41 North Film Festival Returns to the Rozsa Center Starting Tonight

Organizers of the 41 North Film Festivals are very excited to return to Michigan Tech’s campus over the next four days. Director Erin Smith says that the festival plans will continue to offer great independent projects as well as a couple of larger titles the community may have heard about. She says that those old enough to have experienced the panic of Y2K in 1999 may be interested in the festival’s opening feature tonight. Time Bomb Y2K.

It’s all archival footage so you get a chance to look back and see what the technology was like 25 years ago. I think it’s fun if you’re younger too, to see what your parents were living through at that time. – Erin Smith, Director, 41 North Film Festival

A larger title many may know already comes from Wes Anderson. Smith says that while Anderson might be a household name now, at one time he was like many other directors; pouring many hard-working and passionate hours into his craft.

We are presenting Asteroid City in collaboration with the Michigan Tech Film Board. But, you know Wes Anderson, got his start making more independent films. And we also have an early work from Darren Aronofsky, who people might know from The Whale most recently or Black Swan. There are a lot of directors who cross over, but have unique stylistic sensibilities, and cut their teeth making low-budget independent films, that put them on the map. – Erin Smith, Director, 41 North Film Festival

Smith adds that 41 North’s place at Michigan Tech adds to the festival’s panel and sessions. Because they can invite faculty working in a field to add commentary to some of the documentary-style films screened over the four days.

I think one of the things I am most proud of in terms of our film festival. This is the way we integrate the expertise of people here at Michigan Tech, and those in our community working on different kinds of projects, into the festival by having panels with them. So we don’t always have to have filmmakers here for it to be a super interesting and engaging discussion after the festival. – Erin Smith, Director, 41 North Film Festival

41 North Film Festival is a free public event, and the community is encouraged to check out independent film-making passion projects. The festival opens at 5:00 with the Shorts Animation Program, followed by music with the MTU JAZTEK. At 7 pm 41 Film Fest will show its first of many great films with Time Bomb Y2K.

Find more details about the festival here.