Family Friendly
A Caregivers Journey puts a spotlight on the lives and experiences of two Michigan caregivers who are caring for their aging loved ones. It’s a heartfelt first-hand look at the joy and challenges that come with caregiving.
Family Friendly
48 films at Fresh Coast 2025
A Caregivers Journey
An Outlook on Your Life
Family Friendly, Student Filmmaker, First Time Filmmaker
A visual essay from a first-time filmmaker explores how life is beautiful and complex. Enjoy every second of every day you have in this life. One day it will all be gone.
Beyond the Ashes
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere
In November 2016 Gatlinburg, Tennessee was devastated by a wildfire that impacted thousands of families and businesses. Beyond the Ashes tells the stories of the families and businesses affected by the fire and how one city demonstrated resilience during its darkest times.
Breaking Ice: The Making of Cracks in the Ice
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere
“Breaking Ice” follows photographer Jason Lindsey creating his “Cracks in the Ice” series after his son Björn asked what the world will look like due to climate change. Unable to give clear answers to a child who craves stability due to his medical history, Lindsey turns to art to explore this question.
Camp Daggett - A Centennial Celebration
Family Friendly
A heartwarming tribute, this centennial documentary celebrates tradition, nature, and the lasting impact of Camp Daggett on Northern Michigan families.
Detroit to Gloryland
Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Representative in Attendance
Eight Detroit youth venture to Yosemite National Park to meet legendary Park Ranger and fellow Detroiter, Shelton Johnson. A homecoming in the High Sierra ensues and the next generation is inspired to connect with and protect precious outdoor spaces.
Edgelands
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, Making Waves Recipient, Filmmaker in Attendance
Using relationship as a method of storytelling, Edgelands explores urban green spaces to see what’s thriving despite impositions of modern infrastructure.
Entrepreneur
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
What does it take to start a small business in rural Wisconsin? ENTREPRENEUR explores the stories of four interconnected businesses in a historic building in downtown Rhinelander.
First Waves Beaver County
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
First Waves Beaver County documents the expansion of the Watersmith Guild’s groundbreaking youth environmental education program into the Beaver and Ohio River valleys in the aftermath of the ethylene cracker plant’s penalties for pollution.
For Nokomis
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, Student Filmmaker
A short documentary about three generations of Ojibwe women from L’Anse, Michigan, sharing their stories about intergenerational trauma.
Haagua
Has Subtitles, Michigan Premiere, Family Friendly
Over 400 years ago, a major disturbance disrupted nature’s law along the West Coast, reshaping coastlines, Indigenous life, and traditions. Now, a new wave emerges, allowing Indigenous communities to thrive in harmony with nature. Haagua portrays the deep bond between Great Great-Grandmother Ocean and her great-grandchildren, where surfing is more than a sport—it is a cultural revival, reconnecting with ancestral ways of life.
ʻAʻā (An Islands Twinkle)
Family Friendly
A cross pacific journey to find one’s homeland on a 26 foot voyaging canoe. Join a pacific islanders path from learning the stars to eventually re discovering their island.
Lake Leelanau, Spirit of the Lake
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly
Blending stunning visuals, heartfelt stories, and expert perspectives, “Lake Leelanau, Spirit of the Lake” is a heartfelt tribute to a lake that continues to shape the identity and memories of its community.
Love & Sugar
Family Friendly
Love & Sugar celebrates how Stephen Loveland, renowned Saint Paul, Minnesota ice cream man, purposefully inspires kindness.
Mississippi Speed Record: An Epic Adventure
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance
Four paddlers race against time to break the Guinness World Record on the mighty Mississippi—2,340 miles of brutal conditions and sleep deprivation, paddling 24/7 for over two weeks. With a large support crew behind them, it becomes clear that a record like this can’t be broken with skill alone—they’ll need teamwork, strategy, and a bit of luck.
Mother River
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
A look into Devin Brown’s journey as she seeks to be the First black female on record to kayak the entire Mississippi River.
Of The Black Sea
Has Subtitles, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker
Join Turkic-American pro-skier, Giray Dadali, on his journey to answer a life-long question: Which has a greater influence; the heritage from which you descended or the culture in which you were raised?
Platte To Platte
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere
Grant takes an unconventional road trip in a tiny 33 year old kei car from Japan, with a simple goal: to challenge the narrative that electric vehicles are the greener choice.
Pulse of the Great Lakes
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Student Filmmaker
A look at the annual efforts to deploy and maintain the data collecting buoys by the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences. From scientists and sailors to weather forecasters and beachgoers, these buoys play an integral part of our lives to help us better understand and respond to the changing conditions of the Great Lakes.
