2009 Traverse City Film Festival

The 2009 Traverse City Film Festival, now in it’s 5th year, strives to give movie goes,” Just Great Movies,” while helping to save one of America’s few indigenous art forms – the cinema.  The festival, which takes place July 28 – Aug 2,  offers over 100 screenings, including free outdoor movies, panel discussions with film industry professionals, TCFF Film School, and  a few parties.  The festival has grown to become one of the largest film festivals in the Midwest and one of the most respected in the country.

Film festival organizers give special emphasis to foreign films, American independents, documentaries, and films which have been overlooked but deserve the attention of a public starved to see a good movie.  A couple movies worth noting include: Julie and Julia, about the early days of renowned chef Julia Child’s career, and Julie Powell’s attempt to cook and blog her way through all 524 recipes in Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,”  and  Waterlife, which presents a tour of the beauty and ecological distress of each of the five lakes.  Please visit the TCFF website for a complete movie guide.

For in-depth coverage of the Traverse City Film Festival, please follow festival sponsor, Absolute Michigan, as they offer a a special On Location: 2009 Traverse City Film Festival Blog.   The Absolute Michigan crew will be present during many of the movies, parties, panel discussions, and paying very close attention to the Michigan Film Office Advisory Council Meeting which takes place on Friday, July 31st.

Still hungry for more TCFF, visit Interlochen Public Radio for more festival updates, along with the TCFF blog, which is updated constantly.  Since you never know who you might see in the crowd, be sure to check out festival photos from the TCFF Flickr and the Traverse City Film Festival photo group.  Or reminisce with highlights from the 2008 TCFF.

Photo:  Panel Discussion by Beth Price from the Traverse City Film Festival 2008 slideshow.