The Michigan Creative Film Alliance (MiCFA) will premiere
its eagerly awaited new movie Downriver on April 25th. Doors will
open at 6 p.m. at the Detroit Film Theatre (DFT) located at 5200 Woodward Ave.
Admission is free and open to the public. The 7:00 p.m. program and screening
will be followed by an afterglow at the historic Scarab Club located at 217
Farnsworth St. Donations of $7.00 or more will be accepted for admission to the
afterglow, featuring DJ Sean Deason.
Downriver is the result of the efforts of over 30 crew
members, 164 kickstarter supporters and numerous Michigan based companies, organizations
and businesses. “Without the continuous support of our sponsors, this project
would not have been possible,” said producer Tinisha Brugnone, a senior in
Wayne State University’s media arts and studies program. “We can’t wait to show
our audience all of the hard work and sweat equity we put into this project to
make it come to fruition.”
Downriver is a short narrative film, based upon an
original screenplay by Brandon M. Verdi, a recipient of the 2012 Hopwood Award
in Screenwriting from the University of Michigan. In Downriver, a socially
awkward 15-year-old, Alex, is forced from his posh suburban lifestyle into life
with his estranged older sister in working-class America, following their
father’s untimely death. “It’s a comedy,” noted Verdi, “but it’s also a story
about loss, anger, grief and family.”
“Production and post-production were intense, but it was
worth it,” said Downriver director Billy Jackson, a senior screen
arts and culture major at UofM. “Downriver is the best project in which I
have participated.”
Downriver is the third project of the MiCFA. Last
summer, top students and recent graduates from film-related programs at Wayne
State University, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan
began production. The budding filmmakers shared their expertise and dedication
to make a high-quality film, employing real-world professional standards and
practices. The alliance’s first two productions Appleville and Beauty
Queen also premiered at the DFT to audiences of over 850 enthusiastic film
supporters.
Downriver features Nick Skardarasy, a screen arts and
cultures student at UofM, Jordan Trovillion, a recognized SAG/AFTRA actor,
Katie Oliver, Chris Newman and Ethan Knoth, natives of metro Detroit's
downriver area.
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The Michigan Creative Film Alliance is the first creative
arts collaboration among Michigan's three top public research universities —
Michigan State University, University of Michigan and Wayne State University.
In 2010, these universities launched this historic, innovative collaboration in
support of an indigenous film community across the state. The MiCFA provides a
unique professional platform for student filmmakers to develop, create and
distribute high quality films. For more information about the Michigan Creative
Film Alliance, visit http://mi-cfa.com.
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