The Air Zoo may be better known for runways than red carpets, but hosting the world premiere of the screening of Pilot Error means for one night the Aerospace and Science Center gets its glam on. Portage will be the first of 200 screenings of the film to come in 2015.
Pilot Error is inspired by the true story of a French airliner that went missing in the Atlantic in 2009 and the investigative reporter who unravels the mystery of the disappearance of the flight from South America to France that went down with 211 passengers, including a friend of the investigative reporter Nicola Wilson (Kate Thomsen).
On Nov. 8, those who turn out to see the movie, filmed many at locations in Michigan, including the Air Zoo, Wisconsin and in France, will also be treated to an evening of drinks and food. The stars of the movie, including Portage native and Western Michigan University alum Kate Thomsen also will on hand for the festivities.
The movie taps the talent of a number of graduates from WMU grads director Joe Anderson and cast members Larry Herron and Brian Michael Ogden, all of whom graduated from Western’s theatre program. The film’s script, written by Muskegon-based producer Roger Rapoport and director Joe Anderson, is the culmination of five years of research and interviews and offers a fact-based, insider’s glimpse into the potential consequences of keeping pilots in the dark about failed technology and automation.
“My colleagues and I are extremely proud of Kate, Joe, Larry and Brian,” says professor D. Terry Williams, chairman emeritus of WMU’s theatre department. “We’re thrilled to see them in this important new film, and delighted with what they have achieved since leaving Western.” The cast also includes familiar Hollywood actors Robert Cicchini and Richard Riehle, and was scored by Emmy Award winning composer Garth Neustadter.
The world premiere is presented by the Tyler-Little Family Foundation, the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport, and the Air Zoo. The event at at the Air Zoo, 6151 Portage Road in Portage gets underway at 5 p.m. for VIP admission and 5:30 for general admission. Tickets can be purchased on the Air Zoo’s website, www.AirZoo.org .
VIP tickets are $60 or $105 for couples. They included an open bar VIP reception with the actors and crew before the screening, gift bags, hors d'oeuvres, VIP priority seating and admission to all the evenings events. General admission tickets are $20 and include hors d'oeuvres, admission to the pre-party event, an exclusive screening of the film, and access to a Q & A session with experts following. A cash bar will be available.
“The Air Zoo is thrilled to be hosting this important cultural touch-point between the scientific, artistic, and educational communities in our region”, says Troy Thrash, President and CEO of the Air Zoo. “Our guests will have the opportunity to experience the excitement and thrills of a Hollywood-style premier event, and the film itself offers great potential to educate and further enlighten the global aviation community. It’s going to be an amazing evening on all fronts.”
Source: Air Zoo Aerospace and Science Center
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