Community Mourns Passing of Film Fest, Playhouse Leader

Community members expressed shock and grief Monday following the sudden passing of 40-year-old Lars Kelto of Traverse City – a fixture on the region’s arts scene whose contributions prompted tributes from the Old Town Playhouse, State Theatre and Traverse City Film Festival (TCFF).

Kelto died Sunday following an unexpected cardiac event, according to family members. The president and owner of Lars Kelto Technology Services, Kelto served as technology director for the Traverse Area Association of Realtors (TAAR) and TEDxTraverseCity. He was named three years in a row – in 2013, 2014 and 2015 – to the Traverse City Business News’ 40Under40 list.

But Kelto’s most notable impact was in the arts, where he served as the shorts programmer for the Traverse City Film Festival and IT and pre-show content manager for TCFF, the State Theatre and Bijou by the Bay. “He made the magic happen with technology, creativity, intelligence and ingenuity, from crawling through the basement of the State to set up the first TCFF box office to masterminding and directing a worldwide screening of Michael Moore’s new film,” TCFF wrote in a statement on its website. “He was a brilliant filmmaker who created the short films and load-in animations at the film festival…in every way, he is impossible to replace.”

Filmmaker and TCFF founder Michael Moore told The Ticker Kelto's sudden passing came "as a shock" to festival staff and volunteers. “None of us have really been able to wrap our heads around this today, because the grief everyone feels has no words," he said. "There are few true Renaissance people anymore – those who have the capacity to do so much in so many creative fields, and do them well. Lars was one of those people. He cannot be replaced. The loss is immeasurable.”

Kelto appeared in nearly a dozen productions at the Old Town Playhouse over the last decade, including Spamalot, Little Shop of Horrors, Shrek, the Musical and Legally Blonde. He served on the OTP’s Artistic Committee for three seasons and volunteered in the organization’s annual Black and White Gala fundraisers. “Lars represented everything community theatre is about,” OTP said in a statement. “He was incredibly welcoming, kind, patient, dedicated, exuberant and larger than life. He was a strong supporter of the arts and always ready to help a production out.”

In addition to his involvement at TCFF and OTP, Kelto appeared as a competitor in the 2013 season of SwingShift and the Stars to raise funds for the Great Lakes Children’s Museum, helped produce and star in Rotary Charities of Traverse City’s annual Rotary Show, and hosted a weekly community trivia night at Rare Bird Brewpub.

Kelto is survived by his wife, Megan Kelto, and two young daughters, Mette and Ginger. The Traverse City Film Festival has launched a public fundraising page to raise donations for the family. A memorial service is scheduled for Friday, June 16 at 3pm at the City Opera House.

Photo credit: Michael Poehlman