2026 FESTIVALApril 8-18, 2026Lansing, MI

The Capital City Film Festival celebrates artists from around the world by curating outstanding multimedia experiences for the community.

The Capital City Film Festival celebrates artists from around the world by curating outstanding multimedia experiences for the community.

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Wednesday, April 8

Opening Night: First Feature (Special Screening)

*FILMMAKER IN ATTENDANCE* Intrepid student filmmaker Thomas Reilly-King will do anything to complete his first feature film, aptly titled ENDURING DESTINY. Searching for fame in a production spanning several years, the unflappable writer/director/actor calls in every favor and spends every last dime to realize his vision and bring his hero’s story to the big screen. Screens with the short film UnrepAIrable and the feature film Enduring Destiny.

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Thursday, April 9

Red Carpet Premiere Party

Capital City Film Festival is turning Sweet Sixteen, and we’re celebrating the only way that makes sense: on the red carpet.

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‘Otherworldly’ Shorts

*FILMMAKER IN ATTENDANCE* Explore a twisted cosmic gumbo of sci-fi, thriller, horror, and experimental shorts that defy labels. Selections include: Anino, Aptitude, Mantis Stream! Like & Subscribe, The Story of The Cricket Queen, Mr. Mittens, God forgive me, and Missing Rhythms

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Friday, April 10

Global Shorts

From the bold to the intimate, we’re certain that this globe-trotting collection of dramatic shorts will stay with you long after you leave the theater. Selections include: Talisman, All In, Gallina, Choice, Octopus, Cinco, and Place under the sun.

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The Big Picture

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* The true story of an abandoned IMAX theater and the community of cinephiles who brought it back to life. Forgotten for over a decade, it becomes the beating heart of a radical grassroots cinema movement. Screens with the short film End of the Line.

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BOOMERANG! A Live Reading

*FREE EVENT* CCFF and The Robin Theatre invite you into a one-night-only celebration of Black film: a live, on-stage reading of the legendary rom-com Boomerang. This performance blends live readings with moments from the film on the big screen with an abbreviated score and director narration for an experience that feels part screening, part theatre, part behind-the-scenes -- and ALL fun.

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Artists in Residence

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* Purchasing a house together in 1950s NYC, three female artists--Lois Dodd, Eleanor Magid and Louise Kruger--defied societal norms and prioritized their art over traditional roles as wives and mothers. A heartfelt celebration of independence, creativity, and the enduring strength of women artists. Screens with the short film Terra—Joy.

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Quality Scary Presents: Paranormal Activity (Rita’s Edition)

*FREE EVENT* Join Quality Scary's Rita on her YouTube channel as she collabs with real estate influencer Katie and Micah to test out their new AirBnB. As you can imagine, something is amiss, resulting in a 1/5 AirBnB stay and the end of the collab. Become a real-life comment section as we watch a dumb "haunting" together. Rita herself will be in attendance to answer your questions about her cautionary tale of a short-term rental gone awry.

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Orange Torches

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE // DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE* Coasting on wasted potential, an eccentric father spends the week with his twelve year old son. This portrait of dysfunction navigates divorce, scuba diving, skate culture, and addiction, all in the backdrop of blue collar Minnesota. Screens with the short film Shoot, Shovel, and Shut Up.

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Edie Arnold is a Loser

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE // DIRECTORS IN ATTENDANCE* Timid dork Edie makes waves when she starts a punk band with her fellow "turds," becoming an icon to the rest of the losers at her Catholic school while pissing off the hot girls, the nuns, and the horniest altar boy you've ever seen. Screens with the short film There's a Devil Inside Me

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Saturday, April 11

Family Friendly Shorts

*FREE EVENT // DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE* Selections include: Feel The World, A Gift Undelivered, Friends, LOOK AT ME, Single Use, Disorder of Gearwheel, Dear robot, Becoming, Who knows what's on the plate?, and Green Summer.

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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: Sleepyhead, Salsa, The Art of Weightlessness, Comedy Against the Odds, Unholy, and Turn Up the Bass.

