2012 Uptown Film Festival Names Board Members

The second annual Uptown Film Festival, slated to take place March 8-10 in downtown Birmingham, has named 11 community members to its 2011-12 board.

On the board this year is:

• Jeffrey Spilman, S3 Entertainment Group
• Kirk Miller, Kinetic Post
• Christopher Baum, Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau and Film Detroit
• Francine Wunder, Wayne State University
• Laura Bayoff-Elkins, Uptown Entertainment
• Kristi Zamora, Oakland County Economic Development and Community Affairs
• Howard Hertz, Hertz Schram PC
• Ellen Rogers
• Bob Bruner, Birmingham City Manager
• Robert Butler, Michigan Film Awards and Detroit Independent Film Festival

The three-day film festival will feature, for a second year, the Michigan Film Awards, which honors the state's most creative works and film talent, featuring productions created entirely or in part in Michigan.

Additionally, the 2012 festival will have separate categories and competitions set aside for films produced outside of Michigan in a domestic and international category.

The Michigan Film Awards was established by the Detroit Independent Film Festival in 2009, merging later that year with the Uptown Film Festival, held in March 2011 at the and in Birmingham.

The drew more than 3,500 attendees to Birmingham during its two-day run, premiering three Michigan-made films: Kill the Irishman, Demoted and Things Fall Apart.

The submission deadline for entrants has been extended to Jan. 15. To submit a film, visit www.uptownfilmfestival.com for details.