The wonderful people at The District 6310 Rotary Alumni Foundation have put together an extraordinary event for us, and it’s sure to be an evening you won’t want to miss. Think beer samples. Think all sorts of local, mouth watering eats. Think live music. Think friends. Think fun. Find out more information at the previous blog post or at the Facebook event (for a full menu). But what I want to explore now is our entertainment!

If you heard that the Electric Kitsch was doing music, and got confused (I was, at first), then read on. Jordan, the owner, and his friend John will be spinning some great records on a classic turntable, something Jordan says he doesn’t think most people see much of anymore when a lot of DJs have been using laptops. And while he says that the final reveal is a surprise, Jordan wants to play music that most people haven’t heard, something different than what you hear on the radio (hallelujah!). Rare disco? Electro Rap? Funk? Those were all likely possibilities that he offered up. “I just want people to dance,” he said. So grab your dancing shoes (or not) and come out. It’s sure to be a lot of fun—I can’t wait!

And after they are done spinning us around, we’ve got live listenings from the band Tokyo Morose. You may have heard them before, perhaps even at our latest indie music night at Bemos (which by the way was a GREAT time. Check back here for more info on the next one likely to be in June). Tokyo Morose is a band from Bay City/Grand Rapids, recently winning Best Alternative Album (for 2012) from the Grand Rapids radio station 88.1 WYCE. Here is a description from their own mouths of what they do: “Currently, the band is in the midst of new sonic directions. In its inception, the band had a rather blatant electro-acoustic leaning, mixing pump organ, bells, drums, strings and acoustic guitars with subtle sampler and drum machine programming, as is evident on their debut recording. The band has since began incorporating synthesizer, electric guitar, laptop programming and more sample-based rhythms into their songs and compositions. Not altogether eschewing their old ways, they’ve simply sought new ways to augment their sound and develop their sonic palette.” Their album is available for digital download. To get a feel for it before Friday night, check out their Bandcamp page.

Well there you have it, a night that is sure to be a great kick-off to the summer. Tickets are still on sale on Brown Paper Tickets as well as at Electric Kitsch and Tri-City Brewing Company. If there are still tickets available, you can also purchase them at the door.

Brews and Bites
May 10, 7 p.m.
Tri-City Brewing Company
3020 N. Water Street
Bay City, MI 48708

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Rid of Me
Boy Wonder
Girlfriend
The Off Hours
Maria My Love
The Lake Effect
The Lie
Lebanon, PA.
Budrus
Deforce (on DVD)
Drawing with Chalk (on DVD)
X’s and O’s
Timer
Hysterical Psycho (on DVD)
Beyond the Call (on DVD)
Entre Nos (on DVD)
Registered Sex Offender
Run for Your Life
Leaving Barstow (on DVD)
Dakota Skye
Reel Zombies (on DVD)
Can Mr. Smith Go to Washington Anymore?
Witnessing Headlines (on DVD)
Take (on DVD)
The Cake Eaters (on DVD)
You Kill Me
It’s My Party and I’ll Die if I Want To
The Salton Sea (on DVD)

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Tickets are $25 per person, limited to a quantity of 200 (sold to persons age 21 and up only) and
available at Tri-City Brewing Company 3020 N. Water St., Electric Kitsch 917 Washington St., and online.

Included with each admission is four, 4 ounce samples of specially selected beers, one pint of beer of
the ticket holder’s choice, 8+ samples of local cuisine, musical entertainment by Electric Kitsch and the
(Indie) band Tokyo Morose of Bay City/Grand Rapids, opportunities for a 50/50 give away and door
prizes.

This event begins at 7pm, with vinyl music spun by Electric Kitsch from 7-9pm. At 9pm Tokyo Morose
will perform. There is plenty of room to mingle and enjoy the music, while you and your friends savor
the cuisine and beer, in the Events Room at Tri-City Brewery! Get your tickets today!

Our generous sponsors include; The Sweet Boutique, Heather’s Restaurant, Smoked-Heat, The Atrium/
Stein Haus, World Café, Populace Café, American Kitchen, American Gourmet of Snacks LLC and a taste
of HHM receptions.

For further information contact Jessica McQuarter or Kristin Bearden, Alumni Foundation Co-chairs

Jessica – cherry_8_bomb@yahoo.com 989-737-9448

Kristin – kristinbearden@gmail.com 989-714-1334

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Though you may not have heard of us yet, just come to the festival and you won’t forget us. We love being able to provide our guests with a unique experience—starting with providing travel and accommodations (to a limited number of filmmakers) and all-access passes and catered receptions. All the events and hotels are located downtown, with just a few blocks to walk to get to each venue. Plus, HHM offers a unique experience and lots of free time for filmmakers to network with the other visiting filmmakers as well as connect with the community.

If that still hasn’t convinced you to submit, here’s this: if your film is accepted into the festival, your submission fee will be refunded. And should you decide to return a second year, you’ll receive a fee-waiver for future projects as well as all-access passes (rather your film is in the selection or not). Once selected to be part of the festival, HHM will relentlessly promote your film through our website, social media outlets, posters, word-of-mouth, etc. We also recognize audience choice awards and a $1000 cash prize for the Hell’s Half Mile jury award.

For more information about our venues, our accommodations, our past films, and the festival in general, please click on the info tab. And clicking here will lead you to links to YouTube videos to see a recap of HHM 2012.

