Ann Arbor Film Festival Benefit
7 p.m. Nov. 15
Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor
Tickets: $20, $5 students
http://www.ticketweb.com
(866) 468-3401
Due to state funding cuts for the Ann Arbor Film Festival, organizers will host an evening celebrating freedom of expression at 7 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor.
"(The cut) came at a pretty bad time when we were most dependent on the money," said Christen McArdle, executive director of the AAFF, which will screen 130 films in March.
After several legislators publicly claimed that the state government was funding "pornography," the state pulled further support for the film festival, according to the AAFF's Web site. AAFF organizers will detail the reasons for funding cuts, which resulted after the AAFF continued to support films that fall out of the state's guidelines, and show the documentary "This Film Is Not Yet Rated."
Although the festival took a hit, McArdle said, "it's more important to us that we protect the artistic integrity of the festival."
According to Michigan's guidelines, artists' content must follow three rules to receive state grants: no human waste on religious symbols, no desecration of the flag and no depictions of sex acts.
The AAFF chose to show "This Film Is Not Yet Rated," which investigates the Motion Picture Association of America's film rating system and its effect on American culture, because it parallels with issues on a local level.
"It completely addresses (our issue)," McArdle said.
To donate call (734) 995-5356 or visit http://www.aafilmfest.org.
