ANN ARBOR – The 2018 Cinetopia Film Festival begins on Thursday with the Sundance hit "Eighth Grade" and about 50 other films lined up over the next week at 10 different venues. As this is a huge festival, last minute changes are not out of the question and this year is no exception. Three new films have been added to the lineup, each of which will hopefully make you even more excited for the festival.
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First up is "Michelin Stars: Tales from the Kitchen," which will replace "Three Identical Strangers." Directed by Rasmus Dinesen, "Michelin Stars" is a documentary from Denmark that goes under the surface and offers an in-depth, honest and relevant view into the world and every day of Michelin chefs and restaurants. The documentary comes at a moment in time when humanity is obsessed with food -- photographing every dish, worshiping cooks and flaunting trophy meals on social media. You could say that the documentary might just whet your film festival appetite.
You'll have three chances to see "Michelin Stars" this weekend: Friday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 3:45 p.m. at the State Theatre, and on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the Michigan Theater.
Next up is a Chinese film called "Crosscurrent," an allegorical drama from director Yang Chao. The story focuses on a young cargo ship captain named Gao Chun (Qin Hao) who pilots his boat up the Yangtze River and ponders the recent death of his father. During the trip, he encounters numerous symbols representing China's past, present and future, including a mysterious woman who is present at every port along the way. The woman, he soon learns, is some sort of magical being who seems to grow younger as the ship inches closer to the source of the Yangtze.
There will be only one chance to see "Crosscurrent," but we encourage you to do so if you can fit it into your film-going schedule. Catch it at the State Theatre on June 6 at 6:45 p.m.
"Champion" is the third and final addition to the Cinetopia lineup and promises to be a crowd-pleasing film in the vein of "Rocky," set in the world of arm-wrestling. Directed by Kim Yong-wan, "Champion" focuses on Mark (Don Lee), a former U.S. arm wrestler who was kicked out of the league and is now working as a bouncer and several other security jobs in Los Angeles. When his friend Jin-ki (Kwon Yul) offers him the chance to compete in Korea, Mark reluctantly agrees and his story of redemption begins.
"Champion" will screen only once on June 8 at 2 p.m. at the State Theatre.
Stay tuned for more updates from the Cinetopia Film Festival from All About Ann Arbor. To learn more about the festival itself, visit cinetopiafestival.org. You can also "Like" Cinetopia on Facebook and follow them on Twitter while also making sure to use #Cinetopia2018.
Planning to attend the festival? Tickets to individual films are now available and the full lineup of films can be found at cinetopiafestival.org/schedule.
More from Cinetopia 2018:
Opening and closing night films announced
'A Boy. A Girl. A Dream: Love on Election Night' screens June 1 and 10
Festival to screen 'Thirst for Justice' in celebration of Mayor's Green Fair June 8
Lesser-known films that deserve your attention
Eight films we're most excited about
Check out more Ann Arbor events on the A4 Community Calendar
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