About WolfTree Film Festival
An exciting night of short films from Great Lakes filmmakers!
The Wolf Tree Film Festival takes place in historic Marshall, Michigan, a gorgeous small town with a vibrant artistic community. Hosted by the Franke Center for the Arts and Marshall’s Youngish Professionals Committee, the festival is held at Franke Center, originally a church built in 1921, now an arts complex that is the proud home of world-class concerts, inspiring theater, and award-winning movies.
Why “Wolf Tree?” According to legend, the Wolf Tree was an alone, a prominent tree that once stood in the middle of Marshall. The first settler in the area sought refuge in the heights of the tree as wolves and bears roamed the dirt lane and forest that would one day become the city’s downtown. Later, a platform was built in the large oak’s branches where it is said a sentry, seeking the faint glow of wolves’ eyes, would hunt, eager to protect the village from threats hidden in the darkness below. It is a wild history, a bold story, and a great homage to the films that will be featured at this exciting annual event.
Past Festivals
Take a tour of our past festivals.
In 2022, Wolf Tree celebrated another great crop of Great Lakes Region Films. The show was hosted by American actor, playwright, lyricist and screenwriter John Matthew Riopelle, who also presided over the filmmaker roundtable.
In its second year, Wolf Tree Film Festival featured ten exceptional films from talented Great Lakes region filmmakers. It also included a screening of the film “Celebrity Crush,” directed by special guest and “Poltergeist” star Oliver Robins. The festival’s other special guest and emcee was hollywood veteran Sebastian Twardosz, who led a roundtable discussion with select filmmakers. The night also included an awards presentation, a networking mixer, and a toast to the filmmakers.
Above: Celebrity Crush Poster, Film roundtable featuring Sebastian and Oliver, and the 2020 Wolf Tree selected filmmakers.
In its inaugural year, Wolf Tree Film Festival screened eight short films:
The Bull, directed by Eric Ebner, is the award-winning story of San Diego surfing legend Glen Horn and his journey to an unconventional lifestyle. With accolades from several film festival across the world, The Florida Surf Film Festival says, “The Bull, is the quintessential short bio-doc about a Baja surfer, Glen Horn. His often home, the bluffs of Never Never Land (kept confidential by the filmmaker) could be found with a little bit of research. Crafting a movie with such efficiency and beauty happens infrequently, believe it or not. Eric did it.”
A Common Thread, created by the Albion Marshall Resilient Communities Project, is a mini-documentary filmed and edited by Ben Reed and Tylere Presley, featuring the stories of Marshall and Albion residents and the ties that bring them together. This will be the Marshall premiere of this film.
Interconnected: Connected Across the World by the Infinite Now, directed by Emma Arvoy, is a portrait of youth discovering the beauty of our world.
Ever After, directed by Jeff Kapp, a story of long-lost love.
Lifting the Veil, directed by Joshua Ashkinazi, a mini documentary on housing discrimination in Grand Rapids.
The Gift, directed by Anthony Green, the fictional life of a homeless man.
With Love from Idlewild, directed by Tinisha Brugnone, documents Idlewild – a historically African American vacation spot once considered the Black Eden of Michigan – follows retired teacher and local hunter/forager Charles Paige with vivid insight of the town’s local history and the possible future of this small oasis in Northern Michigan.
You May Also Like This, directed by Angie Warner, will cause you to think twice about online shopping.
Filmmakers enjoyed networking opportunities, including a special dinner and roundtable with Brett Hudson, filmmaker, screenwriter and 70’s teen idol.
Above: Keynote Speaker Brett Hudson, Filmmaker Emma Arvoy, and Festival Curator Emmy Perryman.
