It’s a Wrap for 2023's 41 North Film Festival
Michigan Tech recently hosted the ninth 41 North Film Festival in the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts from Nov. 2-5. Film festival director Erin Smith (HU) has created a unique Tech tradition, as well as a major event on the cultural calendar of the Copper Country. With feature films and documentaries addressing science, technology and ethics, as well as culture and the arts, the festival showcases award-winning independent films and filmmakers from around the region, country and world, and is free to attend.
Smith spends each year researching and attending film festivals, talking to colleagues and peers here at Tech and elsewhere, and reviewing submissions to find great films to showcase. “It’s my goal to bring films that will appeal to many different sectors of the campus and community, and that are engaging for our students,” Smith said. “The panels that follow many of the films allow for the context and insight that make the festival special. I’m always overwhelmed by the generosity of the panelists, who pre-screen films and prepare so that we can have rich discussions each year.”
In addition to curation of the program, Smith brings in musical performances from across the Upper Peninsula. Thoughtfully arranged panel discussions enable audiences to engage with scholars and film directors and lend richness and depth to the film experience. By developing platforms for further discussion, 41 North uniquely contributes to Michigan Tech's mission to "educate, advance knowledge, and innovate to improve quality of life and promote mutual respect and equity for all people within the global community."
The festival couldn’t exist without its many volunteers. “You really cannot stage a film festival of this size without the help of our student and community volunteers. I am so grateful for Allison Neely’s leadership over the years. Allison’s been instrumental to the development of our volunteer crew and ability to expand to the Rozsa,” Smith said.
Neely, an archivist at the J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library at Michigan Tech, serves as the film festival's volunteer coordinator.
“There are a lot of moving parts over the course of four days, and we could not do this without the incredible expertise and support of the staff and crew of the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, many of whom are Department of Visual and Performing Arts students,” Smith added.
Scott Marratto, chair of the Department of Humanities, acknowledged the role of the Tech community in creating a successful film festival. “I am grateful to those who participated in the panels, sharing expertise and insights with students, colleagues and members of our community,” he said. “These activities exemplify how a public university can play a vital civic function, serving as a space for community building, cultural celebration and public discussion of important issues. I am very grateful to the faculty, staff and student volunteers who took the time to serve our community this weekend.”
Read more about this year’s 41 North Film Festival on the Humanities News blog.