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July 28, 2005Lights go up at State TheatreByRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - There was no red carpet and only one limousine arrival, but the excitement on Front Street was palpable as moviegoers arrived at the historic State Theatre for the opening film of the first Traverse City Film Festival. Under the flashing lights of the newly polished marquee Wednesday evening, festival volunteers hawked popcorn and festival T-shirts, friends and families took snapshots of each other, and camera crews panned the growing line that had snaked nearly to the Cass Street intersection by 7:30 p.m. Inside, ushers and concessionaires got last-minute instructions, donned vintage jackets and hats, and filled boxes with popcorn as fast as the machine could spill it out. With two Traverse City policemen on mountain bikes providing security, Marilyn Agrelo, director of the opening film "Mad Hot Ballroom," stepped out into the street to snap a shot of the film title spelled out in large red letters on the marquee. Meanwhile, Old Town Playhouse actor Thomas Pritchard as "Chief Brodie" entertained those waiting with his megaphone and bright yellow "Amity P.D." jeep festooned with sharks and nets to promote Thursday's showing of "Jaws" at the Open Space Cinema. "Greatest thing that ever happened to Traverse City," remarked Chris Okoren of Pentwater, as she took her place in line. A part-time resident of Key West, Fla., Okoren compared the festival to ones she has been to there. "This is a gift to Traverse City, and Michael Moore should be patted on his back," she said. Friends Carol Sullivan of Westland and Ann Ramroth of Livonia had plans to go to Stratford this week but canceled them to come to the film festival instead. "We just thought it would be fun to be a part of something so exciting," said Sullivan. Shortly after 8 p.m., when the sold-out audience had taken their seats, festival founder and Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore took the stage unannounced with co-founders Doug Stanton and John Robert Williams. "Welcome to the State Theatre!" Moore shouted to thunderous applause. After thanking all those who are helping with the five-day festival, including the Herrington-Fitch Family Foundation, which put up a big chunk of the event's $250,000 budget, the often-controversial Moore made reference to the festival's broad-based community support. "This is the America of liberty, where we can all have our different beliefs and opinions but where we can all come together for the good of the community," he said. Organizers planned the festival in just two months. Among its 31 domestic, foreign language, independent and documentary films are seven premieres and four free classics that will be shown nightly at dusk at the waterfront Open Space Cinema. Only one screening of "Mad Hot Ballroom" was originally scheduled for Wednesday but an extra showing was added after the first sold out last week. The 2005 documentary, introduced Wednesday night by Agrelo, follows a group of fourth- and fifth-graders as they participate in a ballroom dance program at their New York City public schools. Agrelo told the audience before the show began not to leave before the credits because of a surprise. As applause reverberated across the theater, a spotlight flashed on the stage and Moore led Elsa Melys Ulelio and Kelvin Munoz from the winning team out on stage. They danced as the audience clapped and cheered. "This community should be so proud," said Nancy Osborne, a Fort Myers, Fla, resident who is visiting friends in Benzie County. "Do you know what it takes to do this, to bring those two kids here?"
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