The DeWitt Creativity Group supports the documentary feature length film, everydayPeople -- directed by Jeff Croley and Steve Croley, produced by Bridget McCormack
A film that examines the small western Michigan villages of Saugatuck and Douglas, towns the culture wars forgot. Nestled next to each other along the Kalamazoo River with populations of just over 1,000, these rural villages have a substantial, but decidedly minority, gay population. In an area with many conservative and religious roots, gays and straights do not merely tolerate one another, but are thoroughly integrated politically, economically, socially and religiously. Indeed, residents do not identify each other firstly in sexual-identity terms, though a person's sexual identity is generally no secret either. The film explores how and why so. It does in part by asking residents from farmers to mayors how they themselves account for longstanding gay-straight integration.
The film premiered in Saugatuck in September at the Center for Arts where it sold-out and returned to Saugatuck for another special showing in January. It has been accepted to the Uptown Detroit FIlm Festival where it was nominated for Best Documentary Feature. It was also accepted to the Capital City Film Festival (April12th -15th) and is currently awaiting to see if it has been accepted to other film festivals in MIchigan and elsewhere around the country. For more information or to see a short trailer go to -- everydaypeoplefilm.wordpress.com or visit the IMBD page. The DCG hopes to use this film in the future as an educational tool to ignite much needed conversations about diversity and acceptance in high schools and universities throughout the state.