Written by Kristen Reyes
[Cover screenshot from the film An Undue Burden, by Jex Blackmore]The 59th annual Ann Arbor Film Festival took place online from March 23-March 28, 2021. Founded in 1963 by George Manupelli, this experimental film festival offers 40 programs that feature more than 180 films of various different durations and genres, such as experimental, documentary, fiction, and animation.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the AAFF was held on Eventive, an online viewing platform. This gave viewers a chance to experience the festival while practicing social distancing from the safety of their own homes. As a result of this online presentation, festival viewership expanded past Ann Arbor to 43 states and 34 countries around the world. All features in the Competition screenings were presented as a virtual live event on the Eventive platform, and were available for on-demand viewing until March 31st. Winners of the 59th AAFF can be viewed on their website.
In addition to the films in Competition, films in the Special Programs category were screened during the festival. These special programs gave the festival audience a chance to view films outside the Competition category, while reinforcing the festival’s dedication to give underrepresented voices a chance to be heard. This year’s Special Programs included BIPOC Experimental Animation, CYCLE 0, Object (Im)permanence, Slyvanie Tendron: Everyday Obstacles, and Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series presents Pipilotti Rist Kind (of a) Talk.
Screenshot from Experimental Animation.
Although the majority of films were presented online, several In the Screen! features were available for viewing all throughout Ann Arbor. Presented by Saganworks, In the Screen! featured a virtual gallery space, live cinema performances screened throughout the globe, socially-distanced installations that were made viewable from the street, and salon sessions that were designed to help the audience learn and connect with filmmakers and other participants.
This year also marked the AAFF’s first ever film challenge. This new addition to the film festival lasted from March 4th to March 7th, and challenged participants to create a mini film at numerous locations throughout downtown Ann Arbor, all while following social distancing guidelines. Participants were also given a chance to win prizes such as AAFF tickets or gift cards donated by local Ann Arbor businesses. Additionally, submissions to the film challenge were put together into a collective film that premiered at the AAFF.
Due to the overwhelming success of the online viewing of this year’s festival, the AAFF has high hopes for their upcoming 60th year. “Looking to the future, we anticipate the upcoming 60th AAFF with great enthusiasm and have already set the date for March 22-27, 2022 for an in-person event at the Michigan Theater.”
For more information about the Ann Arbor Film Festival, you can visit their website here, or follow them on Instagram or Twitter at @aafilmfest.