- [Narrator] Coming up on "One Detroit," a Bell Isle monument honoring the legacy of Italian poet Dante Alighieri gets new life.

Plus, we'll tell you what to expect at this year's Detroit Black Film Festival.

Also ahead, we'll preview Michigan Tech Week in a Future of Work report, and we'll give you some ideas on how you can spend this last weekend in September.

It's all coming up next, on "One Detroit."

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(smooth upbeat music) - [Narrator] Just ahead on "One Detroit," the Detroit Black Film Festival teams up with the Taste of Black Spirits for cinema, culture and cocktails.

Plus, Michigan innovation takes front and center at Michigan Tech Week.

And we'll have a list of autumn activities taking place this weekend and beyond in Metro Detroit.

But first up, a nearly century old monument honoring Italian poet Dante Alighieri is back on display on Bell Isle following a major restoration.

The bust of the man known as the father of the Italian language was placed on Bell Isle in 1927.

The restored monument was recently unveiled by the consulate of Italy in Detroit and the Dante Alighieri Society of Michigan.

"One Detroit's" Will Glover attended the ceremony and has this report on Alighieri's legacy and the monument's impact on the local Italian American community.

(gentle music) - [Will] On Detroit's Bell Isle down Vista Drive near shed 12, sits a bust of revered Italian poet Dante Alighieri.

Erected in 1927, the near century old bust had endured the elements and was in need of restoration.

The Dante Alighieri Society of Michigan, the Consulate of Italy in Detroit and partners spearheaded the restoration of the Dante Alighieri bust on Bell Isle.

We join them for the unveiling.

- Bonjourno.

My name is Allegra Baistrocchi.

I'm the Consulate of Italy in Detroit.

Dante Alighieri was the father of the Italian language.

He's known as one of the most world renowned poets of all times.

And he's a very important figure for us.

- [Will] This is president of the Dante Alighieri Society of Michigan, Lia Adelfi.

- We organize Italian classes for children, for adults.

We are an official certification center for the Italian language.

We were founded in Michigan in 1924.

Our first main society is in Rome, founded in 1889.

And it was founded to promote Italian language and culture all over the world, to support Italian community when they start the immigration.

And this is our goal and the mission still today.

- [Will] Dozens of people attended the event to hear speeches from the mayor's office and DNR, in addition to the Consulate and Dante society - Today we were here to celebrate many things, friendship, resilience, 100 years of Dante, Michigan here, and the restoration of this beautiful monument of Dante Alighieri.

Language is one of the keys, the bridge to communicate with each other.

For us, represent our culture, traditions, and our heritage.

It is important to preserve this for future generations.

- We have two and a half million Americans of Italian descent in the five states that I'm in charge of, of which over half a million in Michigan alone.

So there's an incredible Italian American population.

They're super proud of their heritage.

We wanna help them to celebrate it.

And we want to give back with little things that can be reminders, also for those that don't know about Italian culture, don't know about the heritage that is here, and 'cause we love Detroit.

(Allegra speaking Italian) So consider your origins.

You are not made to live as brutes, but to follow virtue and knowledge.

- We are very proud for this restoration.

Thank you very much for helping and viva Dante.

(audience applauding) - [Narrator] The fifth annual Detroit Black Film Festival is taking place at various venues in the city now through Sunday, September 29th.

The lineup includes 57 independent films from 13 countries and Africa.

This year's festival is being held in conjunction with the Taste of Black Spirit's National Conference.

"One Detroit" contributor and American Black Journal host Stephen Henderson got details from the festival's co-directors, Marshalle and Lazar Favors.

(gentle music) - What's (indistinct)?

- So what kind of night is it?

(car door thudding) - You have somewhere to be?

(Both laughing) - But you said just the one to show up.

- No, it's not, just the one.

(gentle music) I'm not ready for the night to end.

- Even though we both know it shouldn't.

(vocalist vocalizing) - What next?

- Tell us about this year's Detroit Black Film Festival.

- Thanks so much for having us.

We're super excited.

Detroit Black Film Festival.

Plus Taste of Black Spirits.

It's a dual event, happens September 25th through the 29th.

We have four screening locations.

We are kicking it off with short films and feature films and documentaries, everything across the board.

It's gonna be a really, really great time.

- Yeah, yeah, so the cocktail end of this is new Lazar.

(Lazar and Stephen laughing) Why do I suspect this was your idea?

(all laughing) - Well, we've introduced the event in 2021 called Taste the Black Spirits.

- Mm-hmm.

- And, we've been traveling, taking that event across the United States and last year we decided to why not blend both of our events together, right?

