2024 Better Cities Film Festival

The Better Cities Film Festival returns to Detroit for its 11th annual showcase, featuring films that explore how to make cities, towns, and neighborhoods better places to live, work, and play. The festival kicks off on Thursday at 5:00 PM with “Let’s Roll,” a block of short films about bicycling, followed by a group ride to the Detroit Month of Design’s “Eastern Market After Dark” event.

Over three days, screenings will take place at Campus Martius, co-hosted by the Downtown Detroit Partnership, with a special Sunday screening at Christ Church Detroit. Highlights include Friday’s “Let’s Get Going” showcase on mobility and transit, and the feature presentation “Freak Bikes,” a film by Ryan Mekenian that delves into sustainable transportation, climate change, and mobility justice.

Saturday night features “Directed by Detroit,” a screening dedicated to films by Detroit directors or about the city itself, with notable titles like “Natural Light: The Remarkable Transformation of a School on East Eight Mile” and “The Land Bank: 20 Years from Crisis to Opportunity.”

The festival, originally founded in Los Angeles in 2013 and now in Detroit since 2020, runs from September 19-22. It includes walking tours, panel discussions, and networking events for filmmakers.

All screenings are free, and tickets can be reserved at filmfreeway.com/bettercitiesfilmfestival/tickets. View the full schedule at bettercitiesfilmfestival.com/2024.