Restoring Northern Michigan's Rivers
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, Representative in Attendance
From Rugg Pond Dam on the Rapid River in Kalkaska County to the Crystal River in Leelanau County, this film follows the Conservation Resource Alliance’s River Care program and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians as they restore Northern Michigan’s rivers—reconnecting waters, renewing habitats, and honoring cultural ties.
Resurgo: The Rise from Within
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, Staff Pick
Detroit endured six decades of massive disinvestment, losing its primary industry in what is often described as the largest economic withdrawal in U.S. history. Its industry collapsed, its skyline dimmed. Yet the city’s spirit refused to vanish. Some call what followed the greatest comeback story in the nation. Others insist Detroit never left at all.
Now, through the eyes of a two-time Emmy Award–winning filmmaker and the voice of a celebrated poet, comes a story told from the ground up. Drawn from a twenty-year archive of over three million photographs and thousands of hours of unseen footage, this cinematic journey redefines an iconic city through the lives of the people who lived it.
Return of the Lake Sturgeon
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere
Green Bay Lake Sturgeon during their spring spawning run are blocked from traveling up the Menominee River by the first set of dams. The 12-minute documentary explores the sturgeon lift operation, how the sturgeon make their way past the dams and spawn 22 miles upriver at the Grand Rapids Dam.
Reviving the Legend
Michigan Premiere, Staff Pick, Family Friendly, First Time Filmmaker
With a single Facebook post, a small mountain in upstate New York received national attention and captured the hearts of the entire ski industry.
Saving The Night Caller | Uncovering Echoes In The Dark
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
A hauntingly beautiful conservation documentary that follows wildlife researchers from Birds Canada and the University of Waterloo deep into the forests of southwestern Ontario, Canada to uncover the mysterious world of the Eastern Whip-poor-will — a nocturnal bird whose call once echoed across the night, and is now slowly falling silent.
Snail Hunters
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
A team of evolutionary biologists from the University of Idaho travels to the Galápagos Islands to solve the Earth’s biodiversity crisis. The twist? They aren’t studying the iconic tortoises or blue footed boobies on this storied archipelago—they are Snail Hunters, studying a more unlikely subject in the crucible of evolution. By understanding the unique traits that make snails a champion of coexistence, the multi-disciplinary scientists hope to unlock a brighter future for humanity and the planet.
Taste of Home
Filmmaker in Attendance, Has Subtitles, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker, Representative in Attendance
Taste of Home follows Mimi and Eak, a Thai couple who run a beloved restaurant in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Through a blend of vérité footage and intimate interviews, we observe a full day in their lives, from morning prep to closing time, they navigate the joys and challenges of running an authentic Thai kitchen in America.
The Bird House | On The Edge At Long Point
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
Filmed over two field seasons spanning three years, The Bird House tells the story of the impacts of weather, storms and high water at Canada’s most isolated bird banding and research station located at the tip of a 20-mile long wind-swept sandspit in the middle of Lake Erie.
The Celebration
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
A dedicated group of paddlers embarks on a seven-day journey along Vermont’s Upper Missisquoi and Trout Rivers, celebrating the 10th anniversary of their Wild & Scenic designation.
The End of the World
Family Friendly
Maxime Chabloz is a seafarer, a man of the sea, a versatile athlete and a lover of the wind and watersports. Often surrounded by the ocean and other enthusiasts, this time he decides to go alone on a unique journey to the end of the world and this ode to the sea.
The Healing Soil: Detroit's Urban Farming
Has Subtitles, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, Family Friendly
Rufino Vargas moved to the U.S. from Mexico in 1988. Vargas, who has diabetes, now owns and operates Ortega Urban Farms on Detroit’s westside. He says farming has helped him manage his blood sugar while providing healthy food for his family — and other Detroiters.
The Iceland Cycling Expedition: A Rigorous Journey to End Myeloma
Family Friendly, First Time Filmmaker
A team of 15 multiple myeloma survivors, care partners, and world-renowned physicians, embarks on the Iceland Cycling Expedition (ICE). Their mission: to cycle through Iceland’s rugged landscape to raise critical funds for groundbreaking myeloma research.
The Inner Sea
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker
The Inner Sea is an unconventional love story–a story about music, adoption, the journey of a lifetime, and a bright blue 40 foot school bus. This film explores the complex issues of identity that result from the decision to place a child for adoption. It is also a film that explores the role that art plays in suffering, and healing.
The Invisible Mammal
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Staff Pick
Against the backdrop of the sixth mass extinction, an all-woman team of biologists set out to save bats from a deadly fungal disease, but when the COVID-19 pandemic interrupts their work, they are sent down a path of discovery that illuminates the connections between bat conservation and the spread of infectious disease.
