened.
American films top the list of entries with 41, Canadian productions selected number 15, followed by 10 from Germany, six from the UK, and five from Austria. Three films each were selected from both China and France. Hong Kong, Iran, Mexico and Switzerland each have 2 films in the Festival this year. And Algerian, Australian, Belgian, Brazilian, Costa Rican, Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Greek, Hungarian, Indian, Japanese, Moroccan, Portuguese, Singaporean, South Korean, Spanish, and Turkish film makers each have one film in the AAFF this year.
Opening events
The Michigan Theater will host an opening night gathering on March 25, kicking off the Festival with doors opening at 6:30pm. The opening party will showcase Ann Arbor beverage and restaurant fare offerings. Including TeaHaus with non-alcoholic drinks, Hear:Say brewery and improv theater, and Elsworth Road’s Mothfire Brewing Company, pouring their craft made beers, Vineology will offer wine selections and Ann Arbor Distilling Company will be pouring spirits distilled at the base of Water Hill.
Food will be provided by Frita Banditos, Café Zola, Venue by 4M, Side Biscuit and Sava’s. Hundreds are expected to attend where a variety of individuals with different accents and languages will fill the Michigan’s Grand Lobby. The welcoming and inclusive nature of the Festival will be evident along with the depth and breadth of sophisticated talent. The opening party can be seen as a metaphor for the AAFF itself – a beautiful, bustling and inclusive group of some of the most artistically creative people on Earth, gathering together to witness inventive films.
Tickets to the opening night gala and screenings are $50 for students, $60 for seniors and marquee members and $85 for general admission. Or skip the opening gala and see the first night films with ticket prices of $9, $10 and $14 respectively.
AAFF streaming option available
The pandemic forced the AAFF to go online to stream festival entries in 2020 and 2021, but when it was safe to hold the Festival in person in 2022, the organizers retained the streaming option. An option you can take advantage of, from March 30 to April 13, without making the trip to Ann Arbor at aafilmfestival.org.
Showcasing topics/ special programs
“I think one of the most relatable, exciting things is that we are featuring two programs of work involving the band Devo. The first one is going to be a program of their short films, which have been recently restored by Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Cassale … We consider them a special program because it is not in the competition,” Raymond said.
“Another special program will be the feature film called ‘Devo’, which premiered at Sundance last year. It’s a feature documentary. Normally we put those kinds of films in the screening room (a smaller viewing space in the Michigan Theater), but because of their notoriety, and because Mark and Gerald are going to be there … both of those programs will be in the main auditorium of the Michigan,” explains Raymon.
The AAFF hosts specific nights, grouped by content, including LGBTQ films on Out Night starting at 9:30pm on March 27 and Animation Night on March 28. Kids are also welcome at the AAFF. The Almost All Ages program, beginning at 1:30pm on March 29, specifically focuses on what Raymond describes as “attention-span appropriate and content appropriate program for people six and up. But it’s still a program for experimental films.”
Kids are also welcome at the AAFF. The Almost All Ages program specifically focuses on what Raymond describes as “attention-span appropriate and content appropriate program for people six and up. But it is not a limited program, it’s still a program for experimental films.” Also in the main hall of the Michigan, it starts at 1:30 p.m. on March 29.
Films at this festival aren’t generally sanitized for profanity or political correctness to maintain the purity of the artform or the integrity of the documentary’s objectiveness. Also: some films may have strobing in them, so festival goers sensitive to strobing should position themselves close to exits if they should need to leave temporarily for those sequences.
Out-of-theater experiences
There are also other off-theater options available for people who need a break from theater seats, or are interested in filmmaking networking and Festival history. These off-theater events are generally free.
North Quad (105 S. State St., about 1.5 block walk)
New Voices Promising young talent from across the film world will be the center of attention at North Quad with free showings of films made by U of M students. Students will answer questions about their work during a New Voices Film Jam from 10:30 am to noon on March 27.
North Quad will also host a Film Art Forum from 3pm to 4:30pm. on March 27 where ten AAFF film artists will each present 20 slides for 20 seconds each. And there will also be a family friendly panel on animation loops from 9 am to noon on March 29. North Quad will also host an hour long What the Hell Was That? Panel at 10:30am on March 30.
The Ann Arbor Arts Center ( Liberty St., about 5 block walk)
A2AC will showcase movie-related artworks of three Southeast Michigan artists – Yazmin Dababneh, Paul Echeverria, JB Ghuman JR., Kym McDaniel, and Maddie Shubeck – who have incorporated moving images in their pieces. On March 27 the artists will be part of a moderated discussion about their work starting at 3 pm.
Ticketing costs and options
One way to secure passes to the Festival screenings: Film makers go through sometimes massive financial and logistical hurdles to get to be at the festival in person – to make a name for themselves, to have their films sponsored by a steaming platform or distributor, and to network with studios and other filmmakers for opportunities that can enhance their careers — and one of the biggest obstacles they face is finding accommodations in an expensive, small city like Ann Arbor, where hotel space can become scarce. So if you’re willing to host an out of town filmmaker in your home, you can receive a free pass.
“That’s what really distinguishes our festival from some of the others. Our festival really is known as a filmmaker’s festival because it really is about them,” Raymond explains. “Predominantly, festivals are part of the larger film industry — a marketplace and an opportunity to meet contacts who can distribute your film. But in the realm of film art and experimental film, there isn’t really a marketplace like that. The AAFF is one of the [only] destinations [for filmmakers to connect with distribution options].”
Everyone is welcome to the AAFF. Individual screenings are priced from $9 for students to $14 for general admission. In person passes for the entire Festival are $155, with student tickets priced at $90 and seniors at $130. Passes for both in person and online are $120 for students, $165 for seniors and $200 for the general public.
Perks are also available to AAFF members, including discounts and private events. Sign up on the AAFF website.
Full disclosure: Current Magazine is one of the sponsors of the AAFF. In fact, the whole reason Current started was to keep track of the early schedule when the festival was new.
Drew Saunders is a freelance business and environmental journalist who grew up just outside of Ann Arbor. He covers local business developments, embraces his foodie side with reviews restaurants, obsesses over Michigan's environmental state, loves movies, and feels spoiled by the music he gets to review for Ann Arbor!
