The 47th Ann Arbor Film Festival energized our regional community with some of the year's most high-caliber, cutting-edge independent films. We saw record-setting attendance with nearly 12,000 people across the six day event - a 15% increase from 2008.
During film festival week, creativity flowed literally onto the streets with sidewalk stencils, video installations around town, and the unveiling of a new art car courtesy of filmmaker Harrod Blank and Zack Jacobson-Weaver's crew at the UM School of Art & Design. Art installations also brightened the Michigan Theater, including a welcome return of the PLAY animation station and audience-generated screening.
The festival's esteemed jury of Betzy Bromberg, Emily Hubley and Robert Todd selected 26 films to receive nearly $20,000 in filmmaker awards. Deborah Stratman's 51-minute meditation on the milieu of "elevated threat," O'er the Land, won the $3,000 Ken Burns Award for Best of the Festival. Winning the $1,000 Gus Vant Sant Award for Best Experimental Film was Telcosystems's sonically and visually striking LOUDTHINGS.
The Edward Jones Audience Award winners, receiving $500 each, were Brett Gaylor's "open source" documentary RiP: A remix manifesto, Jennifer Reeves's hand-painted epic When It Was Blue, and Jeremy Clapin's existential animation Skhizein.
You can view the full list of 47th AAFF award winners here.
Festival News & Reviews
With over 43 screenings, events, parties and panels, we cannot begin to capture all highlights of our 47th festival. Attempting to do so, however, was our mobile photoblographer Amanda Scotese reporting live from the scene. Also up to the task of review was writer and installation artist Jeremy Wheeler, with this recap of highlights. Sounding off via local indie radio station WCBN, with a lively interview during the AAFF, was Mark Hosler of Negativland.
You can rate and review this year's films and programs on the 47th AAFF website. And, of course, you can also rewind and fast forward with our festival profile on Twitter and our Facebook page.
Thank You, Thank You!
The 47th festival was produced by three full-time staff, coordinating more than 10,000 volunteer hours. This is truly a community-driven festival and we deeply thank everyone who cares passionately about powering the AAFF mission.
The festival is also thankful to the many wonderful sponsors and foundations that help underwrite our efforts. Major support this year was provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Andy Warhol Foundation, along with grants from the MCACA, Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, State Street Area Association, and Arts Alliance.
Major sponsors this year were Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts, an acclaimed and hands-on training institution in metro-Detroit; Edward Jones Financial, one of the premiere U.S. financial investment firms.; and IndiePix, the dynamic distributor of independent films based in New York. Also providing significant support this year were Google, VGKids, and TimeFlux, along with key media sponsors Metro Times, Detroit Public TV and ann arbor's 107one.
You can view the entire roster of AAFF sponsors and advertisers here.
The 48th Ann Arbor Film Festival, March 23 - 28, 2010
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09.04.2009 | Editor's blog
Cat. : Amanda Scotese animation Ann Arbor Ann Arbor Film Festival Ann Arbor Film Festival Ann Arbor, Michigan Artist Audience Award Betzy Bromberg Brett Gaylor Culture of Ann Arbor, Michigan Deborah Stratman Detroit Edward Jones Emily Hubley Entertainment Entertainment Facebook Film festival forward Google Jennifer Reeves Jeremy Clapin Jeremy Wheeler Major Mark Hosler Metro Times Michigan Michigan Michigan Theater National Endowment for the Arts Negativland New York Person Career Robert Todd State Street station WCBN Technology Technology The 47th Ann Arbor Film Festival The 48th Ann Arbor Film Festival Twitter WCBN writer FESTIVALS