Why not add the cocktail concierge to the cinema and culture?

So we blended it last year and it worked to perfection.

We were able to combine our audiences and give them both an experience that neither one had experienced or would not have experienced if it was not going on at the same time.

- Yeah.

- So it worked very well and we decided to do it for now and actually, so it'll be a part Taste of Black Spirits Detroit Black Film Festival happen at the same time within each other from now on.

- But let's go back to the beginning and talk about how much this festival has grown.

It has become much more than it started out as, isn't that right?

(Marshalle giggling) - That's correct.

- It's interesting because when we first started Detroit Black Film Festival, it started during the pandemic.

(chuckles) - Uh-huh, uh-huh.

I remember that.

- And so absolutely.

And so our first year, it wasn't what we expected, but it actually turned out to be really great because we were able to gain an international audience from around the world because it was virtual.

We had all of our films that were screening online and the connection that we had doing the Zoom calls and being able to connect artists with the audience virtually worked out, you know, really, really great.

And then once we were back in full effect in person, it just made it that much more exciting - Mm-hmm.

- Because people got to be in the same place and the same space as the filmmakers.

People that had made connections during the pandemic were able to come to Detroit and meet each other personally and experience their films in person as well.

So it's grown in a sense, that our audience has grown and even with the number of films, we have 57 films from around the world this year - Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

- that we are featuring.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- Let's talk about the films and how you choose them.

You usually have quite a bit from Detroit and you are great at featuring Detroiters, but as you point out, the films come from all over the world as well.

Let's walk through the process of how you figure out what's in the festival and then tell us what we should be excited about this year.

- Well, it comes from the diaspora.

So we have films that come from all around the world and the criteria, we start with a jury and they have 10 different categories that they rate the films in.

And some of them are really technical like production quality, you know, sound, all those things.

But honestly, the biggest I think, criteria is just overall entertainment quality, entertainment, you know, do we think our audience are going to enjoy this particular film?

- Mm-hmm.

- And so, it narrows down to that and we get hundreds of films.

We deliberate and then our final lineup is what people come out to experience.

And we have several screening locations, the Michigan State University, Detroit Center, the Marlene Boll, YMCA theater that's downtown and the Carr Center Performance Studio as well.

The Carr Center usually has the documentary films.

We have a number of films that we're calling our Racial and Social Justice series.

So for those who like social impact films, we have that at the YMCA, most of them are feature films and those are like kind of our urban films, our dramas.

But we do have, you know, some romantic comedy in there as well.

And so there's something for just everyone to enjoy.

- So Lazar, tell me about the Spirits and what people will be able to experience with that program.

- Oh, oh, this year, this year, so last year we introduced Rod Isley, so he'll be back with us this year.

We are also doing a grand tasting of Beyonce's SirDavis - Hmm.

- whiskey.

We're doing a, I wanna say a private grand sampling in the Cage Jewels lounge.

So we created some lounges for brands and products to, for folks who participate in the lounges.

But also we have three days of education.

So we bring in spirit buyers from Meyer, we bring in folks who have offered capital distributors like MHW and so forth.

And we also have Derrick Whitehead, who is a financial guru who comes in and talks about how to structure your business, how to use your money wisely, which is very important to all of us, right?

(Stephen laughing) But, it's gonna be a great time.

And then the sampling itself, you're able to sample over 150 African-American owned spirit brands, beer, wines, and beverages.

When I say beverages 'cause we also have non-alcoholic items and beverages.

And we also are presenting some of our Detroit products like Nikki's Ginger Tea, our guy, Black Eden from out of Idlewild, and several other brands.

So it's gonna be a great time.

It's gonna be full of education, entertainment and elevation is what I like to call it.

(Stephen and Lazar laughing) - So you've been doing this for five years.

I wonder if y'all can reflect some on the effect that you feel like this festival is having on Detroiters, on film, on black film and the support for it.

It seems like there's a lot of momentum that's just been built up while y'all have been doing this.

- There's been a lot of momentum that is built up within the last five years, especially in the Detroit community.

I know that our community, like the independent film community, like kind of knows this, but I don't know if the broader community knows how much content is really being made here.

I could say that there's at least three to four feature film productions that are happening in the metro Detroit area on a consistent basis.

And some of those films are in our festival as well.

So this is a great time to see the film.

Some of them are on streaming platforms already, but this is a time for you to connect directly with the producers, directors, the actors that are in these films.

And the momentum is just going to increase and get even stronger, I think.

- Mm-hmm.

