We’ll see everyone at the 5th annual Wolf Tree Film Festival tonight, hosted at The Franke Center. Tickets are $16 in advance/$19 at the door, and the pre-party mixer starts at 7pm.
Blossom (Grand Rapids, MI) | Directed by Tanner Hamilton
Different (Detroit, MI) | Directed by Alexsys Giraud
JOY (Dearborn, MI) | Directed by Salim Laham
Pressed (PA) | Directed by Michelle Elise Harding & Scott “Silent K” Knowlton
Season’s Greetin’s (WI) | Directed by Owen Imgrund
The Funeral Photographer (Sawyer, MI) | Directed by Ashley Thompson
Thrashed (MI) | Directed by Joe Nicholas Post
CW: Some films included in this festival contain mature content that may be inappropriate for young viewers and may be triggering for others. Viewer discretion is advised.
Wolf Tree proudly presents our 2023 🏆Official Selections🏆 for short films!
Every Wolf Tree is curated carefully and thoughtfully, from the programming to the production behind it. Our committee of fellow film and theatre aficionados invite you to experience Marshall’s own homegrown film festival – January 21, 2023 at 7pm! Join us at The Franke Center for an exciting evening of screenings and a mixer with the filmmakers and the YPC.
CW: Some films included in this festival contain mature content that may be inappropriate for young viewers and may be triggering for others. Viewer discretion is advised.
🎥 50 mL (MN) | Directed by Vanessa Powers
A drama about a young man who struggles with his sobriety while he and his wife host a holiday dinner with her dysfunctional family.
🎥 All for Naught | Directed by TL Westgate
A comedy about a hitman who thinks he’s on a routine mission, but he’s got another think coming.
🎥 An Apocalypse (IL) | Directed by Matt O’Connell
A drama about a lonely, sensitive boy and his doomsday-prepping father.
🎥 Blossom (Grand Rapids, MI) | Directed by Tanner Hamilton
A live-action animated short about a young girl and her imaginary friend, a silent and friendly monster.
🎥 Different (Detroit, MI) | Directed by Alexsys Giraud
A 7th grade student shares their thoughts about being Different.
🎥 JOY (Dearborn, MI) | Directed by Salim Laham
A foreign language drama about a pianist who suffers from conversion disorder, and the universal language of music.
🎥 Pressed (PA) | Directed by Michelle Elise Harding and Scott “Silent K” Knowlton
A drama about a seasoned journalist who reevaluates the role she plays in other people’s stories.
🎥 Season’s Greetin’s (WI) | Directed by Owen Imgrund
A dark comedy about two friends who hope to buy a car but discover a corpse in its trunk.
🎥The Funeral Photographer (Sawyer, MI) | Directed by Ashley Thompson
A drama/mystery about a photographer tasked with taking photos of all in attendance at a funeral.
🎥Thrashed (MI) | Directed by Joe Nicholas Post
A thriller about two surfers who take matters into their own hands to catch a killer.
Don’t stay HOME ALONE for the holidays! Bring your family and friends to the Bogar Theatre for a special screening, Wednesday, December 21 at 6pm. Admission is FREE and the event is open to all ages.
#BeYoungish, #ChooseMarshall and we’ll see you there! 🙌
Special Mainstage Guest: Danae Lortz, Charlie King & Beau Hutchings
DOWNSTAGE CLUB PRESHOW: DANAE LORTZ | 7 PM
Please join us November 19th at 8pm for The Skivvies! Hosted by The Franke Center with Special Mainstage Guests Beau Hutchings, Charlie King, & Danae Lortz, The Skivvies are Nick Cearley and Sydney Shepherd, a musical comedy duo who performs stripped down arrangements of eclectic covers and eccentric originals while literally stripping down to their underwear.
The Skivvies are Nick Cearley and Sydney Shepherd singer/actor/musicians performing stripped-down arrangements of eclectic covers and eccentric originals. Not only is the music stripped down – cello, ukulele, glockenspiel, melodica – but the Skivvies literally strip down to their underwear to perform. The Skivvies were born in 2012 when they became YouTube sensations with their unique covers of artists like Robyn, Carole King, and Rihanna. The videos led to live shows, and now this “musically thrilling”, undie-rock, the comedy-pop duo continues to perform to sold-out audiences in New York and beyond.
The Wall Street Journal calls them “smart, sophisticated…ingenious,” and Out Magazine says, “The Skivvies have managed to carve out a niche that we never knew needed to exist: part Weird Al- parody and part sexy burlesque…and unusual explosion of satire and sultry.” People Magazine named The Skivvies “The Most Playful Performers” in The Most Talked about Bodies issue and Sports Illustrated named them “Favorite New Band”. The New York Times calls them “a hot musical comedy duo specializing in unexpected arrangements, incongruous mashups, and of course, highly toned displays of skin.” They were also nominated for a MAC award for show of the year.
The Franke Center brings NYC artists to facilitate workshops for youth and youngish alike! Broadway actors, musicians and teachers, Nick Cearley and Sydney Shepherd will offer three workshops on how to creatively and theatrically interpret a pop song through acting OR honing in the auditon skills of those called Triple Threats (actor, singer and musician) — November 15, 16 and 17, each unique to different age groups.
