Community Calendar

The inaugural Fresh Coast Film Festival: Traverse City (FCFF/tc) brings four days of documentary film to seven venues across the North Boardman Lake District and downtown Traverse City, April 30–May 3, 2026. Presented by the local nonprofit Old Mission Culture Company, the festival features 50+ films celebrating the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, with nearly two dozen filmmakers attending from 11 states.

Highlights include two evening galas at the City Opera House — the Michigan premiere of the Mary Oliver documentary Saved by the Beauty of the World (May 2) and the northern Michigan premiere of Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching (May 1) — plus artist panels, outdoor tours, student films, and passholder after-parties at local breweries. Day passes $35 | Gala tickets $20 | GA screenings $10.

Price/Price Range: $10–$35
Ticketing Website: TC.FreshCoastFilm.com
Presenting Organization: Old Mission Culture Company
Organization Email: traversecity@freshcoastfilm.com
Organization Website: TC.FreshCoastFilm.com
Designation: Not For Profit

The inaugural Fresh Coast Film Festival: Traverse City (FCFF/tc) brings four days of documentary film to seven venues across the North Boardman Lake District and downtown Traverse City, April 30–May 3, 2026. Presented by the local nonprofit Old Mission Culture Company, the festival features 50+ films celebrating the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, with nearly two dozen filmmakers attending from 11 states.

Highlights include two evening galas at the City Opera House — the Michigan premiere of the Mary Oliver documentary Saved by the Beauty of the World (May 2) and the northern Michigan premiere of Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching (May 1) — plus artist panels, outdoor tours, student films, and passholder after-parties at local breweries. Day passes $35 | Gala tickets $20 | GA screenings $10.

Price/Price Range: $10–$35
Ticketing Website: TC.FreshCoastFilm.com
Presenting Organization: Old Mission Culture Company
Organization Email: traversecity@freshcoastfilm.com
Organization Website: TC.FreshCoastFilm.com
Designation: Not For Profit

The inaugural Fresh Coast Film Festival: Traverse City (FCFF/tc) brings four days of documentary film to seven venues across the North Boardman Lake District and downtown Traverse City, April 30–May 3, 2026. Presented by the local nonprofit Old Mission Culture Company, the festival features 50+ films celebrating the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, with nearly two dozen filmmakers attending from 11 states.

Highlights include two evening galas at the City Opera House — the Michigan premiere of the Mary Oliver documentary Saved by the Beauty of the World (May 2) and the northern Michigan premiere of Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching (May 1) — plus artist panels, outdoor tours, student films, and passholder after-parties at local breweries. Day passes $35 | Gala tickets $20 | GA screenings $10.

Price/Price Range: $10–$35
Ticketing Website: TC.FreshCoastFilm.com
Presenting Organization: Old Mission Culture Company
Organization Email: traversecity@freshcoastfilm.com
Organization Website: TC.FreshCoastFilm.com
Designation: Not For Profit

The inaugural Fresh Coast Film Festival: Traverse City (FCFF/tc) brings four days of documentary film to seven venues across the North Boardman Lake District and downtown Traverse City, April 30–May 3, 2026. Presented by the local nonprofit Old Mission Culture Company, the festival features 50+ films celebrating the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, with nearly two dozen filmmakers attending from 11 states.

Highlights include two evening galas at the City Opera House — the Michigan premiere of the Mary Oliver documentary Saved by the Beauty of the World (May 2) and the northern Michigan premiere of Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching (May 1) — plus artist panels, outdoor tours, student films, and passholder after-parties at local breweries. Day passes $35 | Gala tickets $20 | GA screenings $10.

Price/Price Range: $10–$35
Ticketing Website: TC.FreshCoastFilm.com
Presenting Organization: Old Mission Culture Company
Organization Email: traversecity@freshcoastfilm.com
Organization Website: TC.FreshCoastFilm.com
Designation: Not For Profit

The Elk Rapids Cinema, in partnership with Northwest Education Services (North Ed) and the Great Start Collaborative of Traverse Bay will host a free public screening of the acclaimed documentary No Small Matter on Thursday, May 7, 2026.

