24th ELFF features gripping films and poignant documentaries

East Lansing Film Festival is returning for its 24th edition with a four-day lineup of critically acclaimed independent feature-length films, documentaries and short films at the Studio C movie theater at the Meridian Mall in Okemos. 

The festival was canceled in 2020 due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and made its first comeback earlier this year in summer with a similarly structured shortened lineup at Celebration Cinema. Festival founder and longtime organizer Susan Woods said the pandemic is also to blame for this month’s 24th edition of the festival being a smaller affair than past years.

Opening night, Nov. 11, features “Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale,” a documentary about the beloved historic Boblo Island amusement park in Detroit. Boblo Island, one of the earliest amusement parks in the entire United States, was open for nearly an entire century before its shutdown in 1993. The documentary follows a makeshift rescue crew as they attempt to recover the two abandoned steamboat ferries that took guests to the amusement park. Director Aaron Schillinger is scheduled to attend the festival for a Q&A panel after the screening. 

Other documentaries at the festival focus on nature and take on world environmental issues. “The Hidden Life of Trees,” screening Nov. 13 at 3:30 p.m., follows German forester and author Peter Wohlleben on treks through several beautiful forests as he explains how he communicates with the natural life there to draw inspiration for his written work. “Kiss the Ground,” screening Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m., which Woody Harrelson narrates, shows how regenerating soil around the world can stabilize the climate, help create abundant food supplies and restore lost ecosystems. The film utilizes striking footage of the Earth captured by NASA. 

Several members of the filmmaking team behind “How Did You Learn Today,” a documentary by award-winning German director Patrick Grube, will attend the festival for a Q&A panel after the documentary is shown Nov. 14 at 12:30 p.m. “How Did You Learn Today,” which focuses on Willow Elementary School in Napa, California, captures Artful Learning, an academic program designed to educate children using several artistic mediums created by legendary American composer, conductor and pianist Leonard Bernstein. 

Patrick Bolek, Art Learning’s executive director, will moderate the panel, which also includes Alexander Bernstein, president of Artful Learning and Bernstein’s son, and Willow Elementary’s principal, Pam  Popkin. Grube will join from Germany via Zoom. 

Festival director Susan Woods said another highlight of the upcoming East Lansing Film Festival is the poignant feature film “Landlocked,” which will be shown at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 14.

“Landlocked” tells the story of Ray, who, following his mother’s death, is reunited with his estranged transgender father. The two journey together across the country to scatter her ashes in the Pacific Ocean from the coast of Georgia. 

“Landlocked” marks the film debut of Delia Kropp, a trans actress from East Lansing who graduated from Michigan State University, acted with the BoarsHead Theater and taught at Lansing Community College. She will be present for a panel after the screening via Zoom. 

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