FESTIVAL PROGRAM BOOK

Just released: Download the 2023 program book here. Includes a useful at-a-glance schedule of all film screenings and “More Better” events. Printed versions are available at the festival

FILM SCREENING SCHEDULE

Film Screening At-A-Glance Schedule

Detailed Information: Thurs. Oct. 5 I Fri. Oct. 6 I Sat. Oct. 7 I Sun. Oct 8

& MORE BETTER SCHEDULE

Schedule of talks, presentations, workshops, social events, and other fun festival happenings

Sept. 4th, 2023

This year we’re doing a double feature10th anniversary. It’s not only the festival’s 10th anniversary, it’s also the 10th anniversary of the global placemaking movement launched from Detroit! We were not going to let that historic note slip by, so we’re celebrating with PlacemakingX—one of the organizations that was there at the start— and the Detroit Downtown Partnership at Campus Martius, the #1 public square in the US. The celebration, which is free, includes the premiere of the film The Place Man, “a documentary that explores the roots of the placemaking movement through the life of Fred Kent, who has devoted his life to creating public spaces for people.”

The film’s Director, Guillermo Bernal, and other Placemaking pioneers including Fred Kent, Ethan Kent, and Stephen Davis will host a discussion after the movie.

Better Cities Film Festival is proud to host the worldwide premiere of Arbitrary Lines: The Free Spirit of Caroline, a film featuring author, zoning reform expert, and research director for California YIMBY, M. Nolan Gray. The film’s director Trần Hoàng Calvin set out “to build an engaging narrative that transcends geographical boundaries to showcase how seemingly mundane zoning debates are actually universal struggles over self-determination and community identity.” This film, Gray adds,“is more than a documentary, It’s an opportunity to start a conversation about how we, Americans, approach the future. Do we continue thel egacy of segregation and stagnation that zoning mandates, or do we rediscover how to plan and build a more affordable, prosperous, equitable, and sustainable American cities and towns.” The premiere is Sunday, Oct. 8th at 5:30 PM.

Post-film Q&A with director Tran Hoang Calving and M. Nolan Gray.

Read the press release about the film and other Nolan Gray events over the weekend.

We’re added a double feature on the opening night at Campus Martius. From 7:30 - 9:00 PM, Oct. 5 we are screening The Engine Inside, a film with a buzz that is racking up awards. This beautiful cinematic film, narrated by the legendary cycling broadcaster, Phil Leggett, explores how bicycles have the potential to transform lives and contribute to a better world. We can’t think of a more inspiring setting to watch this film on the big screen than in America’s #1 public square.