The nonprofit Bay Community Theatre will host a series of special screenings this fall celebrating independent and documentary films with filmmakers in attendance.
The first event is part of The Bay’s Made in Michigan series and will take place on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 4 p.m. featuring the award-winning documentary “Frontier to Freedom” in partnership with the Leelanau Historical Society. Written, directed, and produced by acclaimed Michigan filmmaker Keith Patterson (“The Spirit of Sleeping Bear Dunes,” “Beer City, USA”), the historical documentary feature unearths the rich and often overlooked history of Michigan, tracing its evolution from a vast, untamed wilderness inhabited by Indigenous peoples in 1600 to its emergence as the 26th state in 1837.
Through a blend of expert interviews, archival imagery, animated maps, and stunning visuals, the film explores the region’s formative years, its history of war and conflict on the American frontier, and the complex socio-political forces that shaped its path to statehood. “Frontier to Freedom” recently won the 2026 State History Award for Media from the Historical Society of Michigan.
“Our goal is to reinspire patriotism and civic engagement in generations of Michiganders by telling the origin story of our great state in a bold and truthful documentary,” says Patterson. Patterson will attend the screening and participate in an audience Q&A.
Next up will be a special onetime screening of “Watching Mr. Pearson” with producer and co-writer Simon Kienitz Kincade in attendance for an audience Q&A on Sunday, Oct.11 at 4 p.m. In this critically hailed feature film, Caroline and Miguel split days and nights with legendary Hollywood actor Robert Pearson, a brilliant and talented man battling mental decline. Despite their differences in approach to caring for him, both have the same goal of keeping him safe and connected.
Now, with everyone’s livelihood on the line, Miguel and Caroline must work together to save Mr. Pearson’s luminous star from fading to black.
“Watching Mr. Pearson” is a story about aging, memory, and the people who show up with compassion. The filmmakers are proud supporters of the Alzheimer’s Association and offer an Angel Ticket program for healthcare workers, caregivers, and others who might not otherwise have access. Find more information at WatchingMrPearson.com. The Bay screening will be held on the same weekend as the 2026 Walk to End Alzheimer’s, which will take place the day prior on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 9 a.m. in Traverse City’s Open Space park.
Next up, The Bay will host the northern Michigan premiere of “Grounded” on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. in partnership with Interlochen Center for the Arts as part of The Bay’s Made in Michigan series. A documentary co-directed by Nathan Buck and Claire Hannah Collins, editor Elizabeth Kaiser, executive producer Michael Mittelstaedt, and production support from dozens of Interlochen students, “Grounded” follows a small group of teens at Interlochen Arts Academy who are chosen to make a film about “regenerative farming” - a big buzzword without a clear definition.
After some initial trepidations, they become immersed in the world of agro-ecology and Indigenous growing traditions. As they navigate the messy uncertainty of both filmmaking and farming, they uncover contradictions in their own dining hall’s food sourcing. With the help of local farmers and fellow student artists, they turn their project into a search for a more sustainable and connected way of living. The event will include an audience Q&A with members of the filmmaking team. Finally, The Bay will host a special one-time screening of “Rebel With a Clause” on Sunday, October 25 at 4pm with film subject Ellen Jovin and filmmaker Brandt Johnson in attendance for an audience Q&A. In this hilarious documentary about New York Times best-selling author and “grammar guru” Ellen Jovin, Jovin takes her pop-up grammar advice stand on an epic road trip across all 50 states. Her goal? To show that comma fights can bring us closer together in a divided time.
Described as a “love letter to grammar,” “one of the funniest movies of the year,” and a “breezy and lighthearted” film with a timely message about the importance of language and civil discussion, “Rebel With a Clause” is sure to both entertain and inspire audiences.
Tickets are $15 for each screeningandare onsalenow at TheBayTheatre.org.
