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“It is the physical manifestation of art and culture in our town. “It’s something very special, very magical,” he said. The festival also had become a brand for the region, Tkach said, with its high profile putting Traverse City on the map for people far outside Michigan.

“You can’t really replace that, per se,” said Trevor Tkach, president and CEO of Traverse City Tourism. They also spent money on hotel rooms and in local stores. Restaurants, for example, benefitted from festival goers who dined out even in the middle the week - a nice boost between weekend crowds. Still, news that the summer festival won’t happen could deal a blow to downtown Traverse City. We’re not going to do it the old way that prevented people from Flint and Detroit and Downriver from coming to Traverse City and affording to spend a few days to come to the film festival.” We’re not going to do it the old way that had us in debt. “This just means we’re not going to do it the old way. “This is not bad news that we’re releasing today,” Moore said. Moore envisions year-round programming featuring the films that would appear during the summer event. The film festival broke even in 2022, Moore said.īut in order to stay out of the red, some things need to change, he said.

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He said it cost about $2 million annually to put on the festival, including free outdoor screenings at Traverse City’s Open Space.Įvents like that kept the festival accessible to all, but also pushed it into debt over the years, from which it has finally recovered. In an interview with IPR News, Moore said Traverse City was getting more expensive, and he was concerned about the festival he co-founded becoming inaccessible to people with lower incomes. In an email to supporters on Tuesday, founder and president Michael Moore said that after nearly 20 years of the weeklong summer fest, they decided to “close this era.”

TCFF says it's ending its flagship event, but will continue operating and screening films at its two theaters - the State and the Bijou by the Bay while it looks to start a new phase of its existence. There will not be a Traverse City Film Festival this summer.