With an expanded line-up and growing community impact, the Independent Film Festival Ypsilanti is returning for its fourth season from April 19-22.
The four-day event will include a set of film showings, workshops, parties, and a gallery show. The main programs will happen at the Riverside Arts Center in downtown Ypsilanti, with afterparties each night at varying nearby locations, said a press release.
To grow ties with the local community, the festivals team is bringing film workshops to local high schools as well.
“We’re excited to expand iFFY this year and create more opportunities for people across our area to experience films in Ypsilanti,” said iFFY co-founder and board member, Donald Harrison. “Getting our non-profit status last year helped strengthen our iFFY team and enabled us to think bigger about what the festival could offer the community this season.”
The festival will showcase a unique mix of short films that explore a variety of topics.
On Thursday, April 20, attendees will also see the Southeast Michigan premiere of director Mike Cheslik’s “supernatural winter epic” feature film Hundreds of Beavers, which was also filmed in Michigan.
Also on April 20, the festival will feature a reception in the Riverside Arts Center gallery for a new video art installation from artist Parisa Ghaderi. On Saturday and Sunday, April 22 and 23, there will be free and paid workshops for both youths and adults, exploring filmmaking techniques, animation, and even new trends with AI in filmmaking.
The festival’s press release also said that the team has worked to keep their ticket costs low in 2023, in hopes of attracting a wide cross-section of film enthusiasts from the Ypsilanti area and beyond.
For the full program and list of events, visit the festival’s website.
