Open Projector Showcase: End of the Reel (for now)

Since October 2012, four Open Projector Night (OPN) programs at UICA have provided a chance for West Michigan’s filmmaking community to connect and project their creative works. Instead of a festival structure, a nurturing environment has been created and each time, an audience’s favorite is selected.

When OPN began last fall, the films ranged from 30 seconds to 20 minutes in length, but there were slim pickings for the first event, according to organizer Brandon Belote, who cites having to struggle to just fill the night’s docket.

But, oh, what a difference a few months would make as word got out about this exciting new project. Now the number of submissions has risen to the point where Belote has expanded his selection committee to include other filmmakers who help him screen and weigh in their opinions on the entries. They collectively work to craft the night’s theme,  seeking to unlock connections to tie these individual projected works together.  

For the fifth installment, they will be screening a very special program: Open Projector Showcase, a week-long run of short films beginning Friday night.  

And while you might be tempted to catch the films later in the week, Friday night’s premiere not only offers the opportunity to see the films with what will certainly be an audience of other filmmakers, but also includes a short presentation from ArtPrize director Christian Gaines as well as an afterglow reception in the theatre with Kendall College of Art and Design graduate Josh Finck’s SELECTRONICS, a performance mix of video and audio in an artful format. (KCAD is also the sponsor of this exciting event.)

“We don’t like to say that these are the best of the last four OPN, because we really do not concern ourselves with such categories,” says Belote, whose event’s audience members have only singled out the audiences’ choice winner each time. “Our curation process is built around showcasing what is happening in our region concerning film and giving filmmakers a chance to see their work on the big screen. Think of it as an open mic night married to film.”

Each OPN audience choice filmmaker’s name has been entered in a drawing where the winner will be announced on Friday night. The prize for such an honor is equally fitting: the winner will have the opportunity to host a private screening of any film they want at UICA’s theatre. If you are a fan of he cinema, then you know your geek meter just went Schwing!


Admission: Friday Night Pricing: UICA Members attend for free, all others $4. You must register in advance to attend. After Friday, admission is $8 until Thursday, July 18. Closed Mondays.