Bay Theatre continues Made in Michigan Film Series
From staff reports
The nonprofit Bay Community Theatre has announced the return of its popular Made in Michigan Series—highlighting great films made in the state of Michigan—along with a series of free Formula 1 watch parties and a special St. Patrick’s Day celebration featuring Celtic soul and American roots group Switchback. Events are proudly presented by Harmony Estate Wineries of Leelanau, Hendryx House, and Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities.
The Bay’s popular Made in Michigan series highlights great films made in the state and provides unique opportunities for audiences to connect directly with the filmmakers and/or special guests through post-screening Q&As. The new season kicked off on March 1 with The Spirit of Sleeping Bear Dunes. This visual love letter to the towering bluffs and cobalt waters of Lake Michigan’s northeastern shore explores the profound connection between the landscape and the people who have called it home for centuries, from the Anishinaabe tribes to modern-day conservationists. Filmmaker Keith Patterson attended the audience Q&A, with attendees also enjoying special pre-show footage of the Dunes from local filmmaker James Schamberg. Patterson’s Manitou Films and the Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau donated proceeds from the screening to the nonprofit Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear.
Made in Michigan continues on Sunday, March 29 at 4 pm with All Too Clear. This festival award winner and groundbreaking documentary explores the most significant ecological shift in the Great Lakes since the last ice age. Utilizing cutting-edge, custom-built underwater drones, filmmakers Zach Melnick and Yvonne Drebert—who will attend the screening—spent over 150 days capturing footage of a world that is becoming “all too clear” due to an army of quadrillions of invasive quagga mussels. This event is presented in partnership with Inland Seas Education Association.
Next up in the series is Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake) by Sierra Falconer on Sunday, April 12 at 4 pm. This critically acclaimed hit from the Sundance Film Festival weaves together four loosely connected vignettes that capture the transformative power of a northern Michigan summer, with numerous area locations and actors featured in the film. Co-producers Nick Loud and Chris Loud will attend the audience Q&A. Tickets for all Made in Michigan films are $15 and on sale now at TheBayTheatre.org.
As a special bonus in the series, The Bay—along with five other art house movie theaters across northern Michigan—will partner with the Fresh Coast Film Festival: Traverse City to host a free community screening of FCFF/tc’s opening night shorts program “Stories of Hope” on Thursday, April 30 at 7 pm. All donations at the door will benefit the theater. The full slate of short films in “Stories of Hope” —along with information and tickets for all other FCFF/tc events—is available at TC.FreshCoastFilm.com.
Continuing its commitment to offering diverse live events, The Bay will host a series of free watch parties for live Formula 1 racing events throughout 2026. F1 fans won’t want to miss the chance to experience the excitement of nearly two dozen races this year on the big screen featuring the Bay’s state-of-the-art 4K laser projection, providing total immersion into the thrilling world of racing! The first race was the Australia Grand Prix on Sunday, March 8, with watch parties then hosted regularly through December. Play along with special race games and a Bay F1 fantasy league for attendees! Admission is free and first-come, first-served at the door, with a $5 suggested donation benefiting the theater. Coffee and pastries will be available for purchase.
Finally, join The Bay for a special St. Patrick’s Day celebration on Friday, March 13 at 7 pm featuring the group Switchback. American Songwriter Magazine (along with Americana icon Steve Earle) have praised Switchback as one of the seminal groups to blend American roots and traditional Celtic styles. Their hybrid has an energy and joyous abandon that Matt Malloy of The Chieftains proclaimed “powerful.”
With three PBS specials, music on NBC, and appearances with the Moody Blues, Jethro Burns, Clifton Chenier, John Hartford, Leon Russell, Dale Watson, the Chieftains, Liz Carol, Martin Hayes, and many others, Switchback has earned a place among musical legends. Don’t miss this incredible night of live music at The Bay! Tickets are $30 in advance/$35 at the door ($5 discount for certain Bay membership levels) and are on sale now at the theater or at TheBayTheatre.org.
Special screenings and live events are value-added offerings by the nonprofit Bay Community Theatre to provide community entertainment and programming.
