To kick off an evening of wine and schmoozing at Tech Town Detroit, David Hines Jr., executive producer of “Solomon” and Michigan alum, gave a short introduction for Valiant Production’s new feature film in hope of rallying more supporters. The film itself is a love letter of sorts to a rapidly evolving Detroit. From the short trailer, the massive yet nostalgically empty cityscape of Detroit seems to be the focal point of the film. Hines noted that the goal of “Solomon” is to examine the controversial topic of gentrification from a more sympathetic angle.

When I first moved to Southeast Michigan, I was not expecting to find a music scene as active and diverse as the one that exists today. I grew up in an area where our local music scene consisted of a few Sublime cover bands, so when I moved to Ann Arbor and experienced my first basement show, it was unlike anything I had ever experienced. People here really do care about music, and no event better represents this fact than the infamous BLED FEST.

Every woman in my family instinctively knows how to cook. We all know how to roll grape leaves, work with filo and make lamb less gamey. There’s a pride in creating joy within sustenance.

Given that M-Agination cuts most scripts it receives, these films probably lost their effectiveness at other points in the process. Ironically enough, the films at the M-Agination Film Festival largely lacked imagination.