CELEBRATING THE CINEMA
Annual CMU Film Fest celebrates 20 years
The Central Michigan International Film Festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with screenings of award-winning films from around the world — and a few made right here in Michigan — from Wednesday to Sunday, Feb. 15-19, at venues around Mt. Pleasant.
This year’s festival will present a diverse slate of films, including drama, comedy, documentaries and shorts, with a few “classic” films mixed in celebration of CMIFF’S 20th anniversary. Among this year’s highlights are “Bad Axe,” a documentary about an Asian-american family in Bad Axe, Mich., fighting to keep their restaurant and American dream alive during the pandemic. The film, directed by Bad Axe native David Siev, was announced as a finalist in the Oscar shortlist for Documentary Feature Film, and will be shown each day of the festival at varying times. Another Michiganmade documentary, “Sparks: Detroit’s Friends of Woodward,” aims to capture the spirit of the grassroots collaboration that went on in the ’90s to save the City of Detroit. A screening of the film will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Broadway Theater, immediately followed by a Q&A with director Danny Grinnell.
In addition to the screenings, there are a few special events planned, including a Filmmakers Meet & Greet Party from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18 at Art Reach of mid-michigan, and a Filmmakers workshop for high school students. Tickets for the Filmmakers Meet & Greet are
$25 and include appetizers and drinks. All proceeds go to support the Central Michigan International Film Festival. For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, visit cmfilmfest.com.