The Michigan Theater hosts the 2026 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour starting Friday, Aug. 28, bringing a 96-minute program of six award-winning shorts to Ann Arbor.
The touring program, which runs through Sunday, Aug. 30, includes three Sundance Festival Award winners spanning fiction, nonfiction and animation, according to WEMU's Cinema Chat segment published Thursday, Aug. 27. The segment, hosted by Mat Hopson and joined by Tara Calligan, director of marketing for Marquee Arts, previewed the theater's packed weekend lineup. Tickets are $11.75 general admission, or $8 for Marquee Arts members in advance online, according to Marquee Arts.
The Sundance tour is one piece of a stacked schedule at 603 E. Liberty St. this weekend.
Friday, Aug. 28
Singles Night begins at 7 p.m. with a screening of "Crazy, Stupid, Love." Tickets include two drink tickets, a pre-show happy hour and a raffle entry for a Michigan Theater Date Night package. Themed cocktails include CRAZY (spicy margarita), STUPID (Long Island iced tea) and LOVE (Shirley Temple/Dirty Shirley).
"The Cabin in the Woods" follows at 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 29
Nude Noir: A Celebration of the Human Form takes over the building at 6 p.m. The immersive event features drag performances curated by Uplift, burlesque on the Smokler Stage produced by Margaux Royale, aerialists from Detroit Circus, live figure drawing with the Ann Arbor Art Center, body painting, dance and music. Attendees roam the theater at their own pace as performances unfold around them. The event runs until approximately 11 p.m. Attendees must be 18 or older. Tickets range from $65 to $100, according to Marquee Arts.
"It's a cool way to showcase local talent," Calligan told Concentrate Media in an Aug. 19 preview of the event.
In the same interview, Calligan said Nude Noir reflects a shift in programming under Executive Director and CEO Molly Rowan-Deckart, who replaced longtime leader Russ Collins after his retirement in 2024.
Sunday, Aug. 30
"Lawrence of Arabia" screens at 1:30 p.m. "Hundreds of Beavers" follows at 6:30 p.m.
Coming up
The Michigan Theater's schedule continues with "The Piano" on Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m., "Total Recall" on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 8 p.m., and a double feature of "The Room" (35mm) and "Big Shark" with guest Greg Sestero on Friday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m.
