By Brandi Miller, Staff Reporter.
It’s the beginning of fall, which means Hell’s Half Mile is in full swing. The 11th annual edition of the festival had its opening night Sept. 22, bringing another weekend full of independent films and music to the streets of downtown Bay City.
“They’re all pretty great films and we’ve got more than ever, including more shorts programs. I just hope everyone finds something they’re excited about seeing,” says Alan LaFave, festival director.
Hell’s Half Mile got its start 11 years ago as a part of former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm’s Cool Cities initiative.
“I was part of the Bay City Cool City committee and what we did was asked people “What is a cool city?” Person after person said that we needed layers of interest. My interest is film and music, so that’s what I started with,” says LaFave.
LaFave hopes that the festival will inspire other people to follow their passions and bring their interests to the community as well.
“We have growth every year. More and more people come and I always say, “if you keep coming, we’ll keep doing it,” says Lafave.
This year, the festival opened at the State Theatre with the film “Creedmoria,” a period piece set in the 80s about a teenage girl growing up in Queens. Following the film was a Q and A segment with the director, Alicia Slimmer, and actors Ryan Weldon, James Kelly, and Steve Cavanaugh.
“Hell’s Half Mile has been amazing. I’ve never felt more supported. I love the movies they’ve curated here too. I feel like they really put a lot of attention into this,” says Slimmer.
After the screening, festival coordinators, filmmakers and attendees gathered for an after party at Old City Hall.
“Everyone is so welcoming. These are great people and it’s a great scene,” says Weldon, who played the role of Sean Cahill in “Creedmoria.”
The after party was host to the first two bands to play at this years festival, Boudoir Noir of Flint and RareWolf of Detroit.
“It was a blast, Bay City is so much fun to play for,” says Maria Fournier, lead singer of Boudoir Noir.
Hell’s Half Mile has cultivated a loyal following in its 11 years of events. Jeff Vande Zande, a screenwriting professor at Delta, has been attending the festival for eight years.
“This is the best weekend in Bay City. It feels like there’s a month’s worth of events. It makes Bay City feel like Chicago,” says Vande Zande.
The Hell’s Half Mile Film and Music Festival will continue from Sept. 24-26. For more information visit their website at hhmfest.com.