Observer Editor
Cinetopia International Film Festival
May 14—18. This annual festival features narrative feature-length films and documentaries that recently premiered at international festivals such as Sundance and Berlin. This year, the festival also includes Michigan-made shorts screened before some of the feature films. Screenings are over 5 days at 2 local venues: Michigan Theater (Michigan) & State Theatre (State). Individual tickets, $17.25 (member, $13; student, $6.25); 4-pack, $61.25; festival passes, $85-$220; VIP passes, $180-$220 (includes VIP lounge, parties, and more); in advance online at marquee-arts.org/cinetopia & at the Michigan Theater, and at the door.
May 14, Wed.
“Friendship” (Andrew DeYoung, 2024). Comedy about a suburban dad who develops an awkward case of hero worship for his charismatic new neighbor. Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd. Michigan (7:30 p.m.).
May 15, Thurs.
“Lady Parts” (Nancy Boyd, 2024). Comedy about a woman forced to move back in with her parents while she goes through surgery to treat years of vaginal pain. Michigan (7:30 p.m.) & State (Fri. 9:30 p.m.).
May 16, Fri.
“La Laguna Del Soldado” (2024). Documentary about the lingering presence of Simón Bolívar’s 200-year-old liberation campaign among the people of Colombia’s high-altitude marshlands. Spanish, subtitles. State (1 p.m. & Sat. 8:15 p.m.).
“The Dating Game” (Violet Du Feng, 2025). Documentary about Chinese bachelors who attend a 7-day dating camp in a country where men outnumber women by over 30 million. Mandarin, subtitles. Michigan (1:15 p.m.) & State (Sun. 3:45 p.m.).
“How to Build a Library” (Maia Lekow & Christopher King, 2024). Documentary about a writer and publisher who quit their jobs to restore a derelict colonial-era library in Nairobi. English & Kiswahili, subtitles. State (2:45 p.m. & Sat. 5:30 p.m.).
“Where the Wind Comes From” (Amel Guellaty, 2025). Comedy drama about 2 young friends who take a road trip from Tunis to Djerba to enter an art contest. Arabic, subtitles. State (3:45 p.m. & Sat. 9:15 p.m.).
“Sally!” (Deborah Craig, Jörg Fockele, Ondine Rarey, 2024). Joyful documentary about San Francisco State University lesbian-feminist women’s studies professor Sally Gearhart, who was also a fantasy novelist. Michigan (4 p.m. & Sat. 6:30 p.m.).
“Sister Midnight” (Karan Kandhari, 2024). Wild Hindi black comedy/horror movie about a woman in an arranged marriage who must deal with her disappointing new husband and her own feral nature. Hindi, subtitles. State (5:45 p.m.) & Michigan (Sat. 10 p.m.).
“My Sunshine” (Hiroshi Okuyama, 2024). Coming-of-age drama about 2 teenage ice dancing partners who develop complicated feelings for each other. Japanese, subtitles. State (6:30 p.m. & Sat. 6 p.m.).
“New Wave” (Elizabeth Ai, 2024). Documentary about Vietnamese American teens in the California new wave music scene of the 1980s, and their families’ suppressed emotional wounds from the Vietnam War. Michigan (7 p.m. & Sat. 3:15 p.m.).
“1969: Killers, Freaks, and Radicals” (Andrew Templeton, 2024). Documentary about the crimes of serial killer John Norman Collins in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti in the late 1960s within the context of the social and political events of the times. Michigan (7:30 p.m.).
“Queens of Drama” (Alexis Langlois, 2024). Satirical lesbian glittercore musical about the rise and fall of a pop star. French, subtitles. State (8:45 p.m. & Sun. 12:45 p.m.).
“Vulcanizadora” (Joel Potrykus, 2024). Black comedy thriller about two friends who travel into the Michigan woods for a dark mission that goes awry. Michigan (10:15 p.m.) & State (Sat. 3:30 p.m.).
May 17, Sat.
“The Spin” (Michael Head, 2024). Irish comedy about down-on-their-luck friends who embark on a road trip to buy rare records. State (11:45 a.m. & Sun. 12:15 p.m.).
“John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office” (Michael Almereyda & Courtney Stephens, 2025). A tale of animal experimentation, LSD, and fantasy in this documentary about isolation tank inventor John C. Lilly’s controversial scientific legacy. Michigan (noon) & State (Sun. 3:15 p.m.).
“The White House Effect” (Bonni Cohen, Pedro Kos, and Jon Shenk, 2024). Documentary about how a critical opportunity to address climate change was squandered during the George H.W. Bush administration. State (12:15 p.m.) & Michigan (Sun. 3:30 p.m.).
“Mr. Nobody Against Putin” (David Borenstein, 2025). Documentary about the unlikely heroism of a Russian school teacher forced to promote state propaganda. Russian, subtitles. State (2:45 p.m.) & Michigan (Sun. 12:30 p.m.).
May 18, Sun.
“Michigan-Made Shorts.” Collection of narrative, documentary, and experimental short films made by Michiganders. Followed by Q&A. Michigan (1 p.m.).
“The Librarian” (Kim A. Snyder, 2025). Documentary about librarians who, as they defend intellectual freedom and inquiry, have been thrust onto the frontlines of democracy. Michigan (7 p.m.).
Add this event to your calendar: Google Calendar | iCal