To submit your film, visit our submission page on withoutabox. Final deadline is May 15, 2013 (WAB extended deadline), with other deadlines scheduled in February, March and April. See our page on WAB for details and all deadlines located within each submission category.

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HHM 7 Opening Night

Day Two

Day Three

Closing Night

The post Highlights from HHM 2012 appeared first on Hell's Half Mile Film and Music Festival.

Fest Best! (top honors): “Missed Connections” – Director Eric Kissack

Best Narrative Feature: “Alter Egos” – Director Jordan Galland

Best Documentary: “Brothers on the Line” – Director Sasha Reuther

Best Short: “Walter Don’t Dance” – Director Chris Levitus

Best Michigan Made Short: “Message Sent” – Director J. Harper Philbin

Lastly, the  Stand Out Award, given by the festival programmers, goes to “Louder than Love-The Grande Ballroom Story” - Director Tony D’Annunzio.  This award is given to the film that best represents the independent spirit of the Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival.

Congratulations to all the winners. It was a great weekend, and we’d like to thank everyone who supported the fest and continue to make it better each year: audience participants, special guests, volunteers, and sponsors. See you at HHM 8!

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Chasing Jimmy will have a special showing in Bay City on Saturday afternoon. But a celebration about “Cheeseburger in Caseville Festival” wouldn’t be complete without—you guessed it—cheeseburgers. And we can’t, of course, forget about the margaritas. At the Masonic Temple before the film you can purchase one of each. For five dollars, you’ll get a cheeseburger and margarita to enjoy during the show. The show may be at 3 o’clock, but it’s 5 o’clock somewhere!

The director, Bob Brown, is scheduled to attend. There will be a Q&A session after the show, so bring your questions!

Saturday, 3:00pm, Masonic Temple Buy tickets for Hell’s Half Mile – Chasing Jimmy

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Saturday, 6:00 pm, State Theatre Buy tickets for Hell’s Half Mile – Shorts Program 1

Sunday, 4:30 pm, Delta College Planetarium Buy tickets for Hell’s Half Mile – Shorts Program 1

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What does Detroit have in common with Lodz, Poland? A great deal according to this sociologically-riveting documentary comparing the rusting infrastructure, the fleeting population, and the high unemployment found in each city. Studying not just the lost glories but the new opportunities available in each setting, this thesis on the global economy inspects the micro and macro causes and effects of industrial development and decline. This doc serves as a dialogue, allowing both cities to learn from each other.

After the film on Sunday afternoon, we invite you to join in a discussion moderated by Mlive Media Group-The Bay City Times. Special guests from the community will be on a panel to discuss how we can apply the lessons learned in this documentary to our local communities. Be a part a part of this great community event and contribute your ideas.
Sunday, 4:30pm, State Theatre Buy tickets for Hell’s Half Mile – After the Factory

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When your girlfriend cheats on you, you quit your job to hang around in your underwear, and your friends won’t leave you alone, what do you do? For Neal, it means partaking in his friends’ ultimate plan to meet new women. By taking advantage of women who have placed “missed connection” ads on the internet, Neal is able to swoop in and “save” the lonely girls. But when he meets Jane, he more than meets his match in deception.

Missed Conenctions will be opening up the film festival on Thursday, Oct 4 at the State Theatre. Before the film, join us at the Pere Marquette Depot (on Adams between 4th and 5th) for our Opening Night Party. From 5-8 there will be music, food, drinks, filmmakers, and fun. A ticket for the party is $6, a ticket for the film is $6, or buy a combined ticket for $10.

Missed Connections will also play on Saturday at the State Theatre. It is directed by Eric Kissack, produced by Lisa Rudin, and written by Kenny Stevenson.  This comedy film, starring Kenny Stevenson, Dorien Davies, and Shane Elliot, was actually written for the cast who have been performing together on the biggest comedy stages in Los Angeles (The Groundlings, Upright Citizens Brigade).

Kissack, Rudin, Stevenson, and Davies are all scheduled to attend the festival.

Kissack (director) has a lot of experience editing films in Los Angeles; these films include Role Models, Bruno, Cedar Rapids, A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas, and The Dictator. Missed Connections is his debut at directing.

Originally from Minnesota, Rudin (producer) has lived in LA for seven years first working in news and political media and then transitioning into comedy, working for Bill Maher at Real Time.  She was a producer for Religulous where she met director Larry Charles and started working with him Curb Your Enthusiasm, Bruno, and The Dictator.

Stevenson (writer and actor) has ten years of experience writing and performing sketch comedy for Groundlings Sunday Company, “Fries on the Side,” “Local Heroes,” and currently, the Upright Citizen’s Brigade theatre. Missed Connections is his first screenplay to be produced; it earned him the “Indie Spirit Story Line Award” at the Boston International Film Festival. As an actor he has appeared NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” and FOX’s “In the Flow with Affion Crockett.”

Davies (actress) attended Mount Holyoke College and studied improve and sketch comedy at the Groundlings Theatre, where she met many of the cast and crew. In the past she has appeared in the film Playback with Stevenson and Christian Slater, several pilots of shows, and many commercials. Her voice will be in an animated feature called “Bunyan and Babe” with John Goodman and Kelsey Grammar. She is also currently a cast member and puppeteer in Jim Henson Company’s off-Broadway show “Stuffed and Unstrung.”

Buy tickets for Hell’s Half Mile – Opening Night Party
Buy tickets for Hell’s Half Mile Opening Night Film – Missed Connections
Buy tickets for Hell’s Half Mile – Opening Night Party and Film

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