- And festivals like this gives artists a platform for the community to really experience what's happening in the Detroit independent film community and the independent community across the board.

- Yeah, yeah, go ahead, Lazar.

- And I think it gives us, as filmmakers and as independent filmmakers who are working in the market, gives an opportunity to hear their voices, right?

To tell these stories that we may not hear on a large or a huge festival or streaming channel.

But we've seen some short films.

I'm talking about some amazing short films since day one.

Our very first year, I think we only had very few films, but 90% of those films, so the first year of Detroit Black Film Festival was difficult to choose because it was so many, it was so many great films that were submitted that we end up awarding probably 60% of the films that we chose because they were all great films.

And the stories range from narrative to short documentaries to, it was a film called "About Our Hair," right?

About the black hair.

It was a great film about that.

So the things that we are able to folks were able to reach and the things we're able to achieve with what we do, 'cause we're very intentional about what it is we do.

We're very intentional about delivering the message and the power of our voices and the power of what we are able to do as black people.

- Yeah.

- And I think, this is one of those platforms that really gives us as black people an opportunity to really raise awareness about our experiences.

- And what's really great is that you are gonna see some new faces, up and coming actors that you may not have known before.

And you're also gonna see some very seasoned actors and they have, you know, household name recognition like Lynn Whitfield and Malik Yoba and Aunjanue Ellis.

And so it's gonna be an array of what folks are gonna experience.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

And we definitely got our Detroit filmmakers in there, right?

We definitely got those in there.

Got some great films happening and those films will play at the Marlene Boll Theater.

Some great actors, some great films, and we've always supported our hometown filmmakers.

Like we try to give them as much of a stage presence as possible because we have a lot of visitors and we want them to really shine in that, we kind of like set the presentation up for them to really shine.

- Who are making a name in their own right.

And people can find out more about the film festival at Film Freeway Detroit Black Film Festival.

- Alright, thank you.

- [Narrator] Let's turn now to a future work report on Michigan Tech Week, coming up October 1st through the 4th.

The conference is presented by the Michigan Founders Fund and takes place at Michigan Central.

The event is geared toward high growth founders and entrepreneurs and will feature speakers, workshops, networking, and pitch competitions.

"One Detroit's" Will Glover got an overview of the conference from Michigan Founders Fund Executive Director Rishi Moudgil.

(lively music) (graphics whooshing) (graphics whooshing) - You are with the Michigan Founders Fund, so before we dive into Michigan Tech Week, just give us a little background on what the Michigan Founders Fund is and what it is that you guys do.

- Yeah, of course.

So Michigan Founders Fund is the state leading network of high growth, scalable entrepreneurs from around Michigan.

And really our goal is to, you know, create a community and connect those that are scaling their businesses so that they can be a success.

And we define success in terms of, you know, true growth of their company, but also that we're creating an inclusive ecosystem that folks of all demographics can participate.

And we're unique in that we ask all the founders, the members of our organization to give back.

So each one of them commits 1% of their company to a nonprofit fund, a philanthropic fund, that we then administer and give grants back to the community.

- Michigan Tech Week.

Give us a little bit of background on what this event is, what the overall mission is.

- The Michigan Tech Week was just started a couple years ago and really out of a collaboration from a number of founders, investors, and, you know, folks in the ecosystem that really thought, you know, we need a better way to bring everyone together who is in this entrepreneurial and tech space.

You know, one way to think about the core conference here at Michigan Tech Week is, you know, this is for scalable founders, right?

Those who are creating a business and that they wanna have multiples staff, revenue, impact.

We also wanted to connect to even some of the cities that are close by with each other, who aren't always working together, who aren't always seeing each other.

This is a chance to bring everyone together.

So it really is a statewide event and it's, you know, the goal is to connect, inspire, educate, invest into the founders from around Michigan that are doing incredible things.

- Can you give us just a little preview of what's gonna be happening on each day?

- So the first day, for example, we're kicking off on Tuesday, October 1st.

In the morning actually, we're having a Fueling Females Founders brunch.

And this is incredible 'cause you know, our Female Founders are both symbolically and otherwise, you know, leading the way for us during the week, you know, panels, workshops, et cetera.

We also are having the most, we call it competition capital.

Pitch competitions are happening every day, you know, Tuesday through Friday.

So our founders will be pitching for dollars.

The biggest prize will be given out on Thursday, over $120,000.

We have a couple our success stories, you know, in Michigan, that's another big reason we're doing this.

Sometimes we don't even know in our own backyard these extremely successful entrepreneurial stories.

So we have a couple great keynotes and firesides with some of our local heroes that you should hear from.