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‘Just a Vibe’ Shorts

*DIRECTORS IN ATTENDANCE* What’s that emotion you can feel without words? What’s that mood that comes from the atmosphere? There’s something about the world that these filmmakers have captured, but whatever it is, it’s just a vibe. Selections include: Kind Mother, Lempicka Trên Mái Nhà (Rooftop Lempicka), Crac!, When night ends, Hatchlings, Grace and the Red Glow, and Ka-Pew

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Our Knotted Gun

Gun violence is the number one cause of death among young people in the US. Confronting this crisis requires a change in conversation, and this screening pairs a film made by student journalists with a special preview of a docuseries work in progress, alongside a panel of local activists.

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The Mia Chinni Trio + Session

*FREE EVENT* The Mia Chinni Trio is made up of MSU Jazz Program students - each month they come together for an epic community jam at the Robin! This special edition will feature the Trio performing a set of jazz standards originating from historically influential films. A jam session will follow where audience members can bring their own instruments and participate.

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The Legend of Juan Jose Mundo

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE // DIRECTORS IN ATTENDANCE* Based on a true story. Set in suburban NY in 1984. Julie Gornick hosts a charismatic, larger than life Spanish exchange student. As he starts hooking up with the girls in her class, Julie falls in love with him. Or what she thinks is love. Screens with the short film Be Safe.

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The Chaplain & The Doctor

Filled with warmth and humor, this buddy film follows two unlikely allies working to bring curiosity, connection, and compassion to a broken healthcare system - one patient at a time. Screens with the short film Forever in the Mountains.

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Sun Never Again

*U.S. PREMIERE* Vid, a father grappling with the threat of a corporate iron ore mine near his home, finds hope and resilience through his young son's imagination, which infuses their grim reality with optimism, fairy tales, and mysticism. Screens with the short film Boom Balloon Machine.

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Comedy Oddities

*FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE* You’ll either be rolling in your seats or picking your jaw up off the floor from the sheer, unadulterated absurdity that these comedies have to offer. Selections include: yer smackin, Buddies, DIY, MAGNET BRAIN, Hyperburn, The Last Fry, Robbers, and Halfway Haunted.

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CCFF x Filmetry

*FREE EVENT* 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. This year’s theme is climate change.

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American Comic

*MICHIGAN PRIMERE // DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE* In this mockumentary satire of the modern American stand-up comedy scene, a camera crew follows two up-and-coming comedians who, despite being from opposite sides of the cultural divide, are nearly identical in their shittiness. Screens with the short film Ana Sees Her Dad.

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Rising Through the Fray

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE // DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE* Indigenous Rising skates to claim their space on the roller derby track as the first borderless team in the sport. Screens with the short film The Bridge Swim: Conquering the Mackinac Straits.

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Animated Shorts

Come be amazed and bewildered by this eclectic mix of international animation. Selections include: Butterfly Kiss, 16:9, Draft paper, LOST&FOUND, thóo-kong-á, Following The Line, gaze at you, Furry-Anxi, The shoe, Line 12, and Anyone lived in a pretty how town.

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The Ovation Presents: The Go Rounds wsg False Harbor

The Go Rounds are one of contemporary indie rock’s most creative groups, a bold and visionary collection of talented musicians that have forged a reputation as innovators over the course of five studio albums and countless live performances. Opening the show is False Harbor, an indie-psychedelic rock band from Lansing, Michigan.

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When Harry Met Sally…

*In tribute to Rob Reiner* In 1977, college graduates Harry Burns and Sally Albright share a contentious car ride from Chicago to New York, during which they argue about whether men and women can ever truly be strictly platonic friends. Ten years later, Harry and Sally meet again at a bookstore, and in the company of their respective best friends, Jess and Marie, attempt to stay friends without sex.

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Big City Pizza

*MIDWEST PREMIERE* As tension rises in the big city for the Omniball Championship, Boney, a skeleton pizza delivery man starts his shift. Animated entirely from Boney’s POV in one continuous, unbroken take, we follow his delivery route where every stop is weirder than the last. Screens with the short film Metal.

