Except for Wolverine football and American cars, what else comes out of wintry Michigan? Try the Ann Arbor Film Festival. For 47 years ย— since way before Sundance ย— itย’s been the leading purveyor of independent, avant-garde cinema. Each year, the festival culls a ย“best ofย” program from its international offerings and sends it on tour; Aurora Picture Show is screening seven of them. This yearย’s lineup includes Peter Roseย’s trippy studies of light and darkness in Transfalumination; Jeremy Baileyย’s comic, Bob Ross-inspired take on creative technology in Video Terraform Dance Party; and Marie-Josee Saint-Pierreย’s beautifully animated look at the perils of pregnancy in Passages. Who knew you had it in you, Michigan? 7 p.m. FrenetiCore, 5102 Navigation. For information, call 713-868-2101 or visit www.aurorapictureshow.org. $7.

Sat., Sept. 12, 7 p.m., 2009

This article appears in Sep 10-16, 2009.

D.L. Groover has contributed to countless reputable publications including the Houston Press since 2003. His theater criticism has earned him a national award from the Association of Alternative Newsmedia...