The Ypsilanti Cycle Powered Cinema Initiative

In the park and off the grid

At its core, the idea is fairly simple: a film series powered by volunteers pedaling to produce every ounce of electricity needed for the show. It's an idea that grew organically out of a Michigan community that has a deep love for alternatives — including alternatives in transportation, the arts, and energy.

The film series will showcase American cinema at its most inventive (including some films with bicycle themes and some locally produced shorts) with Ypsilanti's Riverside Park as the backdrop. The bikes and riders will be as much a part of the show as the films we'll be screening, generating not only electricity but conversations about the amount of energy we use in our everyday lives and where that energy comes from. And, the series will add another element to the sense of active and diverse community involvement that characterizes Ypsilanti on the whole.