Cinetopia International Film Festival Features More Than 70 Films

DETROIT (WWJ) - The 2015 Cinetopia International Film Festival opens today. This year's festival features 150 screenings of more than 70 films.

"It is a great film festival that actually brings the best films from film festivals around the world to Southeast Michigan," spokesperson Ruth Lednicer told WWJ Newsradio 950.

Lednicer says to accommodate the extensive lineup, the festival is now 10 days; up from five in 2014. Participating theaters in Detroit, according to Lednicer, include: "The Redford Theater, the Maple Theater, the Senate Theater, as well as our core venues in downtown Detroit, like the DIA, the Charles Wright Museum, Cinema Detroit and some other great venues."

Films will also be shown in the Ann Arbor area at the University of Michigan and the Michigan and State theaters.

Opening the festival with a free outdoor screening on the DIA's north lawn is The Prophet, which according to Lednicer, "is actually based on a beautiful Arab poetry compilation from, 1923 I believe, and it's animated, but it has music from some really great well-known musicians, as well as the voices of Salma Hayek and Liam Neeson."

The festival runs through June 14th and, along with the movies, will also feature post-film events, including presentations, discussion panels and Q&A sessions with directors, writers and stars of the films being shown.

"Movies that you would see at Sundance, or South by Southwest or even at Cannes or Berlin Film Festivals, you're going to be able to see here," Lednicer says.

For more information on the festival and to purchase festival passes, click here.

See you at the movies!

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