A Tale of Two Cities

2018 • USA • 6 min • Will Parrinello

LeeAnne Walters led a citizens’ movement that tested the tap water in Flint, Michigan, and exposed the Flint water crisis. The results showed that one in six homes had lead levels in water that exceeded the EPA’s safety threshold. Walters’ persistence compelled the local, state, and federal governments to take action and ensure that residents of Flint have access to clean water. Narrated by Robert Redford, Flipping the Switch shows how ordinary people can effect extraordinary change. LeeAnne was a winner of the prestigious 2018 Goldman Environmental Prize.

2023 • United States • 30 min • Adam Johnson

Family Friendly, Filmmaker in Attendance, First Time Filmmaker

A year in the making - a story of the beauty of a peninsula, the power of its community, and how they overlap in an annual dogsled race.

2023 • United States • 41 min • Rory K. McHarg & Bret Miller

Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker, Staff Pick

Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale is America’s No.1 IPA. The now infamous & iconic trout image is found in every convenience store nationwide. The legends behind this label and many others have been buried in folklore for nearly 40 years, but the vision created at Bell’s started a revolution in the craft brewing industry that changed what a beer label could be. This is the unconventional story of an artist whose love of fishing, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and beer found its way into every store in America. Dave Chapelle, during a comedy set in Kalamazoo said aloud, “Why the hell did you put a fish on the label?” However, eccentric artist Ladislav Hanka’s reasoning is simple yet personal. Just like the rest of his artwork.