Distant Planet Project
The Distant Planet Project is bringing film screenings, workshops, and discussions around exploring themes of Afrofuturism, folklore, and other diasporic art movements.
What is the Distant Planet Project?
The Capital City Film Festival is showcasing the work of Tim and Jim Fielder for the flagship community film program – Distant Planet Project.
Distant Planet Project will look like two days of film screenings exploring themes of Afrofuturism, folklore and other diasporic art movements on Friday, April 11th and Saturday, April 12th at The Robin Theatre.
The organizers of Distant Planet Project, CCFF, The Robin Theatre, and MSU Museum are collaborating to create educational programming in Michigan that aims to engage futurists and filmmakers alike with the Lansing community to develop strategies for unity and innovation.
Keep up to date with Distant Planet Project happenings on Instagram @distantplanetproject.
Infinite Futures: A Never-Ending Journey into Afrofuturism
Friday, April 4, 2025
11:00 AM | MSU Museum (The Abbott) | FREE | RSVP
Join us in an immersive workshop hosted by the MSU Museum, Capital City Film Festival, and Distant Planet Project that explores the limitless possibilities of Afrofuturistic storytelling. Participants will embark on a creative journey of blending visionary futures and speculative narratives while enjoying coffee and doughnuts. Through collaborative activities, discussions, and artistic expression, we’ll co-create an evolving tale that transcends time, culture, and technology. Don’t miss this opportunity to shape the future through the power of never-ending stories!
Refreshments provided! Sketch pads provided! Bringing personal digital devices for writing and illustrating is encouraged.
Distant Planet Project Presents: "Black Metropolis" and "Phlo"
Friday, April 11, 2025
SHOWING
4:30 PM Doors, 5:00 PM Program | The Robin Theatre | FREE | ARTISTS IN ATTENDANCE | WORLD PREMIERES | RSVP
Featuring Afrofuturism Shorts “Planet Pleasure”, “IWYTK (I Want You To Know)”, and “Cottage Grove” to kick off the event.
Then, a Fielder Brothers double feature! The documentary “Black Metropolis” tells the history of the Afrofuturist movement through the perspective of comic artist and graphic novelist Tim Fielder.
When: 5:30 PM
“Phlo” is a coming-of-age horror film following a high school student from Brooklyn who is faced with a life-altering decision.
When: 7:00 PM
After the screening, Tim and Jim Fielder welcome audience feedback on the visual storytelling devices and themes used in “Phlo.” They’ll also share their vision and patronage to the Afrofuturist movement.
Limited space available – please RSVP to reserve your spot (CCFF passholders included!)
EVENT TIMELINE | 4:30 PM doors, 5:00 PM program begins
5:00 PM | AFROFUTURISM SHORTS
[5 MINUTE BREAK]
5:30 PM | DOCUMENTARY FEATURE “Black Metropolis”
[30 MINUTE BREAK]
7:00 PM | NARRATIVE FEATURE “Phlo”
8:30 PM & onward | Discussion with the Fielder Brothers
Distant Planet Project Presents: Coffee Hour and ‘Illustration & Comics’ Workshop w/ Tim Fielder
Saturday, April 12, 2025
SHOWING
1:30 PM | The Robin Theatre | FREE | RSVP
*FREE EVENT*
A coffee social hour with CCFF filmmakers including OG Afrofuturists Jim and Tim Fielder
WHEN: 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Learn the basics of storyboarding from graphic novelist Tim Fielder (DieselFunk Studios). Participants are encouraged to bring their own iPads or digital illustration devices. Paper and pencils provided.
WHEN: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Limited space available – please RSVP to reserve your spot (CCFF passholders included!)
Distant Planet Project Presents: Short Films & Afrofuturist Conversations
Saturday, April 12, 2025
SHOWING
1:30 PM | The Robin Theatre | FREE | RSVP
*FREE EVENT // FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE*
A curation of short films and music videos utilizing themes and storytelling devices from Afrofuturism and other speculative fiction born of the global diasporas. A panel discussion on Afrofuturism will take place immediately following the shorts.
Limited space available – please RSVP to reserve your spot (CCFF passholders included!)
Distant Planet Project Presents: Move Ya Body: The Birth of House
Saturday, April 12, 2025
SHOWING
3:10 PM | The Robin Theatre | FREE | RSVP
Presented in partnership with the MSU Museum
In the chaos of Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park, a teenage usher named Vince Lawrence witnessed the fiery backlash against disco—a sound that defined freedom and pride. Undeterred by the hostility, Vince used his earnings to buy a synthesizer, setting in motion a journey that would change music forever. Venturing into the underground sanctuary of The Warehouse, where Frankie Knuckles spun revolutionary sounds, Vince teamed up with Jesse Saunders to form Z Factor, a scrappy collective of visionaries who captured the pulse of Chicago’s underground on wax. Their track, On and On, became the first recorded house music anthem, sparking a movement that transformed a local DIY culture into a global phenomenon. From those gritty Chicago streets to festival stages worldwide, Vince’s story is an electrifying testament to how a dream, born in the ashes of rejection, ignited a genre that continues to unite and liberate people across the globe.