The Little Ancestor
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
On a windswept hill, in a place still young and devoid of all life, an ancestral house builds itself. The house comes to life and unveils its long life of one hundred and fifty years. Brick by brick and beam by beam, each action, big or small, shows life. Over the years, it leads us to feel the passage of time, the transformations of its surroundings and its vulnerability in the face of the unstoppable frenzy of our urban growth. The house evolves quietly in the heart of a growing and buzzing city that will eventually bring its end.
The Seven Grandfathers Teachings
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, Representative in Attendance
The Seven Grandfathers Teachings sculpture, created by renowned Anishinaabeg artist Jason Quigno, is an installation in the public art collection of the City of Marquette that honors the foundational principles of Anishinaabe culture.
The Spirit Gardens at Bad River
Michigan Premiere, Family Friendly, World Premiere, Representative in Attendance, Filmmaker in Attendance
The pristine waters and winding channels of the the Bad River and Kakagon Sloughs hold the largest wild rice beds in the Great Lakes. Managed through time by the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the sloughs are recognized internationally for their exceptional quality. They also remain under threat from an aging oil pipeline and impacts of climate change. The video is a segment of an upcoming hour-long documentary, Estuaries in the Balance: Freshwater Nurseries of Lake Superior, which is being produced by Hamline University’s Center for Global Environmental Education.
The Voice Behind Art
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, First Time Filmmaker, Student Filmmaker
For many, art is simply something to be observed and appreciated; for others, it serves as an outlet, a form of expression, and even a way of life. The Voice Behind Art delves into the minds of three artists, offering an intimate glimpse into their creative processes and stories. Experiencing art is powerful, but understanding the artist is personal.
This is FLINT | Almar Orchards
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly
Almar Orchards near Flint, Michigan is a five generation farm and Michigan’s first organic apple orchard. Family bonds and unique climate characteristics help the Koan family provide food for their community and hard cider to the world.
This is FLINT | Mama Sol
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly
Mama Sol is a spoken word artist, rapper and community activist in Flint, Michigan. This is more than a hustle, it’s her passion, and she’s proud to rep the 8-1-0.
This is FLINT | Mural Artist Kevin Burdick
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly
Kevin Burdick is a nationally recognized mural artist from Flint, Michigan. Join KevScraps14 on a tour of downtown art and the backstory on how a low point in Flint’s history led to it becoming a street art hotspot.
To Trinity
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, Student Filmmaker
When a father is faced with health issues caused by nearby petrochemical plants, he must make a decision: stay and fight for his community, or leave and save his family.
Trust
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly
This story is about the relationship between an ARCHERY TECH
and a HUNTER who holds a once-in-a-lifetime archery elk tag in Utah.
Turtle Walker
Has Subtitles, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker, Staff Pick
In the late 1970s, Satish Bhaskar embarked on an epic journey along India’s coastline and the spectacular Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where he uncovered the vital nesting beaches of sea turtles. During his death-defying quest, he unravels mysteries surrounding these enigmatic ocean creatures – and sets out to save them from extinction.
Voices of The Grand River
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, First Time Filmmaker, Student Filmmaker
Ron Yob, chairman of the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians, seeks to gain federal recognition for his tribe from the federal government. Through Yob’s fight, he walks viewers through the historical evidence of the tribe’s presence in Grand Rapids to understand why the tribes deserve their federal rights.
Weathering the Change: Climate Adaptation at Rush Creek
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, Filmmaker in Attendance
In the face of climate change, Wisconsin conservationists are protecting the plants and wildlife at Rush Creek State Natural Area. Using fire and innovative adaptive techniques, their proactive approach offers a model for building resilience across our natural spaces in an uncertain future. In partnership with the Natural Resources Foundation of WI.
When I'm in the Water
Family Friendly, Staff Pick, Filmmaker in Attendance
When I’m in the Water is a film centered around a group of women, called the Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage, in Cape Cod, Mass. fighting to revitalize not only their own lives and the lives of their fellow group members, but the ecosystems consisting of hundreds of ponds in the Cape. Throughout their journey to clean up the ponds, members of the group have found an accepting and supporting community to aid them in their personal journeys, harnessing their mental fortitude and discovering physical strength at their age.
Where the Wind Takes You
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, Filmmaker in Attendance
Following in his father’s footsteps of polar exploration, captain Peter Schurke takes us up the West coast of Svalbard in a small sailboat, dwarfed by the towering mountains of this arctic archipelago.
Yours, Marquette: A Project Knot Work Film
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, First Time Filmmaker, Student Filmmaker
A perspective of life in Marquette, MI through the lens of Project Knot Work, a community of 12 self-directed homeschooled kids.