Event Notices From June 15
UM Hosts Discussion On Future Of Film Industry: On Wednesday, June 29, the University of Michigan will host a discussion on the economic impact and effect on Michigan's reputation if changes are made to the state's film tax credits, one of the major reasons production companies from around the world have shot films in the last three years around the Great Lakes state. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Mackinac Room on the fifth floor of the Anderson House Office Building, 124 N. Capitol Ave., Lansing. The event is sponsored by the University of Michigan Wolverine Caucus, the UM Office of Government Relations and the UM Alumni Association. While supporters of the incentives claim more time must be given to building the state's film industry, critics contend the tax credits were an ill-conceived giveaway, not producing enough revenue and jobs. Both sides tend to agree the fledgling film industry is at a critical moment. Jim Burnstein and Rob Rayher will discuss the debate and offer in-depth analysis of the future of filmmaking in Michigan. Burnstein is a Hollywood screenwriter whose credits include "Renaissance Man," "The Mighty Ducks" and "Ruffian." He heads the University of Michigan screenwriting program and serves as vice chair of the Michigan Film Office Advisory Council. Rayher is an avant-garde filmmaker whose short films have been presented in galleries, museums, art schools and universities around the country. He teaches dramatic narrative film production at the University of Michigan. More at www.umich.edu/~govrel.
