AADL Productions Podcast: Donald Harrison on the 49th Ann Arbor Film Festival

Thu, 03/24/2011 - 11:18am

In this episode, Donald Harrison, then executive director of the Ann Arbor Film Festival, talks about the 49th Annual Ann Arbor Film Festival. Donald highlights several programs, including some of the free public events, family events, special programs and opening night celebrations. Donald also talks about the jury process and gives a preview of the 50th anniversary, which took place the following year in 2012.

AADL Productions Podcast: Michael Erlewine

Tue, 11/02/2010 - 1:36pm

Michael Erlewine, author, archivist, and founder of the All Music Guide spoke with AADL staff about his new book with photographer Stanley Livingston, Blues in Black & White: The Landmark Ann Arbor Blues Festivals. In this interview prior to the public talk, Ann Arbor's old music clubs and coffee shops come alive as Michael takes us on a personal journey of the Ann Arbor music scene circa 1962-1972. He covers a range of musical topics, including the early folk era, when he hitch-hiked with Bob Dylan; the influence of pre-hippie culture on Iggy Pop; the influence of John Sinclair on Ann Arbor culture; and his personal passion for Chicago city blues, which led to the Ann Arbor blues festivals and inspired the formation of his band, The Prime Movers Blues Band, shown below playing at the Schwabin Inn. You can listen to the interview below. You can also view Michael's public talk at the Library.

Prime Movers Band, October 1966

AADL Productions Podcast: 48th Ann Arbor Film Festival

Thu, 03/18/2010 - 4:42pm

Tuesday marks the start of the 48th Ann Arbor Film Festival, one of Ann Arbor's world-class annual events. AAFF's Executive Director, Donald Harrison, stopped by to give us a quick overview of what we have to look forward to in this year's festival. Aside from the many great films on offer, Donald talks about some of the panel discussions and live performances. This year's highlights include an evening with legendary experimental filmmaker Kenneth Anger and a specially commissioned soundtrack, performed live by composer Flying Lotus, to Harry Smith's 1962 film Heaven & Earth Magic. Two of this year's events happen at AADL: Bison Boys & Famous Monsters of Michigan: 1970s Super-8mm Films of Jimm Juback & Cary Loren and Gerry Fialka Discusses Dream Awake: How James Joyce Invented Experimental Cinema & Disguised It As A Book.

AADL Productions Podcast: Donald Harrison, Ann Arbor Film Festival

Sun, 03/08/2009 - 3:05pm

The 47th Ann Arbor Film Festival is right around the corner, so we asked the festival's Executive Director, Donald Harrison, to give us a preview of this year's offerings. He let us in on some of the interesting events planned for this year as well as talking about some of the filmmakers who will be showing their work and giving talks. Aside from this year's highlights, we also discussed how the festival has changed over the last few years and how they go about whittling down over 2600 submissions to just 200 films.