Coming Attraction: Cinetopia

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There are already 4,000 “international film festivals” around the world, some as nearby as Traverse City, Saugatuck, and Cleveland. So what took the Michigan so long? Collins cites money and timing. “We wanted to make sure it was a sound financial decision,” he explains, “one that wouldn’t put our ongoing theater restorations and other programs at risk.” The theater also didn’t want to overshadow the Ann Arbor Film Festival, especially as it celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in March.

With the Film Festival over, and AT&T and a half-dozen supporting sponsors in place, the Michigan in April announced its own four-day blowout. “Cinetopia,” running from May 31 through June 3, will screen more than thirty films at the Michigan and State theaters and U-M’s Angell Hall.

The lineup includes everything from Harold Lloyd silents and modern classics (Bonnie and Clyde) to 3-D films old and new (The Stewardesses, Hugo). But it is strongest in recently released dramas (Bullhead) and documentaries (The Queen of Versailles).