Kresge Artist Film Series
Each year, Kresge Arts in Detroit produces a new season of its film series spotlighting the current cohort of Kresge Artist Fellows and the year’s Kresge Eminent Artist.
Award Winning Films
The Kresge Arts in Detroit film series is a unique career support offering for Kresge Artist Fellows. During their fellowship year, participating artists are paired with local filmmakers to create short films that showcase their work.
As of March 2025, 13 films have received a combined 59 acceptances into film festivals across the U.S. and internationally. The films created by Kresge Artist Fellows and metro Detroit filmmakers have been screened in Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Atlanta, Scotland, Belgium, and India. Audiences worldwide are enjoying the creative power in Detroit!
Film festivals receive a massive number of submissions for a limited number of screening opportunities. Acceptance into festivals speaks to the quality, creativity and excellence of the Kresge Artist Fellows and filmmakers.
2024 Film Series
Experience Detroit’s creative spirit as local filmmakers join the 2024 Kresge Artist Fellows in Live Arts, Film, and Music to explore their artistry and stories. The series includes a tribute to 2025 Kresge Eminent Artist, Marion Hayden, celebrating her extraordinary contribution to Detroit’s artistic legacy.
Featured Artists: 2025 Kresge Eminent Artist Marion Hayden; 2024 Kresge Artist Fellows Juanita Anderson, Ava Ansari, Beats Rhymes Everything Detroit, Steffanie Christi’an, Damien Crutcher, Maurice Draughn, Katy Dresner, Aisha Ellis, Ian Finkelstein, Tamara Finlay, Flying Cardboard Theater, Na Forest Lim, Gabriel Hall, HiTech, INK, Razi Jafri, Sowandé Keïta, Jit Master Mike, Weam Namou, Imani Ma’at AnkhmenRa Amen Taylor, Lara Sfire, Chaula Thacker, The TETRA – Digital Underground Railroad, Ursula Walker
Featured Filmmakers: Jamal Adams, Zachary Cunningham, Format, Gold House Media, Stephen McGee, Neighborhood Bodega, Reel Clever Films, Toko Shiiki, Cinnamon Triano
The film series is produced by 7 Cylinders Studio and Kresge Arts in Detroit.
2023 Film Series
Thirteen Detroit filmmakers collaborate with the 2023 Kresge Artist Fellows in Literary and Visual Arts to create 19 dynamic short films exploring the artists’ creative practices, expressions, and journeys as artists and humans. The series culminates with a vignette of 2024 Kresge Eminent Artist, Nora Chapa Mendoza.
2023 Kresge Artist Fellows in Visual Arts: Rory Scott, Halima Afi Cassells, Venusloc, Miranda Kyle, Rita Dickerson, Mario Moore, Jessica Frelinghuysen, Francis Vallejo, Robert Schefman, Tony Whitfield, Lauren Kalman, Erin K. Schmidt, Austen Brantley, and Elton Monroy Duran.
2023 Kresge Artist Fellows in Literary Arts: Edward Salem, Gail Parrish, Morgan Mann Willis, James Fuson, and Claire Gasamagera.
2024 Kresge Eminent Artist: Nora Chapa Mendoza
Filmmakers: Desmond Love, Toko Shiiki, Danielle Eliska Lyle, Gold House Media, Emmanuel Afolabi, Phillip Carrel, Julia Yezbick, Reel Clever Films, Erik Paul Howard, Gianluca Petrazzi, Mark Foster, Katie Barkel, and Zachary Cunningham
Producers: 7 Cylinders Studio and Kresge Arts in Detroit
2022 Film Series
Spotlight Detroit: Short Films Featuring Kresge Artist Fellows is a creative collaboration between the 2022 Kresge Artist Fellows and 11 Detroit filmmakers. Participating fellows worked with a filmmaker to create a unique short film showcasing their art or documenting their artistic practice. Each of the 16 films in the series runs between two to four minutes each. The series premiered March 27, 2023 on Detroit Public Television.
Featured 2022 Kresge Artist Fellows: Kaleigh Wilder, Michael Ibrahim, Ali Allan Colding, Demario Dotson, KESSWA, Carl George, De’Sean Jones, Marc Brewer, Akhnek Kenneth Green, Leith Campbell, Tammy Lakkis, Jaribu Shahid, Queen Gabby, Thank You So Much For Coming, Deidre D.S.SENSE Smith, Summer Like The Season
Filmmakers: John Azoni, Tim Blackman, Ghostlight Productions, Desmond Love, Danielle Eliska Lyle, Oksana Mirzoyan, Reel Clever Films, James C. McGovern, Moussa El Moussa, Toko Shiiki, Julia Yezbick
The film series is produced by Kresge Arts in Detroit and 7 Cylinders Studio.
2021 Film Series
Nine Detroit filmmakers worked with the 2021 Kresge Artist Fellows in literary and visual arts to co-create 20 films spanning a dynamic spectrum of filmmaking styles.
Featured 2021 Kresge Artist Fellows: Emell Derra Adolphus, Danielle Aubert, Jeni De La O, Ann Eskridge, Tariq Luthun, MARS Marshall, Jassmine Parks, B. Van Randall, Casey Rocheteau, Zig Zag Claybourne, Peter Daniel Bernal, Judy Bowman, Brian Day, Darcel Deneau, Solomon Johnson, Gisela McDaniel, Sabrina Nelson, Rachel Reid, Andrew “AndyT” Thompson, Graem Whyte
Filmmakers: John Azoni, Danielle Eliska Lyle, Na Frenette, GhostLight Productions, Gold House Media, Desmond Love, Oksana Mirzoyan, Reel Clever Films, and Toko Shiiki.
Spotlight Detroit, produced by Kresge Arts in Detroit and 7 Cylinders Studio, premiered on Detroit Public Television on March 21, 2022.
2020 Film Series
In 2021, Detroit filmmakers were invited to work directly with Kresge Artist Fellows to create a short film of any style. The results range from traditional documentary to experimental and narrative style short films.
Featured 2020 Kresge Artist Fellows: Ajara Alghali, Kia ix Arriaga, Shawntai Brown, Vincent Chandler, Marcus Elliot, Karilú Alarcón Forshee, bree gant, Debra J. White-Hunt, Chris Jakob, Mike Khoury, Rafael Leafar, Melanie Manos, Michael Manson, Andrew Morton, Joo Won Park, Salakastar, Naima Shamborguer, Brandon Walley, and Paige Wood.
Filmmakers: Jeremy Brockman, Ben Corona (2018 Kresge Artist Fellow), Zachary Cunningham, Na Frenette, Desmond Love, Oksana Mirzoyan (2016 Kresge Artist Fellow), Reel Clever Films, SPCMNKY Productions, and Julia Yezbick (2018 Kresge Artist Fellow).
The series was produced by Kresge Arts in Detroit and Lara Sfire.
Past Films
Films created to celebrate Kresge Artist Fellows and Kresge Eminent Artists from 2009-2019 are available to watch on Vimeo.