AhFest bringing Dennis Lehane to Muskegon

Muskegon – On Wednesday evenings throughout October, the 2016 Muskegon Area Arts and Humanities Festival (AhFest) will show and discuss four films based on Dennis Lehane’s novels before concluding the series on Oct. 27 with Lehane speaking in Muskegon at the Frauenthal Theater.

A Boston native, Lehane won the Shamus Award for his first novel, A Drink Before the War. Since then, he has published 12 more novels, including Gone, Baby, Gone; Mystic River; Shutter Island; and The Drop, which have been translated into more than 30 languages and have become international bestsellers.

Four popular films based on these Lehane works will be shown Oct. 5, 12, 19 and 26 at the Muskegon Museum of Art. Admission is free and open to the public. Each movie will be followed by a brief discussion. All films begin promptly at 6 p.m., when the doors will be closed. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early. A cash bar for beer and wine, along with free popcorn, will be available.

The featured films are:

  • Oct. 5 – “Mystic River” (2003) -A mystery drama film directed and scored by Clint Eastwood. It stars Academy Award winners Sean Penn and Tim Robbins, along with Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laura Linney. The screenplay by Brian Helgeland was based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane.
  • Oct. 12 – “Gone Baby Gone” (2008) – A mystery film directed by Ben Affleck (in his feature-length directorial debut) and starring his brother Casey Affleck. The screenplay by Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard is based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane.
  • Oct. 19 – “Shutter Island” (2010) – An American neo-noir mystery psychological thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on Dennis Lehane’s 2003 novel and starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
  • Oct. 26 – “The Drop” (2014) – American crime drama film directed by Michaël R. Roskam, from a screenplay written by Dennis Lehane. The film is based on Lehane’s 2009 short story “Animal Rescue.” Lehane also adapted the script into a 2014 novel of the same name. The film stars Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and James Gandolfini in his final role.

“In honor of AhFest 2016 and all things Dennis Lehane, please read a Dennis Lehane book, then come out to hear and meet the author on Oct. 27,” said Mary Tyler, an MCC English instructor and chair of the Muskegon Writers Series which is organizing the events.

Lehane Appearing at Frauenthal Center on Oct. 27

On Thursday, Oct. 27, The Muskegon Writers Series is presenting “Mystery and Crime Fiction writer Dennis Lehane . . . Live!” at the Frauenthal Center at 7 pm. Doors open at 6 p.m. with live music by the Tim Johnson Jazz Group, book sales, and beer and wine sales in the theater lobby.

Tickets are $20 for general admission or $12 for students with valid I.D. Tickets are available at Frauenthal Theater Box Office, 1 (800) 585-3737 or the Muskegon Community College English Department (Room 154) between 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. (231) 777-0371. The event is made possible by a grant from George and Betty Hilt.

AhFest began in 2001 under the leadership of Richard Charles Ford and Muskegon Community College to celebrate, acknowledge, and examine into the world of ideas as they are expressed in the arts and humanities. Each year, ideas tied to a certain theme are explored through literature, theater, music, discussion panels, art exhibits, films and many other events throughout the month of October.

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