THREE WORKSHOPS IN NOVEMBER FOR 5TH GRADERS THROUGH TO ADULTS. Broadway actors, musicians, and teachers, Nick Cearley and Sydney Shepherd will offer three workshops on November 15, 16, and 17, each unique to different age groups.
⭐⭐⭐
⭐⭐⭐
Interpreting the Pop Song – Pop songs have been all over Broadway in the form of the Jukebox Musical. The objective is to teach the basics of how to creatively and theatrically interpret a pop song thru acting. The format will be set up for students to perform a 16-32 bar cut of a pop song (bring the sheet music), while receiving feedback and suggestions from the teaching duo.
Date: November 15, 2022 Time: 4-6 pm Age Group: 5th – 8th-grade students Cost: $60 Sign up here
Date: November 16, 2022 Time: 6:30-8:30pm Age Group: 9th – 12th-grade students Cost: $60 Sign up here
Are you a triple threat: Actor, Singer, or MUSICIAN? The special skill of playing an instrument as an actor will most certainly come in handy. From the Broadway revival of “Sweeney Todd” to “Once” to “Spongebob Squarepants”, actors are playing instruments onstage. In this masterclass, you can bring your guitar, uke, play the piano (we’ll have for you in the room), or any other instrument you can play while singing. Nick Cearley and Sydney Shepherd out of NYC, will coach songs and talk about what is needed to prepare for an actor-musician audition and show.
Date: November 17, 2022 Times: 6:30-8:30pm Ages: 13 through Adult Cost: $60 Sign up here
⭐⭐⭐
⭐⭐⭐
About the Artists:
Nick Cearley is an American actor, musician, singer, and dancer. A Fairfield, Ohio native, Cearley received his BFA from the Boston Conservatory for Musical Theatre with an emphasis in acting. He currently resides in New York City. He has performed in several shows such as the 1st National Tour of All Shook Up, Buyer and Cellar at Bucks County, and The Rocky Horror Show. Cearley most recently performed as Seymour in the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park production of Little Shop Of Horrors.
Sydney Shepherd is an actor, singer, and musician who studied at the University of North Carolina’s School of the Arts. She plays cello, guitar, bass guitar, ukulele, banjo, and more. Her theatrical credits include First Date on Broadway, August Rush, and Alice By Heart. Talkin’ Broadway called Sydney ‘beguiling and endearing with a knock-out voice”.
In its fifth year, Wolf Tree Film Festival showcases films set in the Great Lakes region or that include themes or topics related to the region, as well as the work of filmmakers who reside in or grew up in the Great Lakes region. The Great Lakes region is defined as any state or territory that touches one of the Great Lakes (including Ontario, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York).
The festival will take place at The Franke Center for the Arts in Marshall, MI* and will include screenings of each selected film, a Q&A with select filmmakers, an awards presentation, and a filmmaker roundtable with industry professionals.
The Wolf Tree Film Festival is housed in historic Marshall, Michigan, a gorgeous small town with a vibrant artistic community. Hosted by the Franke Center for the Arts and Marshall’s Youngish Professionals Committee, the festival is held at Franke Center, originally a church built in 1921, now an arts complex that is the proud home of world-class concerts, inspiring theater, and award-winning movies.
KEY DATES
🔑 OCTOBER 1, 2022: SUBMISSIONS OPEN 🔑 DEC 1, 2022: DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS 🔑 JANUARY 4, 2022: FILMMAKER NOTIFICATION DATE 🔑 JANUARY 21, 2023: WOLF TREE AT THE FRANKE CENTER
*The festival will adhere to all public health and safety recommendations at the time of the event
CONTENT WARNING: Some films included in this festival contain mature content that may be inappropriate for young viewers and may be triggering for others. Viewer discretion is advised.
Please give a warm welcome to our final Fridays at the Fountain performers: Zion Lion!
Then meet us at the Brooks Memorial Fountain, August 12th – 7pm EST, for the last FATF show of the season. Everyone is welcome. Bring your own chair or blanket to keep it comfy.
Zion Lion is the “baddest band” to hit the Kalamazoo music scene. The members are a combination of several bands from the Kalamazoo area that crossed each other’s path along the way and decided to form what we believe to be the right mix of reggae, African zouk, mucosa, zoukous and some Afro-latin influences. Some of the members have had the honor of opening and sharing the stage with local, national and international reggae artists such as Freddie McGreggor, Pato Batun, Winston Jarrett, Culture, Beenie Man, Lucky Dube, Mikey Dread and the Meditations.
Kicking off our third Fridays at the Fountain performance is: The Sam Luna Band! Join us for family fun at the fountain – July 29 at 7pm EST! Please bring your own chair or blanket.
Sam Luna is a multi-instrumentalist from Battle Creek, MI. Frontman Sam Luna and guitar player Sage Castleberry have been best friends since middle school, and got their musical start in high school performing on a downtown Battle Creek sidewalk in 2015. They can be seen at shows across southwest Michigan playing Sam’s released music, and covers anyone would enjoy. Sam is best known for his ever-growing set of originals, along with radio hits from decades all the way back to the 60’s. Crowd pleasers are enjoyed by all ages, as Sam and his band have an enjoyable, classic, modern sound.
