Detroit Free Press staff

A new documentary about Detroit's tumultuous summer of 1967 will make its world premiere at the opening night of Freep Film Festival on March 30.

Home movie footage donated by metro Detroiters provides the spine of "12th and Clairmount," which looks back at the Detroit riot of 1967 — and its causes and aftermath.

Tickets can be purchased at the Live Nation website and Fillmore Detroit box office (on Fridays). At the March 30 event, doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting at 7:30 p.m. Stephen Henderson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial page editor for the Free Press, will host the post-film panel discussion.

Drawing from more than 400 reels of donated home movies from the era, the documentary is being produced by the Free Press in collaboration with Bridge Magazine and WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) and a group of metro Detroit cultural institutions, led by the Detroit Institute of Arts.

The film combines archival and new interviews with witnesses to the events with footage from the home movies. Those five days in July were among the most pivotal — and divisive — in the city's history, with the turmoil leaving 43 dead. While the 50th anniversary of the summer of '67 was the impetus for the film, the home movie footage in "12th and Clairmount" captures a wide spectrum of Detroit life, from proud streetscapes to dance parties to neighborhood sporting events.

The title “12th and Clairmount” refers to the near west-side intersection where violence first erupted on July 23, 1967.

The movie is being led by Emmy-winning videographer Brian Kaufman, who also helmed "Packard: The Last Shift" and "Predator / Prey: The Fight for Isle Royale Wolves." Noted historian-journalist Bill McGraw of Bridge Magazine is a writer-producer on the project.

"12th and Clairmount" will premiere at the Fillmore Detroit on March 30, the opening night of the Freep Film Festival. The documentary-focused festival produced by the Free Press returns for its fourth year beginning with a pre-party on March 29 and running through April 2. The full lineup for the festival will be announced in the coming weeks.

The film is part of a larger project led by the Detroit Institute of Arts. The DIA, with funding from the Knight Foundation, is collecting amateur films from the era since the fall as part of an ambitious effort by several organizations — including the Free Press, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Historical Society, the Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs at Wayne State University, Bridge Magazine and the Detroit Journalism Cooperative — to commemorate the 50th anniversary of that pivotal year.

The DIA is continuing to collect footage and is regularly screening them in their raw form. Its effort will culminate with a marathon screening on July 29. "12th and Clairmount" and the DIA screenings will be among a broad swath of cultural events happening in Detroit throughout the year that will reflect on the 50th anniversary of the riot, its cause and lasting impact.

How to submit your home movies

Footage is being sought that will provide perspective to the strife that occurred in Detroit in July 1967. The project is especially interested in films shot in 1967 or thereabouts, including everyday scenes and personal histories of diverse Detroit residents.

Start by filling out the short online submission form.

A DIA staff person will then contact you to discuss the submission and make arrangements for its loan to the project. Film submissions can also be arranged by e-mailing Detroit67Film@dia.org or calling 313-833-8687.

More information, including an extensive Q&A, is at the DIA’s website.

Key dates

Through June: The Detroit Institute of Arts will host afternoon events at its Detroit Film Theatre that provide the public the chance to see roughly hour-long programs of donated footage. Those seeking to donate can also drop off their home movies. Admission to the DIA is free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Others: $12.50 adults, $8 seniors, $6 ages 6-17.

All screenings at 1 p.m.

Feb.: 16, 24

March: 2, 9, 16, 24

April: 14, 20, 28

May: 26

June: 1, 8, 23, 29

March 29-April 2: Freep Film Festival weekend. "12th and Clairmount" premieres March 30.

July 29: The DIA will host a marathon screening of footage.