And then we'll have some tactical items, right?

How do you create the best path you'd want to develop, you know, a technical product?

How do you hustle for cash if you can't get necessarily venture capital?

- One of the cool things about this event going on is the fact that it's happening at Michigan Central.

There's been tons of development, tons of new things happening in and around that area.

So just talk a little bit about why it's important for an event like this to be happening at a place like that.

- It's very symbolic of a lot of things that we're a part of in terms of, you know, the entrepreneurial community, but even just the state.

And so for us it was really important, to be there at Michigan Central, they have a number of programs and activities happening there both in the facility and with founders.

So it's really one of the big hubs right now where people are going when they're asking that question.

Where can I find people like me that want to start a business, that want to grow a business?

You know, where can I go to find others who can be co-founders or have technical skills that can help, you know, scale the type of work I'm doing.

So it's a natural fit.

We're inviting people, really all over the country are coming, but certainly all over the state and making that a destination for Michigan Tech Week.

- If someone wants to get in on the action, if they wanna participate, how do they do that?

Where do they go?

- So if you wanna be involved in a community, go to michigantechweek.com.

You can sign up for the newsletter to get updates of what's going on, but of course you can get tickets.

This is a ticketed event.

So we do have a special through this week, which is the week before if you want to get a bit of a discount.

But you know, we have four days of packed activities.

We'd love to see you there.

It's pretty exciting.

We encourage you to just come down to the city either way and certainly check out michigantechweek.com to learn more about the core event.

- [Narrator] It's the first full weekend of Autumn and that means it's time for pumpkins, Oktoberfest activities, and much more Fall Fun.

Here's "One Detroit's" Will Glover with today's "One Detroit" weekend.

- [Will] First up, head to the Yack Arena parking lot in downtown Wyandotte for the Fire and Flannel Festival happening through September 29th.

The festival welcomes fall with ax throwing, chainsaw carving, dancing witches, accompanied by a bar, live music and more.

Next, on September 27th and 28th, you can kick off fall with Pumpkin Patch Night at TreeRunner Adventure Park in West Bloomfield.

Pumpkin Patch Night encourages you to take in beautifully lit trees, music and the autumn spirit.

You can also head over to the Drafting Table Brewing Company in Wixom for Oktoberfest.

Enjoy German style beers on tap, special draft releases, and the long dog dash where you can sign up your Dachshund, Corgi, or Bassett Hound to race.

It's Friday the 27th from 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM and Saturday the 28th from 1:00 PM to 11:00 PM.

In the mood for a laugh?

Check out, "Silly Goose: A Planet Ant Farm Team Original One Act Comedy" that follows a goose that takes on a town's mayor to win over its citizens.

Opening night for this grownup fairytale is September 27th.

"Design Cord Detroit's 14th Annual Detroit Month of Design," is going on through September 30th at multiple locations throughout the city.

This year's theme is "Creative Currents" celebrating Detroit's design impact on the globe.

Catch the closing celebration at Michigan Central on Saturday, September 28th.

Take in a one-Man show at Detroit's Fisher Theater starring Chazz Palminter called "A Bronx Tale," watch the TV and film star take to the stage to bring 18 characters from his autobiographical play to life on September 28th at 8:00 PM.

On September 28th and 29th for more Fall Fun, stop by the "South Lyon Area Pumpkinfest."

This year's theme is "Rock Around a Pumpkin" and we'll feature a crack show Scarecrow contest and parade.

Finally, for a taste of history, experience a Detroit Central Market weekend at Greenfield Village in Dearborn on September 28th and 29th.

The historic 1860 market structure has been fully reconstructed and will host local vendors, chef demonstrations, and other special programming.

(lively music) - [Narrator] That'll do it for this week's "One Detroit."

Thanks for watching.

Head to the "One Detroit" website for all of the stories that we're working on.

Follow us on social media and sign up for our weekly newsletter.

(lively music) - [Announcer 1] From Delta Faucets to BEHR Paint.

Masco Corporation is proud to deliver products that enhance the way consumers all over the world.

Experience and enjoy their living spaces.

Masco, serving Michigan communities since 1929.

- [Announcer 2] Support also provided by, the Cynthia and Edsel Ford Fund for Journalism at Detroit PBS.

- [Announcer 3] DTE Foundation is a proud sponsor of Detroit PBS.

Among the state's largest foundations committed to Michigan focused giving.

We support organizations that are doing exceptional work in our state.

Learn more at dtefoundation.com.

- [Announcer 4] Nissan Foundation and viewers like you.

(lively music) (gentle music)