By Crystal Gwizdala
BAY CITY – If you’re sick of mainstream music and recycled movie plots, you need to be at Hell’s Half Mile. The festival just finished its 14th year at the end of September.
Seventy-four films played on screens scattered across downtown. 17 of the films were Michigan-made, and a handful of those were made by Delta College students and faculty.
Bands came from all over the U.S. and Canada to share their signature sound stamp: Toronto, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City.
Each night was punctuated with energetic afterparties featuring live music, craft drinks and eclectic people.
Didn’t make it this year? I’m sorry. Truly. Here’s what you missed.
Guests file in for the opening night reception in Pere Marquette Depot, downtown Bay City, MI. Sept. 26, 2019.
(Photos by Crystal Gwizdala/S&H editor)
Excited guests pack the room. Bay City, MI. Sept. 26, 2019. 
Moviegoers enter the State Theatre to watch “Safe Spaces,” the opening night film. Bay City, MI. Sept. 26, 2019. 
Festival-goers dance at the after party at Old City Hall, Bay City, MI. Sept. 26, 2019. 
Volunteers get in on the fun at the filmmaker’s reception, in the recently renovated Davidson Building, Bay City, MI. Sept. 27, 2019. 
Filmmaker’s and buffs mingle at the film maker’s reception in the Davidson Building, across the street from the State Theatre. 
Friday night music featured Multimagic, an indie dream pop band from Cincinnati, Ohio. Bay City, MI. Sept. 27, 2019. 
The Warehouse in downtown Bay City, MI never looked so good. Sept. 27, 2019. 
“I really think that every city has its own energy and has its own way,” says Ariana of Ariana and the Rose, a band hailing from New York City. They pumped up Bay City, MI with an energy-infused dose of their anthemic alternative pop music. Sept. 27, 2019. 
Indie-music lovers fill the Warehouse in downtown Bay City, MI on Sept. 27, 2019. 
“Everyone’s so caught up on themselves,” says Ariana. “Anyone who genuinely stops and looks someone in the eye and actually wants to talk to them, that’s huge. That’s a way bigger thing than people actually realize in life. […] It’s a crazy interaction that doesn’t happen that much.” Bay City, Sept. 27, 2019. 
Saturday kicked off with a showcase of short films at the State Theatre, featuring only the creative genius of Michiganders. Bay City, MI, Sept. 28, 2019. 
The annual Michigan Made Marketplace filled Washington Street in downtown Bay City, MI with #PureMichigan vendors, selling everything from popcorn to Adirondack chairs. Sept. 28, 2019. 
The Michigan filmmaker’s panel welcomed creatives from around the country to the Davidson building in Bay City, MI. Local film festival leaders shared their wisdom of the trade with eager makers. Sept. 28, 2019. 
The Mynabirds, a Los Angeles band, shared their masterful variety with Bay City, MI at Saturday night’s music event. Sept. 28, 2019. 
Volunteers warmly welcome concert-goers into the Warehouse in Bay City, MI. Sept. 28, 2019. 
Our neighbors from Toronto, Dilly Dally, brought their own version of indie rock to Bay City, MI. Sept. 28, 2019. 
Height Keech, a Baltimore-based rapper and producer, punctuated Hell’s Half Mile’s music lineups Saturday night at Intermission Deli in Bay City, MI. Sept. 28, 2019.
