The Michigan Beer Film(2013)

The Last of the Little Breweries(en)

The Last of the Little Breweries, a student film documenting the history of the Spoetzel Brewery in Lavaca County, Texas, was produced and directed by University of Texas at Austin student Frank Binney (later a professor in the Radio-Television-Film Department) in 1976. Tracing Bavarian-born brewmaster Kosmos Spoetzel's journey through Egypt, Canada, and San Francisco before landing in Shiner, Texas, in 1915, it won an Achievement Award in documentary at the 4th Annual Student Film Awards (now known as the Student Academy Awards) in 1977.

Bière, la pression monte(fr)

INAATE/SE/(en)

INAATE/SE/ re-imagines an ancient Ojibway story, the Seven Fires Prophecy, which both predates and predicts first contact with Europeans. A kaleidoscopic experience blending documentary, narrative, and experimental forms, INAATE/SE/ transcends linear colonized history to explore how the prophecy resonates through the generations in their indigenous community within Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. With acute geographic specificity, and grand historical scope, the film fixes its lens between the sacred and the profane to pry open the construction of contemporary indigenous identity.

American Movie(en)

American Movie is the story of filmmaker Mark Borchardt, his mission, and his dream. Spanning over two years of intense struggle with his film, his family, financial decline, and spiritual crisis, American Movie is a portrayal of ambition, obsession, excess, and one man's quest for the American Dream.

Blacksmithing Scene(xx)

Three men hammer on an anvil and pass a bottle of beer around. Notable for being the first film in which a scene is being acted out.

Playlands of Michigan(en)

This Traveltalk series short visits several popular vacation spots in Michigan. Among them are Saugatuck, which hosts a school for artists during the summer; Zeeland, where descendants of Dutch settlers perform traditional Dutch dances wearing wooden shoes; the Silver Lake sand dunes, where specially outfitted cars race; and Colon, "The Magic Capitol of the World", which hosts an annual gathering of magicians.

Beer Wars(en)

In America, size matters. The bigger you are, the more power you have, especially in the business world. Anat Baron takes you on a no holds barred exploration of the U.S. beer industry that ultimately reveals the truth behind the label of your favorite beer. Told from an insider’s perspective, the film goes behind the scenes of the daily battles and all out wars that dominate the industry.

Ice Bridge - Mackinac Island’s Hidden Season(en)

Mackinac Island, Michigan, is a tiny island in the center of the Great Lakes. Besides being a world favorite "Horse Drawn" and "Victorian Era" summer destination, the island holds another treasure few have ever seen: its wild, magical and beautiful winters. The 72-minute film Ice Bridge follows islanders' unique and quirky lifestyle throughout an entire year while tracing the formation of the spectacular phenomenon known as the "ice bridge" (a three-mile span of ice that allows islanders to cross to the mainland).

Craft: The California Beer Documentary(en)

The film explores California's important place in the world of craft beer. Featuring interviews at 80 breweries from every corner of the state, the film deals with topics ranging from California's beer history, and the possibility of a craft beer bubble.

Tampa Beer: Crafting the Bay(en)

Brewing a great-tasting beer requires more than hops and barley. It takes innovation and an artist’s vision to create a brew that stands out from the rest. That’s why the art of beer making has played an integral part in establishing Tampa Bay as one of the top craft beer scenes in the country. Tampa Bay has a long history with beer. It’s home to Florida’s first brewery, Florida Brewing Company, which still stands and survived adversities like Prohibition and the Great Depression. And in the past decade, the region has redefined the craft beer scene with pioneers like Cigar City Brewing redefining the craft and precision that makes Tampa Bay beer internationally renowned. Tampa Beer: Crafting The Bay tells the story of a destination that loves beer and the personalities who dedicate their lives brewing it. From hipster havens to historic districts, meet the people and places who make Tampa Bay the heart of Florida’s craft beer scene.

Beer! The Best Film Ever Brewed(en)

An indepth look into the art and craft of brewing beer and the Craft Beer community.

How Michigan explains American politics(en)

"How Republicans won Michigan, how they lost it, and what it all tells us" (Vox).

Remember the Alamo(en)

A tribute to the Alamo Drafthouse located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, that was forced to close after three years when its lease was abruptly and unexpectedly terminated by its landlord. Employees and customers reflect on the impact the theater had made on its community in such a short amount of time.

Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer(en)

British documentarian Nick Broomfield creates a follow-up piece to his 1992 documentary of the serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a highway prostitute who was convicted of killing six men in Florida between 1989 and 1990. Interviewing an increasingly mentally unstable Wuornos, Broomfield captures the distorted mind of a murderer whom the state of Florida deems of sound mind -- and therefore fit to execute. Throughout the film, Broomfield includes footage of his testimony at Wuornos' trial.

Craft Beer in Japan(en)

Craft beer is a fast growing popular movement in Japan. Traveling to Japan to scout this exciting emerging market, american craft beer brewmaster Rob LoBreglio sets out on an off-the-beaten-track visit to meet with beer brewers, pub owners and beer lovers to discover the Japanese way of beer. Kanpai!

Beer Culture The Movie(en)

Beer Culture the Movie, was the first film produced by Free Mind Productions and inspired the creation of Crafting A Nation. Beer Culture the Movie tells the story of the hardworking men and women in the Colorado Craft Beer culture as they come together to defeat legislation that could greatly harm the successful craft beer industry within the state.

Česká pivní válka(cs)

Tale of the Spotted Cow(en)

Wonderfully candid interviews with New Glarus Brewery founders/owners Deb and Dan Carey fuel this inside look at the legend behind WIsconsin's signature craft beer, Spotted Cow. Filmmaker Bill Roach has captured endearingly down to earth and detailed anecdotes about the couple's history both in and out of the brewery, revealing a true-life rages-to-riches tale that is both touching and inspiring.

A Bunch of Melons Eating Shawarma(nl)

A short documentary concerning a group of friends who get together, eat shawarma and drink beer. They talk utter nonsense at times, yet they couldn't be happier.

Brewmance(en)

The American Craft Beer movement began with a group of restless homebrewers searching for something genuine and flavorful. Today it’s evolved into a redefinition of beer and an international cultural phenomenon. That uniquely American spirit of rebellion and innovation survives in two groups of homebrewers from Long Beach, California who are looking to open their own breweries and bring their beers to the world. These include a Christian father-son team who grew close over making beer and a retired rock star looking for the “quiet" existence of a brewery owner. With the insight and commentary of legendary brewers Ken Grossman (Sierra Nevada), Fritz Maytag (Anchor Brewing), Charlie Papazian, Vinnie Cilurzo (Russian River), Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head), Jim Koch (Boston Brewing) and others, BREWMANCE reveals the soul of craft beer in the heart of America.