Filmmaker Keith Patterson’s documentary “The Spirit of Sleeping Bear Dunes” is set to play at the State Theater in Traverse City at 7 p.m. July 23 as part of the community screenings of the Traverse City Film Festival.
Earlier this year, the film nabbed the top prize at the Central Michigan University Film Festival for Best Michigan-Made Feature Documentary. It was also accepted into the Royal Star Film Festival in Birmingham, Michigan, Sept. 11-14, and will be shown on PBS stations, though that schedule is yet to be determined. Patterson is hopeful it will also be accepted into other state and regional film festivals and theaters.
Subtitled “Awaken Your Spirit, “ the film features historical footage and photos, interviews with local historians, and contemporary footage of people at the dunes, on the trails and in the waters. Patterson was originally approached by the Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau to create a short promotional film that was part history and part adventure. As he shot the film, he found himself thinking it could evolve into something more, and he began creating what became the 50-minute documentary.
