18th Annual Media City Film Festival May 22 to 26, 2012

International filmmakers flock to Windsor and Detroit

Windsor's Media City Film Festival opens its 18th annual edition on Tuesday, May 22 at the Detroit Film Theatre, 4200 Woodward Avenue. The festival announced its program last week, including the full-colour, 80-page catalogue, now available to read online.

 Filmmakers will attend from Vienna, London (England), Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and across North America, along with numerous critics, curators and other cinema professionals. Audiences from Ann Arbor and Detroit can travel to the screenings on the FREE Media City Shuttle. 

 The 18th Media City Film Festival continues until Saturday May 26 with nightly screenings at the Capitol Theatre (121 University West) in Windsor, and afternoon events at the Art Gallery of Windsor. More than 75 new film and video artworks screened in 13 programs with artists in attendance from around the world. Among the highlights:

·            Tuesday May  22, 8 pm at the Detroit Film Theatre: Opening screening featuring the North American premiere of "differently, Molussia", the new film by Nicolas Rey (France). Filmmaker in attendance.

·            Wednesday May 23, 6 pm at the Capitol Theatre: Opening Party in Windsor sponsored by Mill Street Beer with introductory remarks by Media City organizers, IAIN BAXTER& and other guests, followed at 7:30 pm by the special program IAIN BAXTER&: Super 8 INFORMATION including thirteen, previously unseen S8mm films made by the Windsor-based, Governor General Award-winning artist in the late 60s and early 70s. IAIN BAXTER& in attendance to discuss the films.

·            Thursday May 24, 6 pm at the Capitol Theatre: Regional Artists Program featuring 15 new short films by artists from Windsor, Detroit and surrounding areas. A new "Best Local Film Award" is sponsored by Caesars Windsor.   

·            Friday May 25, 7:30 pm at the Capitol Theatre: Special program of rare archival films from the post-war Austrian avant-garde and the North American launch of the book "Film Unframed" recently published by the Austrian Filmarchive . Filmmaker and curator Norbert Pfaffenbichler attends from Vienna to introduce the screening.

·            Saturday May 26, late night at Phog Lounge (157 University West): festival closing party and award ceremony, including a screening of Super 8 films by Dagie Brundert (Berlin) with the artist in attendance.

·            Wednesday May 23 through Saturday May 26 at the Capitol Theatre: Six additional International Competition Programs with dozens of new films from around the world; numerous artists in attendance to discuss their work.

For full program details, schedule and ticket information visit http://mediacityfilmfestival.com/films-and-schedule-2012

Get on the Bus! Sponsored by the Detroit Bus Company, Media City offers a FREE bus service for US patrons each night of the festival, with pick-up and return locations in Detroit and Ann Arbor. Schedules and seat reservations through the festival website. Ride the one and only cross-border film shuttle in the world!

Media City is a co-presentation of the House of Toast Film & Video Collective and the Art Gallery of Windsor


by Alan Halberstadt www.alanhalberstadt.com