2024 FESTIVALApr 10-20, 2024Lansing, MI
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Wednesday, April 10

‘Investigating Incarceration: Artists for Healing and Reform’ Shorts (FREE)

Presented in partnership with Lansing Community College, this event features three short films centering on incarceration and the criminal justice system. Join us for a powerful and educational event including a lively panel discussion following the films.

Opening Night Feature: Camp RicStar

*HOMETOWN PREMIERE // DIRECTOR AND CAST & CREW IN ATTENDANCE* This documentary highlights the camp of the same name that takes place in East Lansing, MI each summer. CAMP RICSTAR is an affirmation of the joys of music, the power of community, and the need for inclusion of a population too often left out. Screens with the short film The Boy and The Galaxy.

Encore Screening: Camp RicStar

*ENCORE SCREENING // DIRECTOR AND CAST & CREW IN ATTENDANCE* This documentary highlights the camp of the same name that takes place in East Lansing, MI each summer. CAMP RICSTAR is an affirmation of the joys of music, the power of community, and the need for inclusion of a population too often left out. Screens with the short film The Boy and The Galaxy.

Thursday, April 11

Red Carpet Premiere Party

Start your engines and [insert your personal favorite car movie/song/pop culture reference here]! Bust out your party best and join us for CCFF’s Red Carpet Premiere Party as we kick off this year’s festival at the one and only R.E. Olds Transportation Museum.

Friday, April 12

‘Just a Vibe’ Shorts

Selections include: Big George, Seventeen, When Beverly Met Reita, Synchronicity Story, River Bank, Silt

A Movie is a Portal to Home: Shorts by ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby and Jess X. Snow (FREE)

*DIRECTORS IN ATTENDANCE* Embark on a cinematic journey guided by the visionary works of Anishinaabe filmmaker, ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby and Chinese diasporic filmmaker, Jess X. Snow. Together, they unveil a collection of short films spanning seven years, a testament to their artistic collaboration and individual evolution. Presented in partnership with the MSU Womxn of Color Initiative.

Ultimate Citizens

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* Jamshid, an Iranian American public school counselor, teaches the children of immigrants and refugees in Seattle about life and belonging. With a Frisbee in hand, Jamshid shows that love wins – one kid, chicken, ultra-endurance race, and friend at a time. Screens with the short film Sydney G. James: How We See Us.

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Quality Scary and Super Secret Cult Band Present: In the Mouth of Madness

Imagine you and 50 of your friends are watching a movie and just goofin’ and joshin’ and doin' some BITS. That’s Quality Scary. Now imagine you also invited a spooky band to play some songs inspired by the movie. Intrigued?

Jailhouse to Milhouse

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* This is the courageous journey of Pamela Hayden, voice of the plucky, resilient Milhouse on “The Simpsons”: After surviving an abusive boarding school and juvenile jail, as well as other setbacks, Pamela now speaks to teen girls about overcoming obstacles and turning their dreams into reality. Her story is told with surprising humor and great candor. Screens with the short film ScrapFest.

‘Film Imitates Life’ Shorts

Selections include: Bruno, Addict, Grass On Your Class, Movie Star, Making Up, Cross Country

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Saturday, April 13

It’s Basic (FREE)

IT'S BASIC looks at pilot programs launched in the U.S. that test the effects of giving everyday people an extra $500 to $1,000 monthly, with no strings attached. Presented in partnership with the City of Lansing Office of Financial Empowerment.

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Born for This

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* Determined not to become another statistic of the Black maternal health crisis, one couple chooses the rare option of hiring an experienced midwife and doula and planning to give birth at home, away from the hospital and all of its interventions. Screens with the short film Black Bridges.

Character Development & Logline Workshop: Preserving the Authentic Voice (FREE)

Every story has a beginning, middle and end, rooted in the personal experiences of its creators. In this workshop, filmmakers of all experience levels will have an opportunity to work together in small groups to explore the seeds that make up great screenplays.

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Blue Sunshine

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* Aravind, a high school teacher, wants to transition from male to female while working for a school in a small town in South India. When his parents force a marriage upon him due to their financial situation, Aravind gains courage under pressure. Screens with the short film Rewind, Please.

Documentary Shorts

Selections include: Dumpster Archeology, Floodplain, Sanctuary, Diblings, Tuhaymani'chi Pal Waniqa (The Water Flows Always), Soft Lights and Silver Shadows

The Body Politic

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* THE BODY POLITIC follows Baltimore’s idealistic young mayor into office where he puts his personal and political future on the line to save his city from chronic gun violence. Screens with the short film Last Winter.

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Harmonic Narratives Panel: The Role of Music in Cinematic Storytelling (FREE)

Immerse yourself in a captivating panel discussion that brings together the brilliant minds of Michigan-based composers, artists, and music supervisors!

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Dramedy Shorts

Selections include: Kombucha!, Hold to Dash, Ecciù, Singing in the Lifeboat, Things I've Made My Roommate Do, Fitting Descriptions, Officer Dave, Oh Snap!, Caged Lion

A Two Hearted Tale

*FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE* A Two Hearted Tale is a heartfelt look at the history of the iconic trout label adorning the most popular IPA beer in America, and its eccentric artist, Ladislav Hanka. Screens with the short film Boogie Bob & Chuck Berry.

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Fantasy A Gets a Mattress

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* Fantasy A, real-life autistic Seattle rapper, suffers trials and tribulations from total creeps as he attempts to become a superstar. Screens with the short film Lipstick Jodi - Now That She's Down.