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Sunday, April 12

Documentary Shorts

*FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE* Selections include: Sunday Mornings at the Beach, Finding A Way - Revitalizing Nature in America's Heartland, Nothing in Particular (Unboxing Video), Broken Flight, Dinosaur Fish, The Deep Dive, and Branching Narratives: The Life, Death, and Rebirth of the Tappan Oak.

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CURTIS FROM DETROIT! An Afternoon with Curtis Chin

*FREE EVENT* Join the CCFF, Capital Area District Libraries, and MSU Libraries for an afternoon with Great Michigan Read's featured author. Curtis Chin is the author of the award-winning memoir, "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant."

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Wood Street

*MIDWEST PREMIERE // DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE* Two unhoused men turned community leaders— John and LaMonté —organize their neighbors in the face of displacement, addiction, and a failing social system. Screens with the short film Fretail

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Symphonic Cinema

*FREE EVENT* The Capital City Film Festival’s signature Symphonic Cinema concert returns with a bold reimagining of Animal Farm (1954) based on the dystopian novel by George Orwell. Composer Tim Blackmon presents the Loud Pack, an experimental group featuring vocalist Jasmine Hamilton-Wray to create an immersive new soundscape.

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Tuesday, April 14

Exploring Joy as Resistance and Our Natural Connections

*FREE EVENT // DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE* Presented in partnership with LCC's Take a Stand! Sit In! initiative and Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council's NEA Big Read, this event features short films centered on the themes of joy, resistance, nature, hope, courage, and connection. Selections include: Becoming Air, Wild Hope: Reclaiming Bear River, A Full Body Act, Organic Network, and A Sparrow's Song

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CCFF x Ambient Annotations

Ambient Annotations is an experimental/electronica music showcase, founded by Stephanie E. Vasko at The Robin Theatre in 2023. Drop in to enjoy sounds from local artists in a welcoming environment.…

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Michigan Made Shorts

*DIRECTORS IN ATTENDANCE* Showcasing some of the best short film storytelling our state has to offer, these films call the Mitten State home. Selections include: Game of 21, Tomato Soup, Waves, Invaluable, Recesses, Shadow, Cuff, Lovechild, and Un Día Normal (A Normal Day).

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Wednesday, April 15

Third Coast Waves

*FREE EVENT* CCFF and All of the Above Hip Hop Academy are joining forces to present: Third Coast Waves – an evening celebrating the dynamic history and culture of hip hop, Lansing’s own Golden Era, and local efforts to make waves in the industry.

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Fortnight Next Best Films

These Fortnight Film Contest submissions are eligible for an Audience Choice award based on audience votes, so make sure to come out and bring your people!

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Thursday, April 16

Desire: The Carl Craig Story

*DIRECTOR & SUBJECT IN ATTENDANCE* An intimate portrait of legendary techno producer, DJ and record label creator Carl Craig and an ode to his beloved city, Detroit. Raised in a middle class African American family, Carl's parents fostered his artistic pursuits, even if that meant breaking with his family's tradition of pursuing higher education.

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Fortnight Film Contest: Screening & Awards

Join us for our annual Fortnight Film Contest Screening & Awards! The top three winners will be announced at this event along with the Audience Choice award (bring your friends!). $5,000 in cash prizes will be awarded.

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Filmmaker / Artist Afterglow

*FREE EVENT* 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.

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Friday, April 17

‘Pride in Motion’ Happy Hour

Join us to unwind at Happy Hour before the 'Pride in Motion' Shorts program!

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Joybubbles

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE // OPEN SCREENING: OPEN AUDIO DESCRIPTION AND OPEN CAPTIONS* A boy discovers he can control the global telephone system by whistling a magic tone. Born blind and yearning for connection, his early obsession with the telephone sparks a subculture that shapes the future of hacking and technology.

