The Michigan Beer Film(2013)

Fußball und Bier: Wo Geld und Alkohol fließen(de)

For many fans, they simply belong together: football and beer. But is that really just a harmless connection of sport and pleasure? Because football clubs and breweries are often closely connected in Germany. Every club in the second and first division of the Bundesliga, without exception, is being sponsored by a brewery and also many amateur clubs are reliant on the money of the beer industry. And yet, alcohol causes great damage in Germany: 1.6 million people are addicted to alcohol, more than 14,000 die annually in direct consequence of alcohol consumption. This film corresponds to the state as of November 16th, 2022. At that point in time, Qatar had allowed the selling of alcohol in and around world cup stadiums before and after the games. A few days before the beginning of the World Cup, an alcohol ban was announced for these areas, nonetheless.

Finnish American Lives(en)

A moving portrait of traditional Finnish American culture in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, highlighting that fragile community of memory connecting ourselves with parents and grandparents. It uses the “biographical model” of folklore filmmaking to tell the story of Erikki Vourenmaa, a 92-year-old Finnish immigrant, and his family living near Ironwood, Michigan. This three-generation farm family works, celebrates, reflects, and grieves together. The film explores the meaning of family, ethnic history, aging and intergenerational bonds. It contrasts between the immigrant elder, his American-born son and the partially assimilated grandchildren to illustrate change and continuity in the "sauna belt" of the Lake Superior Region. As Dr. Sharon Sherman concluded, “Loukinen’s focus on the bonds between generations will strike emotional chords about family relationships and ethnic identity for numerous cultural groups.”

Bad River(en)

Wisconsin's tribe's ongoing fight to protect Lake Superior for future generations. "Bad River" shows the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa's long history of activism and resistance in the context of continuing legal battles with Enbridge Energy over its Line 5 oil pipeline. The Line 5 pipeline has been operating on 12 miles of the Bad River Band's land with expired easements for more than a decade. The Band and the Canadian company have been locked in a legal battle over the pipeline since 2019.

Beeradelphia(en)

A Beer-Documentary that sheds some light on the exploding beer culture in and around the city of Philadelphia. Beeradelphia will showcase not only beer of course, but brewerys, home brewers, beer clubs, Brew pubs, beer authors and beer historians, bottle shops and distributors and of course interviews with the region's most famous beer personalities and of course more beer!

1969: Killers, Freaks, and Radicals(en)

Amid the radical politics and cultural upheaval of the late 1960s, a series of brutal murders targeting young women gripped the twin university towns of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan. Home to the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University, the communities grew increasingly anxious as police seemed unable to stop the killer—or killers—responsible. Through interviews with law enforcement, political figures, and women who lived through the fear, this independent documentary examines not just a series of crimes, but the social and political tensions that enabled them—many of which still resonate today.

Good Tough Kid(en)

Kelly Finger-McNeela was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis her freshman year of high school. The only thing on her mind was living a "normal" life. Her disease threatened to make that impossible.

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.

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.

A Two Hearted Tale(en)

“A Two Hearted Tale” is a heartfelt look at the history of the iconic trout label adorning Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, the Michigan-born beer that is the most popular IPA beer in America, and the label’s eccentric artist, Ladislav Hanka.

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.

Michigan vs. Ohio State: The Rivalry(en)

Steeped in a rich tradition dating back to their inaugural meeting in 1897, this rivalry extends beyond the pursuit of a Big Ten title, and is renewed each year through the pageantry and colliding cultures that distinguish the two schools.

Lambic: About Time & Passion(en)

Lambic is a style of beer that has been brewed in Belgium since hundreds of years ago, and today it still remains under that almost magical halo around its production process and the mysterious yeast that make it possible. Lambic: about time & passion is a project that we started as a way of giving voice to lambic beer and to those characters that play an important role in the development and preservation of this ancient style of beer.

Through the Banks of the Red Cedar(en)

In 1963 at Michigan State University, Head Coach Duffy Daugherty chose 23 black men to play on the college team. From this move came legends Gene Washington, Bubba Smith, George Webster and Clinton Jones. Director Maya Washington, Gene Washington’s daughter, charts the legacy of her father’s career and influence, along with the impact the events of 1963 have shown in the present day.

Spook House(en)

Filmed in the white working-class suburbs of Detroit, Spook House reveals a community reveling in the macabre. Front lawns are transformed into cemeteries, kitchens become mausoleums and dismembered ‘bodies’ are prepared for cannibal feasts. Cameron Jamie’s camera tracks the celebrants as the nights become longer and darker.

Plymouth International Ice Sculpture Spectacular(en)

The annual ice carving event and competition features over 100 statues carved from a blocks of ice. Visitors can watch artisans create their works from start to finish with tools of the trade including chainsaws.

Sasquatch on Lake Superior II(en)

Further Sasquatch encounters.

American Movie(en)

American Movie documents 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.

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.

Bière, la pression monte(fr)

Untold: Sign Stealer(en)

In this sports documentary, Connor Stalions addresses the allegations surrounding the Michigan football sign-stealing scandal for the first time.