Global Shorts I

Selections include: Waiting Here, Angelica Levoisier - She Walks In Beauty, Beyond the Sea, Vanished, Phoenix, Animalia

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Caleb Robinson and Reaching

Free CCFF concert featuring a reimagination of the jazz sextet's sophomore album, "Going Home."

Sunday, April 14

Down by the Riverside

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* In the summer of 1969, world-renowned folk musician Pete Seeger built a boat and launched a movement. This film tells the story of how an unconventional campaign to save the polluted Hudson River prompted a green revolution. Screens with the short film Somewhere Outside Lemmings.

ReelAbilities Shorts

ReelAbilities celebrates disability, promotes inclusion, and advances accessibility through film. The short films in this program have been curated in partnership with the ReelAbilities Film Festival. Selections include The Hero, Imaginings, Breathe, Charlie and the Hunt, Prosopagnosia, Neurodivergent.

MSU Student Shorts (FREE)

A celebration of student films from Michigan State University. Underclass micro-shorts will precede senior level projects in documentary and fiction.

Wednesday, April 17

Miwene

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* Steeped in the long oral tradition of Waorani storytelling, Anita Yeti shares her own coming-of-age story as a young Waorani woman living deep within the Amazon rainforest - determined to capture her grandmother’s unique experience while she still can. Screens with the short film River Bank.

‘Heavy Hitters’ Shorts

Selections include: Pontianak, Reconcile, Loose Change, You Can Go Home Whenever You Want, Blue Hour, I Don't Fight the Dark as Well as I Used To

Thursday, April 18

Growth Vol. 1: Jahshua Smith & Friends (FREE)

Presented in partnership with The Robin Theatre. A showcase of new music, poetry and comedy featuring Jahshua Smith and friends (to be announced)! Free to attend – donations to The…

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Filmmaker/Artist Afterglow (FREE)

Be the main character of your own social capital! Just kidding. But for real, come on out and hang with filmmakers and artists in a chill, no-pressure-networking kinda way.

‘Otherworldly’ Shorts

Selections include: Lost in the Sky, Rocket Coma - The End of the World, Phase Space, Bird Hours, Stay, Soul, Cults

Friday, April 19

CCFF x Filmetry (FREE)

*FILMMAKERS AND POETS IN ATTENDANCE* FILMETRY: a Festival of Poetry and Film is an annual collaborative art-making endeavor that pairs filmmakers with poets to create exciting new pieces of work.

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Symphonic Cinema (FREE)

*FREE* Join us for a live debut of an original composition by Timothy Blackmon Jr and James Gardin set to the visuals of the cult hood classic FRESH! Reimagining the original score by Stewart Copeland are Producer/Rapper James Gardin and Composer/Trumpet Tim Blackmon.

*Film Announcement Forthcoming*

*Film announcement forthcoming - check back soon!* Screens with the short film Senghor Reid: Make Way for Tomorrow

The Mother of All Lies

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* On a handmade set recreating her Casablanca neighborhood, young Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir enlists family and friends to help solve the troubling mysteries of her childhood. Screens with the short film Posthumous.

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The Activated Man

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* After Ors Gabriel loses his beloved dog to cancer, the shock from the trauma produces strange vision projections that force Ors to wrestle with two possibilities: That his mind has fractured, or that it's actually real. Screens with the short film Blind Spot.

Global Shorts II

Selections include: Street Food, Aminata, Anything Else?, The Shepherd of Clouds, Birthmarked, Nakam

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Saturday, April 20

CCFF Presents: ‘Fresh Coast’ Shorts

This special showcase features short films from the annual Fresh Coast Film Festival, traveling to you from Marquette, Michigan where the four-day festival is held each October. Fresh Coast focuses on celebrating the outdoor lifestyle, water-rich environment, and resilient spirit of the Great Lakes region.

Marco Polo

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* After the death of his brother, Marco, an antisocial young man, must learn to deal with his pain, while his family heals the wounds of the past. Screens with the short film An Umbrella in Case it Rains.

Marqueetown

*DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE* No one fights to preserve a multiplex, but some people will risk everything to save a marquee. Through booms and busts, Delft Theatres Inc. – and its innovative gem, The Nordic – endured in Marquette, Michigan for almost 100 years, even as the world changed endlessly around them. Screens with the short film Higher Way.

Underneath: Children of the Sun

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE // DIRECTOR & CAST IN ATTENDANCE* A captivating and mind-bending Afrofuturist story that embarks on a breathtaking journey of galactic politics, heritage, and destiny. Screens with the short film Pumzi.

What We Find on the Road

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* The delivery of an unexpected key on his 18th birthday challenges TJ to a cross country road trip of adventure, exploration, and self-discovery in a timeworn 1968 convertible. Screens with the short film A Thousand Sunrises.

‘Abstract & Experimental’ Shorts

Selections include: The Steak, Lo-tech Reality, Natural Art, Living Reality, If Only We Had Eyes to See, The Rooms, The Smith

Closing Night Feature: Darla in Space

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE // DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE* Darla teams up with a sentient, orgasm-granting kombucha mother in order to pay off a huge tax debt. Screens with the short film Give Us a Smile.

Weird Barbie’s Hideout: Official CCFF Afterparty

Calling all creatures of the night! Sweat off anxiety and devastation inside a downtown sanctuary at the Official Capital City Film Festival Afterparty.

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