Capital City Film Festival 2026 must-watches

A guide to the top films at the festival’s sweet sixteen

If it’s your first time attending the Capital City Film Festival, you may feel overwhelmed. But navigating the packed schedule is worth it, especially for a festival with such a broad range of offerings tailored to a variety of interests. I went through the schedule to hand-pick some of the most intriguing films that I’d recommend adding to your CCFF 2026 watchlist.

CCFF stands out from other film festivals by pairing features with a short film. Often, the short-film sections of festivals don’t get enough love, but CCFF makes sure people see the hard work that goes into this medium. So, when scrolling through the festival’s schedule, don’t shy away from a film because of its runtime.

Opening the festival is “First Feature,” Curtis Matzke’s documentary recounting the journey to get Michigan State University student filmmaker Thomas Reilly-King’s feature film, “Enduring Destiny” (2014), made. Similar to the 1999 cult-classic documentary “American Movie,” “First Feature” is an inside look at how passion drove Reilly-King to pursue filmmaking come hell or high water, including making his own action figures and creating the exact music he envisioned for his first feature. These behind-the-scenes insights show the human touch that goes into making movies, which can never truly be replaced.

CCFF is proud to be a festival for even the most casual of moviegoers. If you’re looking for a more easily digestible watch, there are a large number of slice-of-life stories, including Ryan Welsh and Justin Giddings’ “When We Get There,” a road-trip film about two brothers who lost their mother and must journey across the country to meet their estranged father, and Jean-Cosme Delaloye’s “Desire: The Carl Craig Story,” which tells the life story of Detroit native Carl Craig, a prolific producer, DJ and record label creator.

If you’re feeling adventurous or up for some fantastical storytelling, CCFF offers a long list of imaginative and action-packed films. “Big City Pizza,” by Dusty Saunders, is high on my list of can’t-miss films, mostly for its unique animation style. The story is told from the POV of Boney, a pizza delivery man who just so happens to be a skeleton, and each of his deliveries becomes stranger as his shift goes on. For some live action, don’t miss Trevor Stevens’ “The Misadventures of Vince and Hick,” a comic-book story about two bandits. Judging by the trailer, it looks wildly fun.

Some of the best films to catch at festivals are international ones, since it may be your only chance to see them. One such film is “Sun Never Again,” a Serbian feature by David Jovanović. This gripping story is about a father who is seen as a hero by his son, who has no idea what his father has to deal with to maintain their home. If you’re looking for real stories, a documentary to keep on your radar is Areeb Zuaiter’s feature-length directorial debut, “Yalla Parkour.” The film follows Ahmed, a parkour athlete from Gaza, on a life journey of belonging.

CCFF makes plenty of space for diverse voices in filmmaking. Not only does it screen an impressive array of international features and short films, but it also give women and queer voices a space to flourish. At a time when big-budget blockbusters and Hollywood productions seem to be leaning away from that kind of representation, festivals like CCFF are keeping cinema refreshing and new.

Isabel Hagen wears several hats in “On a String,” having written the screenplay, starred in the leading role and directed the film about a young, successful violinist who has a run-in with a toxic ex-boyfriend. And 2026 South by Southwest Grand Jury Feature nominee “Edie Arnold Is a Loser” comes from directing duo Megan Rico and Kade Atwood. Having seen the trailer, it looks as if Lindsey Lohan’s “Mean Girls” was mashed with Jack Black’s “School of Rock”.

This just a small slice of what CCFF is offering this year. Each day, there’s a chance to catch a thought-provoking and entertaining movie that was hand-selected by festival organizers for the Lansing community to experience.

 

“First Feature” (2026)

6 p.m. Wednesday, April 8

Central United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall

“First Feature” follows intrepid student filmmaker Thomas Reilly-King in a comedic and heartfelt documentary inspired by such classics as “American Movie,” “Best Worst Movie” and “Kid Icarus.” In the tradition of those films, “First Feature” follows an eccentric artist following his dreams and unwavering dedication to making his first feature film: “Enduring Destiny.”

 

“Edie Arnold Is a Loser” (2025)

10 p.m. Friday, April 10

Central United Methodist Church Sanctuary

Timid Catholic school dork Edie Arnold is dragged to a punk show where a mishap lands her on stage behind the drums. She’s mortified … but a natural. Convinced by her best friend, she secretly forms a band called The NunDead.

 

“Sun Never Again” (2024)

5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 11

Central United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall

Vid, perceived by his son Dule as the greatest hero in the world, is deeply troubled by the looming presence of an expansive ore mine, threatening their home and way of life. While Vid grapples with the reality of the situation, his concerns are mostly hidden from his young son, Dule, who remains blissfully unaware of the mine’s impact.

 

“American Comic” (2025)

8 p.m. Saturday, April 11

Central United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall

A mockumentary that follows two up-and-coming stand-up comedians, who, despite their superficial “cultural” differences, share remarkable similarities when it comes to egotism, self-destruction, and social ineptitude.

 

“Big City Pizza” (2025)

10 p.m. Saturday, April 11

Riverwalk Theatre

As tension rises in the big city for the Omniball Championship, Boney, a skeleton pizza delivery man, starts his shift. Animated entirely from Boney’s POV in one continuous, unbroken take, we follow his delivery route where every stop is weirder than the last.

 

“Desire: The Carl Craig Story” (2024)

6 p.m. April 16

Central United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall

An intimate portrait of legendary techno producer, DJ and record label creator Carl Craig and an ode to his beloved city, Detroit. Raised in a middle-class African American family, Craig’s parents fostered his artistic pursuits, even if that meant breaking with his family’s tradition of pursuing higher education.

 

“On a String” (2025)

8:25 p.m. April 17

Riverwalk Theatre

Isabel (Isabel Hagen) is a young, Juilliard-trained violist still living at home with her parents in the heart of New York City. She’s trying to make a living playing gigs with her friends, but when her toxic ex- boyfriend reappears, who also happens to be the philharmonic’s “newest, hottest cellist,” he informs her of a viola opening in the prestigious orchestra. Nothing can go wrong, right?

 

“Yalla Parkour” (2024)

2:30 p.m. April 18

Central United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall

In her relentless pursuit of a memory that reinforces her sense of belonging, Areeb crosses paths with Ahmed, a parkour athlete in Gaza, sparking a journey where conflicting aspirations intersect. Nostalgia meets with ambition, and the weight of a confined past meets with an unpredictable future.

 

“The Misadventures of Vince and Hick” (2025)

10 p.m. April 17

Riverwalk Theatre

A live-action comic-book crime odyssey that tells the legend of your two new favorite bandits. The winners of the Slamdance 2018 Grand Jury Prize and audience awards for their first feature film, “Rock Steady Row,” return with their second feature, “The Misadventures of Vince and Hick.”

 

“Is That All There Is?” (2025)

Noon April 18

Riverwalk Theatre

Set inside Detroit’s early-2000s indie-rock explosion, “Is That All There Is?” follows filmmaker Kelli Miller’s band through a city’s fleeting musical boom — where some rocketed to fame, and others vanished into obscurity.

 

“When We Get There” (2025)

4:30 p.m. April 18

Riverwalk Theatre

After their mother passes away, Cal and Ty embark on a cross-country trek to meet their father. Along with Cal’s girlfriend, Ellie, and a new guitar named Stevie, they are forced to navigate uncertain futures on a 2,000-mile journey.