Worth going to, and who to follow.
When I come across something good, I put it up here. Under that is every Michigan festival, screening series, and crew group that publishes its own dates : so there's always somewhere current to look, whether or not I've been paying attention lately.
How this stays honest. Anything I post carries a date. Once it happens it does not vanish : it moves down to Past Events, struck through, with every link and detail still on it, so you can always confirm what you saw here. When I haven’t added anything, the organizations below are still posting their own schedules : they’re the ones actually worth following.
Worth Going To
Hand-pickedFestivals & Competitions
Deadlines varyHorror Film Roulette
A timed horror filmmaking competition : you draw constraints, then you go shoot. Kickoff at the Scarab Club, showcase at Emagine Royal Oak. One of the best on-ramps in the state if you've never finished a short.
Trail Dead took Best Editing here in 2025. Can vouch for it.
Visit ↗ 02The Comedy Roll
The comedy counterpart : same timed-competition format, kickoff at the Eastern Palace Club, showcase at Emagine Royal Oak. Comedy is brutally hard on a deadline, which is exactly the point.
Lookout placed Top 25 here in 2025.
Visit ↗ 03Royal Starr Film Festival
Oakland County's flagship festival, screening at Emagine Birmingham 8 : and they run filmmaker mixers throughout the year, not just during the fest. The mixers are the underrated part.
Visit ↗Screenings & Meetups
RecurringCampfire Film Cooperative
Screening series and film education, frequently at the Scarab Club in Detroit : including multi-part programs like their animation-on-film series. The most consistently programmed thing on this list.
Visit ↗ 02Mograph Mondays Detroit
Motion graphics and design meetup. Adjacent to film rather than squarely in it, which is precisely why it's worth going : different room, different skills, different people.
Visit ↗Crew & Casting Calls
Posted dailyMichigan Crew Calls
Where Michigan crew gigs actually get posted. This is the reason I took my own job board down : this group already does it, with an audience I was never going to match.
Visit ↗ 02Michigan Talent Casting
The casting-side equivalent. Same deal : go where the people already are.
Visit ↗Past Events
Already happenedThese have come and gone. They stay up so you can check what was here, and where it was.