Every year, FCFF starts of the event with Fresh Coast Free on Thursday night. This year, is no exception: Come on down to the Marquette Commons to enjoy the heated tent and oodles of short films to kick off our third annual. We’re including more films this time around, which also means more filmmakers! Don’t miss out on this free event to celebrate the beginning of the fest!
Filmmaker in Attendance
Maura and Bobby Marko are impassioned outdoor explorers. After becoming parents they knew that passing on a love and respect for the wilderness would be a major priority for their family. The family attempted a bold traverse of the Arrowhead of Minnesota traveling from the Mississippi River to Lake Superior by bicycle, canoe, and foot; all with their 3-year-old son and 9-month-old daughter along for the adventure.
Twelve-year old Noah Isaac explores his passion for mountain unicycling, known as “Muni”, on the black diamond mountain biking trails in Canmore, Alberta as his mountain guide father encourages him to challenge himself and build his mountain sense.
Filmmaker in Attendance
While most of us take electricity for granted, there are more than a billion people in developing countries who live without power. Just plugging in can be the difference between surviving and thriving. An unexpected alliance between a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and a motorcycling crew is empowering a nation, one lightbulb at a time.
Mountain Hardwear athlete Mike Libecki and his daughter Lilliana venture across Antarctica. There are many lessons learned along the way.
Join the father and daughter team Joyineers and Goal Zero ambassadors, Mike and Lilliana Libecki, along with Human Outreach Project and Dell computers on a journey of giving back in Pashpa.
Filmmaker in Attendance
During summer 2018, four friends from Marquette, Michigan will embark on a kayaking voyage around Lake Superior to help raise education about the Great Lakes. During their journey, they will live with the land and water, and will conduct research for the Superior Watershed Partnership. In addition, they will learn with the residents who share the water, and how our lakes connect us all.
Filmmaker in Attendance
If an international clothing company from Sweden offered an opportunity to manage your own dog sled team across the Scandinavian Arctic, would you spend a month collecting the necessary votes on Facebook to win a spot on the team? The Fjällräven Polar is a 300 km dogsledding expedition through the Scandinavian Arctic, and it’s Melanie’s dream to earn a spot on the team. After volunteering at the Copperdog 150 Melanie developed an interest in dogsledding and having the opportunity to join Fjällräven’s efforts in showing that EVERYONE can get out and enjoy more winter activities, she’s inspired to apply in the hopes of encouraging others to chase adventures of their own.
Filmmaker in Attendance
A video portrait depicting the life’s work of Upper Michigan’s premiere artist Nita Engle. Her watercolor landscapes keep record of the few and fleeting wild spaces left in the world.
Filmmaker in Attendance
This film is an interview with a local rock climber in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Filmmaker in Attendance
A film about the spring songbird migration through the Great Lakes region and the people who interact with them. From research to rehab, it takes a lot to understand and conserve this natural phenomenon.
Subject in Attendance
Dan Schetter is a native of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and is a local legend with a love for the outdoors and Lake Superior’s wicked, winter waters. He’s not your typical profile, and the documentary showcases his charm, interesting character and dedication to surfing in below freezing, dangerous waters.
The Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy is in the process of raising money to acquisition the a 181 acre property along the Dead River to serve as a accessible community resource for multi-use recreation and environmental education. While UPLC will own the land, the resources on the land and management decisions which affect land will be based around what will bring the most benefit to the community. The Dead River Community Forest will protect 3.5 miles of riparian corridor along the Dead River and provide innumerable benefits to the region.
Filmmaker in Attendance
Fly Fishing in Northern Michigan is a great way to get outside and enjoy nature. This film follows professional angler Brain Pitser and reveals why fly fishing in Northern Michigan is so alluring.
Filmmaker in Attendance
Mike Horton is Marquette’s original surfer, and co-founder of the Presque Isle Depot art studio. This is his story.
Filmmaker in Attendance
Even in Michigan, the search for unspoiled waves lures in brave surfers who know how and when to find them. Up here, it’s never about riding the biggest waves in the world, but rather the thrill of the chase and the satisfaction of catching a freshwater wave - even if only for a couple of seconds. Follow local Great Lakes surfer and shaper Loukas Bethea as he shares the local sense of adventure.
Filmmaker in Attendance
Name your favorite outdoor female role model. Don’t worry, we’ll wait. Before, women in the outdoors sounded like a gimmick – but they are far from that - they are a force to be reckoned with. From around Michigan, a group of women shares how they set out on a path and found adventure. Their reasons and activities may vary but they all have these things in common; they are strong, they are in this together, and they will not back down.
Filmmaker in Attendance
A winter portrait of the Yahara Watershed and trail for upcoming film examining the history and environmental challenges of one of the best studies watersheds in the world.