While West Michigan native Hopwood DePree and his work were on the global independent film festival circuit he had a revelation: the relaxed, lakefront resort setting of Saugatuck, Michigan is the ideal location to host a film festival.
When he returned home DePree set out to make that vision a reality. With a handful of volunteers, a few films and a team of co-founders including his two sisters, Depree launched the inaugural Waterfront Film Festival 1999.
Now in its 13th year, Waterfront Film Festival runs June 9-12 in downtown Saugatuck and will feature an intriguing blend of drama, comedy, documentaries and film shorts. More than 70 of this year’s top independent films will be presented during the four-day festival, many in their Midwest premieres.
For over a decade Waterfront Film Festival has received international acclaim and draws a dedicated, film-savvy audience of 15,000 people annually. Named by Screen Actors Guild magazine SAGIndie as one of the top 5 film festivals in the world, alongside Sundance and Cannes, Waterfront Film Festival draws thousands of independent film lovers including dozens of actors, directors, writers and producers each year.
Despite its recognition and longevity, Waterfront Film Festival remains a non-profit organization and is entirely supported by community volunteers.
Community supported
The caliber of festivals that Waterfront compares with typically maintain a large paid staff, says DePree, and the hundreds of volunteers that return each year are truly a testament to the passion for art that runs through the community:
“Our volunteer base is multigenerational, so you have parents, kids, and grandparents all working together. Having generations of families help put on a thing like this really creates an atmosphere like a giant family reunion,” he says.
Filmmakers and artists sharing in the community spirit is what make a film festival like this unique, DePree says:
“The fun of independent film is you get to come out and experience it with the filmmakers, actors and producers. It’s not like going to a movie at your multiplex – it’s more like going to a gallery to see a work of art, and then talking with the artists afterwards. All of the filmmakers and actors are very approachable and willing to talk about their works of art,” he says.
Waterfront Film Fest also invites film industry prospects to share that same sense of camaraderie by hosting workshops, networking events and seminars for upstart actors, directors and screenwriters.
This year’s features
The festival kicks off at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 9 with an opening night celebration at Saugatuck’s Coughlin Park, overlooking the Kalamazoo Lake, at the intersection of Culver and Griffith streets. The evening begins with live music featuring international hip-hop reggae artist Shaggy, The Fainting Generals from Grand Rapids, and Delilah DeWylde & the Lost Boys from Saugatuck. At sundown the film projector will start up for an outdoor showing of some of the year’s funniest comedic short films.
Three of this year’s feature films are 2011 Sundance Film Festival selections and will be making their Midwest premiere. An assortment of weekend passes and tickets for individual shows are now available online at www.waterfrontfilm.org.
“The Lie” concerns the misadventures of a married couple, two Gen-Xers muddling through the early days of unplanned parenthood. Lonnie, played by Joshua Leonard, tells his boss a horrendous lie to gain a few days off to clear his head. But the consequences quickly spin outo f control after Clover, played by Jess Weixler, catches on to her husband’s misdeeds.
Independent film fixtures Leonard and Weixler will be two of the many actors, directors and writers in attendance at Waterfront Film Festival. Leonard gained worldwide fame when he broke onto the independent film scene starring in the box office smash hit “The Blair Witch Project.” Weixler starred in a number of Sundance favorites, including “Teeth,” and recently was named by New York Magazine as the “New Indie Queen.”
“Hot Coffee” is a profile of the infamous McDonald’s “hot coffee case,” one everyone seems to know but seems to know little about. The personal story of Stella Liebeck’s legal battle serves as a springboard for conversation on the greater issues of product liability and how massive amounts of corporate money and hubris have shaped the U.S. legal system. Director Susan Saladoff will be in attendance.
An interesting new addition to this year’s program lineup is a sing-a-long montage featuring anthems from all of your favorite 80s movies. Flashback fun begins at 9 p.m. Friday, June 10 at Saugatuck Brewing Company.
Waterfront Film Festival really boils down to having fun with art, says DePree:
"We really just want to create conversations about art and film, give people a chance to meet some artists and filmmakers, and create an opportunity for people to kick off the summer in a unique and fun way. We love putting this on for the community and really hope to continue doing so."
