By Logan Fairchild
BAY CITY – The local Bay City film festival is back again for its 16th year. After being canceled in 2020 and then forced to go virtual in 2021 because of you-know-what, the festival returns in person this year.
Appropriately themed, “Sixteen Festivals,” a nod to the movie “Sixteen Candles”, Hell’s Half Mile will run from Sept. 22nd to Sept. 25th in downtown Bay City. Expect tons of new Michigan-made films, live bands, and so much more!
Tickets are available at the box office in person or at hhmfest.com. Find box office information on the website. Pre-festival tickets start at $40. The price increases once the festival begins, so make sure to buy your tickets early! The website will also update a schedule of events as it gets closer to opening day.
Named after the strip of waterfront that housed saloons and gambling houses in the 1800s, the Hell’s Half Mile festival was founded in 2006 by festival directors Alan LaFave and Tommy Jenkins. The non-profit, volunteer-run event is a four-day festival that provides independent film, music, and maybe a few parties. Past events have included workshops, panels, social events, and even a race. There is also usually a crowdfunding rally for indie filmmakers to submit their ideas for possible audience funding.
The area where it is hosted has plenty to do without the bonus of the festival. Along the scenic riverfront it is a snug little hotspot for hotels, restaurants, theaters, a planetarium, art galleries, antique malls, a candy store, and a unique coffee shop dedicated to the Beatles. It’s also rumored that there are quite a few haunted locations down there, just in time for the spooky season!
Some of the bands already announced for this year include:
- Ratboys (Chicago)
- Sugar Tradition (Detroit)
- Party Nails (Los Angeles)
- Damn the Witch Siren (Columbus)
- Patty PerShayla & The Mishaps (Nashville)
Check out the Hell’s Half Mile Spotify playlist on their Facebook page to hear some of these bands before the event.