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‘Pride in Motion’ Shorts

*FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE* Pride is more than a summer festival and LGBTQIA+ is so much more than an acronym. These shorts explore the nuances, beauty, and heartbreak of those of us who exist within the LGBTQIA+ spectrum around the world. Selections include: Fadeaway, AGAPE, ...and Release, Old Dykes, Cuming Out, and Las Cosas Que Brillan

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Midwest Experimental Moving Image

*FREE EVENT* What experiments in film and video are being done in the Midwest? Find out at this screening presented in collaboration with the MSU Broad Art Museum!

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‘Film Imitates Life’ Shorts

*FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE* Every film was once a story waiting to be told. Whether they come from a lived experience or the mind of a writer, these shorts hold up a mirror that lets us learn more about ourselves and each other. Selections include: The Polar Bear Plunge, Public Freakout, Trashy People, If You Die I'll Kill You, Serenity, and Comets

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On a String

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* Isabel (Isabel Hagen) is a young, Juilliard-trained violist still living at home with her parents in the heart of NYC. She’s trying to make a living playing gigs with her friends but when her toxic ex-boyfriend reappears, who also happens to be the Philharmonic's "newest, hottest cellist," he informs her of a viola opening in the prestigious orchestra. Nothing can go wrong, right?

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CCFF x NOCTURNE: REBLOOM

Featuring Sero, Rinbossanova, NO.AH, and IZOTROPE. Melt away the daily drudge with Lansing’s Nocturne DJ collective for this special benefit show for a local farming co-op.

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The Misadventures of Vince and Hick

*MIDWEST PREMIERE // PRODUCER IN ATTENDANCE* A recently released-from-prison car thief gets roped in with an overly ambitious con man and must help him deliver a prized car to a dangerous kingpin within 24 hours. Screens with the short film Parlay

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Saturday, April 18

Short Films from Iran

Bold cinematic visions and urgent storytelling from Iranian filmmakers. Selections include: The Third Dream, The Tortoise, The Translator, Little Soldier, Deform, Like Friend, Like Deer, Nest, and SUMMER TRIANGLE

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Documentary Mediums

*DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE* Not quite shorts, not quite feature length... these incredible stories are mediums - and just like Goldilocks, we think they're just right. Selections include: Is That All There Is?, On Healing Land, Birds Perch (ÐÁT LÀNH CHIM ÐÂU), and The Last Puestero.

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Jake Blount’s Afrofuturist Salon

A powerfully skilled musician and music scholar, Jake Blount speaks ardently about the African roots of the banjo and the profound and often under discussed ways Black people and culture have influenced the amorphous categories of roots music and Americana.

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Yalla Parkour

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* In her relentless pursuit of a memory that reinforces her sense of belonging, Areeb crosses paths with Ahmed, a parkour athlete in Gaza, sparking in a journey where conflicting aspirations intersect. Nostalgia meets with ambition, and the weight of a confined past meets with an unpredictable future. Screens with the short film The Life of a Human Firecracker.

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Another German Tank Story

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* While an American film crew shoots a war series in a former sugar factory in Germany, the residents of the nearby village of Wiesenwalde chase their personal dreams - until a sudden power failure threatens to disrupt all plans and a tank stands in front of the mayor's house. Screens with the short film A Little Grace.

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When We Get There

*WORLD PREMIERE // FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE* After their mother passes away, Cal and Ty embark on a cross-country trek to meet their father. Along with Cal’s girlfriend, Ellie, and a new guitar named Stevie, they are forced to navigate uncertain futures on a 2000-mile journey. Screens with the short film What We Carry.

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Closing Night Feature: A Sad and Beautiful World

*MICHIGAN PREMIERE* In this sweeping love story that spans three decades of passion, heartbreak, and hope, Nino and Yasmina find themselves drawn together by a magnetic relationship. As they face an impossible choice between love and survival, they must decide if they want to build a family and chart a path to happiness in Lebanon, despite the tragedies ravaging the country.

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NIGHTSHADE: Official CCFF Afterparty ft. Petal Supply

Dim the lights and step into a glowing garden of sickening beats and ineffable fun for the Capital City Film Festival Afterparty.

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