No Small Matter is the first feature-length documentary to explore the critical importance of early childhood education and care in America. Through powerful stories and compelling research, the film examines how children’s earliest experiences—from birth to age five—shape their lifelong health, learning, and opportunity. Drawing on neuroscience, education research, and real family stories, the film reveals both the remarkable capacity of young children’s developing brains and the growing crisis in affordable, high-quality childcare.

Doors will open at 5:30 PM, followed by a brief 15-minute live introduction by Full Tilt Comedy. The film will begin at 6:15 PM, followed by a short discussion.

The Elk Rapids Cinema, owned and operated by the Chalfonte Foundation, continues its mission of serving as a cultural and educational gathering space for northern Michigan through films, performances, and community engagement events.
Community members, parents, educators, policymakers, and advocates are warmly invited to attend.

🎟 Admission: Free and open to the public

WCMU Public Media and Dennos Museum Center are proud to host Indie Lens Pop-Up, presented by INDEPENDENT LENS, for a screening of “The Grocery List Show," featuring a community tasting with Chef Sam Anglin from the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.

“The Grocery List Show” is a five-part series that follows "Top Chef” contender Chrissy Camba to five bustling international grocery stores in America and the communities they serve. Over five episodes, special guests and food enthusiasts join Chrissy to shop for ingredients and cook a favorite family recipe, as they celebrate global food traditions over a shared meal.

International Affairs Forum & On The Ground Global present Land of Canaan, a documentary on Palestinian farmers and their ancient olive trees—symbols of resilience, heritage, and home, followed by filmmaker Q&A Thursday, May 14 at the Dennos Museum Center Milliken Auditorium. Event is free and open to the public.

Tickets & details at TCIAF.com

Intimate documentary on Palestinian farmers and their ancient olive trees—symbols of resilience, heritage, and home. Set in the occupied West Bank, it follows a farmer uniting small-scale growers through fair trade cooperatives, connecting them to global markets while sustaining their land and livelihoods. Filmmaker Q&A to follow featuring:

Nasser Abufarha, Ph.D., Protagonist & Producer, Anthropologist
Dr. Nasser Abufarha was raised among the olive groves of Jenin. Abufarha founded Canaan Palestine, the world’s first fair‑trade and organic olive oil company. Through his work he has connected more than 2,000 small‑scale Palestinian farming families to global markets, brought Palestinian olive oil to international recognition and funded scholarships and women’s cooperatives.

Maggie Lemere, Director
Award‑winning filmmaker and oral historian Maggie Lemere is a National Geographic Explorer and co‑founder of the Rhiza Collective. Lemere’s storytelling focuses on the intersections of humanity and the environment; she is currently directing Land of Canaan, “a National Geographic Society‑supported feature film about Palestinians’ relationship with ancient olive trees” .

The Music House Museum is proud to present the classic Harold Lloyd silent film The Kid Brother, accompanied by Interlochen Arts Academy Staff Pianist, Steve Larson on Saturday May 16, 2026, at 7:00PM

The Kid Brother is a 1927 American silent comedy film starring Harold Lloyd. It was successful and popular upon release and today is considered by critics and fans to be one of Lloyd's best films, integrating elements of comedy, romance, drama, and character development. Its storyline is an homage to a 1921 film called Tol'able David, although it is essentially a re-make of the 1924 Hal Roach feature, The White Sheep.

The Kid Brother will be accompanied by long-time Music House contributor, Interlochen pianist Steve Larson on our nine-foot Baldwin Grand Piano.
Steve Larson has played in recitals and chamber music festivals throughout the Midwest including the Absolutely Amadeus festival, the Manitou Music Festival and Chamber Music North. As a dance accompanist, Mr. Larson served as company pianist for the Milwaukee Ballet and has played for Minnesota Dance Theater, Alaska Dance Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Ballet Hispanico and others.

Tickets can be purchased at MyNorthTickets, musichouse.org and by calling 231-938-9300