The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com I Thursday, March 19,2009 woo vI r101W ,., 1;weekend essentials Mar.19 to Mar. 22 TELEVISION Craig Ferguson, the exaggeratedly Scottish host of "Late Late Night with Craig Ferguson," * has a new stand-up special called "Craig Ferguson: A Wee Bit 0' Revolution" airing Sunday on Comedy Central at 10 p.m. The " t humor should be a wee bit of Scottish national pride and a whole lot of vulgarity as the late-night host jokes about his time in rehab and his wild and less- than-legal endeavors. FILM This Saturday, grab your coconuts and head over to the State Theater at midnight for a special presentation of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Recon- nect with King Arthur,. Brave Sir Robin, the Black Knight and the rest of the film's loony cast as they bumble around medieval Eng- land in this comedy classic. If you've never seen this film before, you should be tried for witchcraft. Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time. ON STAGE 4 You may not know it, but Michigan's Musi- cal Theatre program is a really big deal. This SI Saturday at 8 p.m., the program celebrates its 25th anniversary with a gala concert at Hill Auditorium. Gradu- ates will return from their Broadway gigs to join current stu- dents in what's likely to be an uproarious evening of impossibly catchy show tunes. Tickets available at the League; $9 to $35 BY ANDREW LAPIN // DAILY FILM EDITOR elcome to the new world of suit filed by the AAFF and the Michigan sions to the festival this year (a 25-per- tival. Hertzfeldt, known for shooting all independent cinema," pro- chapter of the American Civil Liberties cent increase from last year), which of his films using antique 35mm camer- claims the tagline for the 47th Union successfully got the charges dis- were whittled down to the 125 films as, will also hold a question-and-answerCO ER annual Ann Arbor Film Festival (AAFF). missed. screening in competition. Combined discussion after the screening. CO NCE RT The choice of words seems odd, because Now, with that storm fading in the with the numerous out-of-competition Several programs at this year's AAFF AAFF has been screening the cutting rearview mirror, it's time for filmmak- screenings and special events scheduled will explore the history and origins of edge of experimental film since the fes- ers and festival directors to keep look- to take place between March 24 and 29, experimental film, highlighting the fact Looking to add some tival's conception in 1963, smack in the ing ahead to see what cinematic ground even the most knowledgeable connois- that even the festival itself is on its own international music fla- middle of a pivotal decade for indepen- has yet to be covered. Whenever there seurs of independent and experimental journey forward. Two separate retro- vor to your weekend? dent films in America. The festival's are new boundaries to cross within the cinema are guaranteed to plunge into spectives of the late visionary director Head over to the EV website bills the annual event as "the continuously evolving artistic medium, uncharted territories when they take a Bruce Conner ("A Movie") will also be t ' longest-running film festival of its kind no one wants to be left behind. gander at the programs offered by the screened, presenting a rare opportunity Moore Building at 3 in North America." Maybe today's film- "We're trying to make (our program) AAFF. to view the filmmaker's work, which is p.m. on Sunday for an goers are being welcomed into this new as accessible as possible without sac- One of the most anticipated events not currently commercially available on Indonesian gamelan world of cinema, but the AAFF settled rificing the artistic quality - without at the festival will be the appearance DVD or anywhere else. concert featuring into the frontier long ago. watering down our programming what- of Oscar-nominated animator Don. Harrison is especially excited about Perhaps that's what makes this year's soever," said Donald Harrison, executive Hertzfeldt, who will present the region- the Conner retrospectives, which he legendary Javanese theme, a journey into unexplained ter- director of AAFF, at a press preview on al premiere of his latest short film "I am billed as a "must-see attraction." He musician Sumarsam. ritories, so profound. In 2006, a cen- March 3. He added that the idea of this. so proud of you." The film is a sequel to noted that Conner's work is "for anyone Gamelan is known sorship controversy over a handful of year's program is to make audiences feel his previous effort, "everything will be who cares about art, about important, submissions jeopardized the festival's as if they are visiting a brand new place. ok," which won the Short Filmmaking intellectual artists, not just in terms of for its pronounced state fundinguntil asuccessfuljointlaw- There were a record 2,650 submis- Award at the 2007 Sundance Film Fes- See FILM FESTIVAL, Page 4B rhythms and the incredible synchro- nization its perform- ers display. Free.