I’m sure you know by now that the Film Festival is more than just film.

If you do not, then please see me after class.

For this year’s festival we’ve partnered with Fusion Shows to put together four amazing nights of music. Our headliners have impressive resumes that include SXSW, world tours, and industry awards. This is exactly the kind of thing many people say needs to come to Lansing more often. Well… it’s coming.

Murder by Death is a band I’m particularly excited to see again. I caught one of their live shows at the Intersection in Grand Rapids a few years ago, and it was fantastic. They’ve been likened to Nick Cave, the Decemberists, and Johnny Cash – probably because vocalist Adam Turla sounds shockingly like the legendary man in black – but their music has an amazingly unique and authentic feel to it. It’s like a colonel’s secret recipe consisting of equal parts indie rock, classic Americana, folk, a pinch of soul, and a dash of country (the good kind, not pop-country).

Making this show even better is a set of supporting acts that we’re lucky to have sharing a single night. Bars of Gold (former Bear vs. Shark), The Fencemen (former Small Brown Bike), and Flatfoot are honestly worth the price of admission. This night will not disappoint.

Friday, April 13th, $13.00.

Awesome, or spooky? Both, but mostly awesome.

-Jake “Don’t make me Rocky you” Pechtel

Hey friends, we’ve got news.

Beginning March 23rd, you and your li’l buddies have 2 weeks to make the best friggin’ movie in the world. Cash prizes of $3500, so do a good job. Registration for the Fortnight Film Contest is now open and includes 2 full-festival passes.

Full-festival passes are on sale now. This year, they get you into all 4 days of films, concerts and TEDxLansing. The best 50 bucks you’ll ever spend? We think so.

And in case you missed our music lineup announcement, catch up here.

Details on films coming soon. Don’t go anywhere.

-Dominic Cochran, CCFF Director 

This April, I’ll be going to the Capital City Film Festival. It will be my first time experiencing a film festival of any sort, and honestly I cannot wait. I’ve always thought that to go to something like this I’d have to be in Chicago or LA or some really artsy city, so I’m pumped that a film festival of this size and quality will be right here in Lansing! I’m eager to see all the different types of films that will be shown and to really explore what independent film making is all about. Aside from the films, I’m also looking forward to the band performances, the red carpet launch, and the after parties. Most of all though, I’m excited to see our city of Lansing turn into a “mini” Hollywood for a few nights. My countdown to the Capital City Film Festival has officially begun. 43 days!

-Jenn, CCFF intern

We’re thrilled to announce this year’s music lineup along with Fusion Shows! April 12-15 we’ll be welcoming the following artists to Michigan’s capital city:

Thursday: Greensky Bluegrass
Friday: Murder By Death
Saturday: William Elliott Whitmore
Sunday: LIGHTS

For tickets and stuff, read on.

There’s more than film in Lansing. Indeed.

-Payal Ravani, CCFF Coordinator 

Putting together a festival of any kind is SUPER easy. All you need is the idea and a couple hours of free time each week. 15 minutes here, 20 minutes there, and boosh, you have a totally amazing and hugely successful festival. The hard part is counting all of the money. 

If any of the above statements were true, I’d be writing this blog post from a hammock at a location where fall, winter and spring are known as summer part two, three and four. 

The truth is that event planning is hard even if the event is just two hours long. The Film Festival spans four days, and it takes place at venues all across Lansing. It takes a lot of people and support to pull off – which is exactly why ancient executives invented the intern. 

It is also believed that interns were invented to go on lunch runs, copy things, make coffee, hide bodies, and obtain narcotics for performing artists. The last two are pretty specific to the entertainment industry. 

We have a rocking set of interns this year who will be sharing all kinds of festival insights and news with you by posting updates on the CCFF blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts. They are Chelsea, Amanda, Chanda, Jenn, Liz and Alex. At this time, they are more organized than the rest of the Festival coordinators could ever hope to be. For their hard work, they will be paid handsomely in t-shirts, stickers, and tickets. Maybe cookies too… but that depends on how well they hide the bodies. 

-Jake “I’m gonna need a blank check” Pechtel, CCFF Entertainment Director

Hey there cinephiles. It’s been a minute.

We’re thrilled to announce the return of the Capital City Film Festival, happening April 12-15 throughout Lansing.

Last year’s festival drew thousands of people to the capital city for Michigan-made and international films, lively discussions with filmmakers and diverse nightly entertainment.

This year, CCFF is all that and then some. TEDxLansing, an independently organized TED conference highlighting “ideas worth spreading” joins the CCFF line-up. MSU’s Media Sandbox welcomes Ben Fry and Jared Cocken. But that’s not all.

The Fortnight Film Contest gives filmmakers two weeks to create a short film with designated elements for a chance to win $3,500 in cash prizes. The contest begins March 23 and registration opens soon. Build your team now.

-The CCFF Team

Friday April 15th is sure to be a memorable night at the fest. We’ll be screening the Hip-Hop documentary Respiration(directed by Matt Ortlieb), followed by a full-on show featuring national and local favorites.

Danny Brown, Buff1, Othello and the Third Coast Kings, SelfSays and Blat! Pack will all be taking the stage for a concert the likes of which Lansing hasn’t seen since, well, Respiration! The screening and all performances will be taking place at The Loft above Harem Urban Lounge on Michigan Ave. in downtown Lansing. Local artists DJ Ruckus and Blat! Pack will be the hosts for the evening.

A classic Respiration flyer:

Danny Brown

“Brown raps like he’s crossbred and full of cold blood. He’s a reconciliation of ostensibly antithetical schools. His voice is all nasal-drip and comic exaggeration, the rap equivalent of a Looney Tunes chase, a lunge at impressive velocities with bulging eyes, flying feet, and clouds of choking dirt.” -L.A. Times

(@xdannyxbrownx on twitter)

Buff1

This dude has been blessing shows in the Capital City since the days of those classic sweaty Vinyl Addict basement parties. He used to roll with his whole crew from the Athletic Mic League, but after 3 critically lauded solo efforts, the man’s work surely stands on it’s own. Will he bring some AML friends this time? All I know is that he’s always full of surprises.

(@buff1der on twitter)

Othello and the Third Coast Kings

Othello, a performer known world wide, will be playing with a live band, The Third Coast Kings.

“(Othello’s) lead single “Active Balanced” featuring Now On and Mayer Hawthorne is an ode to every beat maker, to every basement studio, every emcee who ever wrote lyrics on loose leafs… sitting in their apartments in love with the music… in love with the grind and passion and honesty in the struggle of making that music…” -sphereofhiphop.com

(@OthelloONE on twitter)

SelfSays

Metro Times article Who The F&%k is SelfSays?  ‘nuff said.

Oh wait, you can also download his new EP courtesy of Urb Magazine.

(@selfischarles on Twitter)

Blat! Pack

Our hosts for the evening are a well rounded collective of local hip-hop artists who are making a name for themselves all over the mitten and the country. Just back from SXSW!

(@BLATPack on twitter)

DJ Ruckus

Local favorite DJ Ruckus will be the host DJ for the evening. Anyone around the scene in Lansing for any amount of time knows he never disappoints!

Tickets are on sale now for this epic night of hip-hop entertainment. Our full-festival passes and full schedule are available on our website and individual ticket sales will start next week!