Advertisement

Fiction

Local stories hit the big screen at Kalamazoo Film Society’s fourth annual showcase

The event features mostly filmmakers from Kalamazoo and the surrounding region, with films shot in — and in some cases about — the city itself. One of the featured filmmakers, Jerod Kauffman, created a documentary about the final days of the longtime dive bar Harvey’s on the Mall, which closed after a buyout. Kauffman said he wanted to capture the story of a place that helped define Kalamazoo’s nightlife culture. “The closure was sudden to everyone — the community and staff — so I wanted to immortalize a place that was loved by so many,” Kauffman wrote to Watershed Voice. “I saw a fence and bulldozer outside the building today on the way to work. I think it's going to be torn down, so I am happy I was able to capture a piece of Kalamazoo history and the bar that stood and served the community for 40+ years.”

Advertisement
Latest in Fiction
Sturgis Civic Players to present “Anne of Green Gables” March 20–22 at Sturges-Young Center for the Arts

Directed by Elizabeth Smith of Sturgis and adapted from one of the best-selling books in the world, Anne of Green Gables follows Anne Shirley’s journey from a mischievous girl to a young woman, exploring themes of imagination, belonging, and family. This production spans six years of Anne’s life — from her arrival in Avonlea as a 12-year-old to her young adulthood at 18 as she prepares to set out on her own. The production highlights many of the story’s most beloved moments.

Rapid fire film festival Kazoo 48 returns for its seventh year

Designed to introduce people to filmmaking while also challenging experienced creators, Kazoo 48 gives teams 48 hours to complete a short film between one and six minutes long. Each team must incorporate an assigned genre, line of dialogue, character, location, and prop into their film.  Once completed, the films are judged by a panel of local talent. Awards include prizes for best use of an assigned item and the festival’s signature award — a gold engraved kazoo — presented to the best films in both the amateur and professional categories.

Three Rivers High School students to bring the world of “The Little Mermaid” to life onstage

About 35 students are involved in the production this year, director Jennifer Miller said, filling roles both onstage and behind the scenes. Some students perform as actors, singers and dancers, while others manage technical elements such as sound, lighting and props. “What I love is how diverse their contributions are,” Miller wrote. “It’s a whole ecosystem of student talent, and everybody has found a place where they belong.”

NYT bestselling author Shelby Van Pelt to keynote inaugural literary arts festival in Vicksburg

Kimm Mayer, planning committee lead, said establishing the festival is important because “it makes reading and literacy accessible to everybody by introducing people to authors and activities in a fun and relaxed environment.” She added that the festival complements the arts community in Southwest Michigan and could impact literacy in the region while promoting tourism.

Monoform to show ‘Ganja & Hess,’ a pivotal film in Black cinema

Often regarded as a landmark in the history of Black cinema, Ganja & Hess (1973) uses vampirism as a metaphor for “Black assimilation and identity, white cultural imperialism, addiction, desire, and the hypocrisies of organized religion,” Monoform Cinema wrote on its website.

Watershed Voice: Year in Review

Before our three-week publishing pause, Watershed Voice invites our readers to take a look back at the past year in local news. For Watershed Voice, it was a year marked by change, as we transitioned from one staff writer — Najifa Farhat for the first half of the year — to another, Maxwell Knauer, for the second half of the year. No matter the author of our stories, we aimed to bring prompt, fact-based, independent reporting to Southwest Michigan. Here’s a look at some of our favorite, most impactful, and most-read stories of 2025.

Three Rivers Community Players to present an otherworldly show celebrating the history of animation

TRCP has been part of the Three Rivers arts landscape since 1973, often blending entertainment and education into its programing. The theater’s junior summer productions have introduced generations of young actors to the stage – including this show’s director who said those experiences were foundational to his creative life. 

Storytelling for a cause: Cassopolis book signing to support local food shelf

The book follows two boys as they face challenges on each hole of an 18-hole course, learning about the world, teamwork, and friendship along the way. All proceeds from the event, including 100% of the author’s royalties, will be donated to the Cassopolis food shelf to help feed local families in need.

Three Rivers Community Players to stage ‘Heathers: The Musical’ starting May 29

Directed by Stacey Jaeger, a production stage manager at the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre, the show is based on the 1989 film of the same name.

A NOTE FROM OUR EDITOR

Become a monthly donor today

A monthly donation of $5 or more can make a difference.