Cinetopia 2025 Brings Locally-Made Films & Global Festival Favorites to Ann Arbor
Forget your streaming apps—this May, the only way to see some of the world’s most exciting new films is to grab a seat at Cinetopia.
Running May 15–18 in downtown Ann Arbor, Cinetopia 2025 features an exclusive lineup of festival-circuit gems and locally-created works that can’t be found in theaters or anywhere else. Complete with filmmaker Q&As, exclusive merch, VIP lounge, selfie stations, afterglow parties, and more.
Curated by Marquee Arts, this year’s Cinetopia is your chance to see the films everyone will be talking about before they’re released to the public. These are the buzzworthy titles fresh from Cannes, Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, and beyond—brought directly to your neighborhood screens at the Michigan Theater and State Theatre.
? Festival Highlights Include:
- Friendship (Midwest Premiere! on 5/14!) – A whip-smart comedy from A24 exploring the highs and horrors of adult best-friendship in an era of constant reinvention. Starring Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd.
- Lady Parts (Michigan Director) – Opening night feature from Ann Arbor’s own director Nancy Boyd, Lady Parts is a heartfelt, laugh-out-loud, and brutally honest exploration of the challenges women face in seeking treatment for vaginal pain—an experience often left unspoken, both on and offscreen. Director Q&A following both screenings.
- Michigan-Made Shorts – Made by local filmmakers right here in Michigan, this collection of Narrative, Documentary, and Experimental short films showcase our state’s filmmaking talent. Filmmaker Q&A following screenings. The public has a chance to vote for the audience award winner at the closing night party on Sunday, 5/18.
- 1969: Killers, Freaks, and Radicals (USA) – Amid the radical politics and cultural upheaval of the late 1960s, a series of brutal murders targeting young women gripped the twin university towns of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan. Director Q&A following the screening.
- Sister Midnight (UK/India/Sweden) – A psychedelic horror-comedy that takes Bollywood tropes, flips them, and then sets them on fire.
- How to Build a Library (Kenya/USA) – A heartwarming and thought-provoking documentary about literacy, legacy, and local heroes making a global impact.
- The Librarians – As an unprecedented wave of book banning is sparked in Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders fighting for intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy. Q& A with film subject/author Amanda Jones and producer Janique Robillard following screenings.
These films are only available to festival audiences. Many are seeking U.S. distribution or in the middle of their international festival runs, making Cinetopia your only chance to see them now.
?️Tickets & Passes
Festival passes, individual screening tickets, and VIP experiences are available now at marquee-arts.org/cinetopia.
Seating is first-come, first-served, so plan ahead and arrive early!
?Press Credentials
Cinetopia welcomes members of the press for coverage, interviews, and special access.
For credentials and interview opportunities, contact:
Tara Calligan, Director of Marketing
? Tcalligan@marquee-arts.org
? Follow us on social media for the latest updates, trailers, and behind-the-scenes fun.
