The movie is called “Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake).”
The Sundance Film Festival announced it will be part of the U.S. dramatic competition this year.
That part of the festival showcases, quote, “groundbreaking new voices in American independent film.”
"I don't often get this excited, but this is a really, really big deal for northern Michigan and our small, creative community up here," said IPR arts contributor Joe Beyer, who is a filmmaker himself.
The film was shot, in part, on Green Lake in Interlochen. Its director, screenwriter and producer, Sierra Falconer, grew up in the area. So did producer Grant Ellison.
Actor Tenley Kellogg is also from Traverse City and the project involves brothers Nick and Chris Loud, who live here year-round.
Sundance has helped launch the careers of big Hollywood names, and remains a preeminent showcase for independent film to get noticed on a larger stage.
"Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)" was one of just 10 films invited to the U.S. Dramatic Competition which, the festival says, offers "a first look at the world premieres of groundbreaking new voices in American independent film."
"To put this in perspective, last year Sundance received over 17,000 submissions. Over 4,000 of those alone were feature films," Beyer said. "These are incredibly crazy odds. Less than half of 1 percent of all the submissions are invited."
The Sundance Film Festival starts Jan. 23 n Utah.
