Traverse City Film Festival to host more than 60 visiting filmmakers

Nearly 70 filmmakers, some appearing with the subjects of their films, are due to this year's edition of Film Festival Traverse City. Bumper crop of visitors is the result of a grant from the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences, which provides $ 20 000 for travel and accommodation.

The seventh annual edition, the race Tuesday, July 31, is the result of filmmaker and Flint native Michael Moore ("Bowling for Columbine," "Capitalism: A Love Story"), which established a few years ago to make movies Art of the popular northern Michigan resort town where he currently resides. Last year, a record 106,000 tickets were sold.

The fest opens with screenings at 6 and 10 p.m. Tuesday of "Made in Dagenham," starring Bob Hoskins and Sally Hawkins. The 2010 British film is about a 1968 equal-pay strike by women working as sewing machinists at a Ford plant in England. Four women who were involved in the strike will attend the screenings.

The movie, which played late last year in metro Detroit, is part of the festival's celebration of the 75th anniversary of the famous 1936-37 Flint sit-down strike by autoworkers against General Motors. Moore is calling the celebration Union! Our Cinematic Salute to Public Employees.The festival will also feature an overview of the documentary "Brothers of the line," written, produced and directed by Sacha Reuther, grand-son of Victor Reuther (brother of the UAW, Walter Reuther).

The rest of the range includes 150 short films and narrative films and documentaries, including two from Detroit. "Deadheads," a zombie comedy of the Royal Oak brothers Brett and Drew Pierce, monitors end July 28 as part of a series of midnight movies.

Classic films are also on the bill. 1980's "The Empire Strikes Back," the first of many sequels and prequels to 1977's "Star Wars," plays free outdoors at dusk Tuesday. A sold-out 50th anniversary screening of "To Kill a Mockingbird" at 6 p.m. Wednesday will feature an appearance by Mary Badham, the actress who played Scout in the 1962 drama.

Festival organizers note that though many screenings are sold out, tickets often become available just before shows start.

The Traverse City Film Festival has events at seven venues in Traverse City, including the downtown State Theatre (33 E. Front St.) and free outdoor screenings on West Grand Traverse Bay (Union and Grand View Parkway). New this year is an experimental film component and Kids Fest. Info at 231-922-8109 or traversecityfilmfest.org. Single screenings $10; opening night $25-$50.

The art of editing at the Detroit Film Theatre | Knight Arts

During each of the four “DFT 101” events, Chew will screen an influential classic film, followed by a film he edited (some of which, of course, are classics themselves). In between, he’ll spend time with Detroit Film Theatre curator Elliot Wilhelm discussing editing, style, film grammar and the particular influence of the individual classics on his work. Last week, there was a screening and discussion of Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless” (1959) in relation to Jessie Nelson’s “I Am Sam” (2001). This Thursday, Chew will discuss Mike Nichol’s “The Graduate” (1967) and Paul Brickman’s “Risky Business” (1983).

These events are extraordinary opportunities for film lovers to watch great movies and learn about the art of filmmaking in general and editing, the “invisible art,” in particular.

Thursday’s and Monday’s screenings start at 6 p.m.; Saturday’s at 2 p.m. The Detroit Film Theatre is located inside the Detroit Institute of Arts at 5200 Woodward Ave. Enter using the John R. entrance for all screenings. 313-833-7900; dia.org/dft . Admission is $5, Detroit Institute of Arts members free.