11th Freep Film Festival hits screens April 10-14
The 2024 Freep Film Festival, scheduled for April 10-14, promises a vibrant array of documentary screenings, parties and educational events.
This will be the 11th edition of the event, which was established in 2014 and is produced by the Detroit Free Press in partnership with michigan.com. Screenings and events will take place at past venue partners, including the Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Birmingham 8 Powered by Emagine, Michigan Science Center, Detroit Historical Museum and Frame.
While the titles of featured films remain under wraps, various other festival components have been confirmed:
Opening night is set for April 10 at the DIA’s Detroit Film Theatre.
Dinner-and-a-movie events, which were sellouts in 2023, will take place at Frame in Hazel Park.
There will be a free screening series spotlighting Asian American stories curated by Michigan filmmaker Razi Jafri.
Real Fresh, a platform that showcases the creativity of student filmmakers at metro Detroit colleges, will return for a third year.
Home streaming options will be available for much of the lineup.
“We are excited for another Freep Film Festival
after such a wonderful 10th anniversary. Festivalgoers should expect more great films, more cool partnerships and some fun and inspirational events,” said Kathy Kieliszewski, the festival’s artistic director.
The opening night film will be announced in February, followed by the announcement of the festival’s full lineup in mid-March.
Many of the festival’s documentaries have connections to Detroit or Michigan. Previous festivals have included the world or Michigan premieres of films like “12th and Clairmount,” “The Russian Five,” “Boy Howdy! The Story of Creem Magazine,” “Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale” and “Coldwater Kitchen.”
The festival often hosts events surrounding film screenings, including discussions with filmmakers, film subjects, community members and in-depth conversation led by Free Press journalists. Parties and free educational events geared toward the filmmaking community are also part of the event.
Filmmakers passionate about documentaries with themes rooted in Detroit, Michigan or the Midwest or led by those connected to the area are encouraged to reach out to the festival team at freepfilmfestival@freepress.com with basic details about their documentary, whether completed or in progress. The festival’s website is freepfilmfestival.com.