[2] The Ann Arbor Film Festival attracts over 3,000 entries from filmmakers in more than 60 countries, and distributes over $20,000 in cash awards.

Created as an alternative to commercial cinema, the annual week-long festival focuses on promoting film as an art form.

The Ann Arbor Film Festival was founded in 1963 by University of Michigan professor George Manupelli.

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival moved to streaming online for free, rather than showing at the Michigan Theater.

Since its inception, thousands of influential filmmakers and artists have showcased early work at the AAFF, including Kenneth Anger, Agnès Varda, Andy Warhol, Yoko Ono, Gus Van Sant, Barbara Hammer, The Coen Brothers, Lawrence Kasdan, Devo and George Lucas.