Northern Michigan's Traverse City Film Festival was founded in 2005 by documentarian Michael Moore with the mission to bring "just great movies" to his hometown. With a board of directors that includes Larry Charles, Jeff Daniels, Tom Morello, and numerous other notable filmmakers and celebs, the festival has become a summer refuge for both veteran and up-and-coming directors alike. This year's 12th annual festival promises another rich program of narrative and documentaries from across the festival circuit. We've chosen just a few to check out if you find yourself in the area over the festival dates Tuesday, July 26 to Sunday, July 31.
More on the TCFF Website
Hell or High Water
Making its debut at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, David Mackenzie's (Starred Up) latest is a good ol' fashioned outlaw Western with one of the most classic Jeff Bridges-as-lawman performances of his career. Ben Foster and Chris Pine also turn in solid turns.
Our review
Gleason
Clay Tweel's documentary about the ALS-affected former NFL player Steve Gleason is one of the most heart warming/wrenching docus in recent history. Look for an aggressive campaign for this one come Oscar time.
Our review
Dheepan
Palme d'Or winner at the 2015 Cannes Film Fest, Jacques Audiard's (A Prophet, Rust and Bone) Sri Lankan-French immigrant actioner is a power-packed film. Sundance Selects is still rolling it out across the USA.
Our review
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Taika Waititi films (Boy, What We Do in the Shadows) are just plain fun. His latest Sundance-premiering movie is another wonderful ride, this time through the back woods of rural New Zealand. Go see it. Enjoy it. It's impossible not to.
Our review
Command and Control
Robert Kenner's (Food, Inc.) documentary goes deep inside the terrifying story of an Arkansas nuclear missile silo when things went terribly wrong in 1980 and almost lead to massive death and destruction. This cautionary tale points to the danger of mistakes that could cause a nuclear holocaust much more quickly than actual warfare.