63rd Annual Ann Arbor Film Festival Set for March 25 – 30

The 63^rd Annual Ann Arbor Film Festival (AAFF), the fourth oldest festival in North America, is scheduled to premiere a wide variety of films March 25 – 30, 2025 at the historic Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor. For the fifth year in a row, AAFF will pay filmmakers to show their films in competition.

AAFF Executive Director Leslie Raymond described the film festival. “A full-length motion picture that you would watch in a movie theatre is comparable to reading a novel. Watching a film at the AAFF is more like reading poetry.”  She advised people interested in attending the festival to go to the AAFF website (https://aafilmfest.org) and check out the choices and when films are scheduled to run.

There were 2,642 films from 93 countries that were submitted for consideration this year at the festival. Raymond said, “The AAFF is renowned for introducing the world to pioneering work, including the early films of Kenneth Anger, Brian DePalma, Devo, Barbara Hammer, George Lucas, Yoko Ono, Gus Van Sant, Agnes Varda and Andy Warhol”.

The AAFF is one of the few Academy Award-qualifying festivals in the United States. Short films that win the Ken Burns Best of the Festival Award, the Chris Frayne Award for Best Animated Film or the Lawrence Kasdan Award for Best Narrative Film become eligible for Oscar consideration and nomination. Judges for the awards are from the East & West Coasts, and this year, a faculty member from Grand Valley State University.

Films in competition kicks off in the Michigan Theatre Main Auditorium with a selection of experimental, narrative and animated films that features a game you can’t win or lose, a sound poetry visualization inspired by Kurt Schwitters, a journey to the fridge to satisfy hunger, an enchanting landscape expedition, a descent into sensory deterioration, displaced people as photos and films come to life, a video-game-like drawing experience, and a microscopic meditation inspired by W. Teignmouth Shore.

Other juried films will feature David Lebrun’s Ritual and Symbol in the Michigan Theatre Screening Room; Analog Dreaming: A Jon Behrens Memorial; Strange Abandoned Deranged by Ceylan Ozgun Ozcelik and 50 Years of De-Evolution: The Restored Films of Devo (1974 – 1984).

On Tuesday, 3-25 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. features the opening night party in the Michigan Theatre Grand Foyer. You will celebrate the first night of the festival with drinks and food generously provided by Ann Arbor area businesses including Ann Arbor Distilling Company, Café’ Zola, Frita Batidos, Hear.Say Brewing, Mothfire Brewing Co., Sava’s, Teahaus, Venue by 4M, Vinology. There will also be live music by Alvin Hill.

The closing night of the festival, Sunday, March 30, features a selection of award-winning films, chosen by this year’s panel of three distinguished AAFF jurors. At 6 p.m., in the Michigan Theatre Main Auditorium, there will be the live announcement of the 63^rd AAFF awards and a screening of select awarded films. At 8 p.m., the Main Auditorium will show a second screening of more award-winning films.

General Admission tickets are $14, Seniors (65+) can purchase tickets for $10 and student tickets are $9.  Festival-goers can purchase tickets and passes on the AAFF website (ht. ://aafilmfest.org). Full Festival and Weekend Passes are priced between $65 – $200. All tickets are available for purchase now.