Filmmaker in Attendance, First Time Filmmaker, Adult Language, Adult Themes, Subject in Attendance, Staff Pick
Amid the radical politics and cultural upheaval of the late 1960s, a series of brutal murders targeting young women gripped the twin university towns of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan. This independent documentary examines not just a series of crimes, but the social and political tensions that enabled them—many of which still resonate today.
Family Friendly, Student Filmmaker, First Time Filmmaker
Life is beautiful, however it’s the people and things on this earth that make it not so beautiful. Enjoy every second of every day you have in this life. One day you will wake up and it will all be gone.
First Time Filmmaker, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, Filmmaker in Attendance
Rooted in the core values of uplifting representation, place, and public learning, this segment follows Alice Lyn and community members on a powerful journey to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where they learn to ice climb at Michigan Ice Fest.
Color Out Here is a TV show highlighting BIPOC representation in the outdoors through Public Learning, Representation, and Place. Each episode explores outdoor activities, unique environmental narratives, and the intersection of identity with nature, inspiring inclusion and advocacy for equitable access to outdoor spaces.
First Time Filmmaker, Filmmaker in Attendance, Student Filmmaker
A documentary about urbanism and life on the road- how is a car centric society changing the way we interact?
Filmmaker in Attendance, First Time Filmmaker
Love and forgiveness are the telling messages in this real life story of a family whose lives changed in a split second due to distracted driving.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Adult Language, Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker, Staff Pick
Green Blah! The History of Green Bay Punk Rock is a documentary that tells the story of the punk scene of Green Bay, WI. Green Bay is the hometown of the smallest NFL franchise, the Green Bay Packers. It’s also home to paper mills, pickle factories and cheese curds. Green Bay fostered a punk scene that spawned from meager beginnings and had a hard-core roster of local punk bands some with ties to the football team itself!!
Subject in Attendance, First Time Filmmaker
In the wake of the Iraq war, anti-war protesters began gathering on a street corner in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Twenty years later, a small but dedicated group still gathers, their message unchanged.
Adult Language, Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker, Student Filmmaker
A teenagers thoughts on the ongoing climate crisis shown through hectic city montages and the wilderness of Grand Teton National Park.
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?
Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker
Missouri isn’t a place most people think of when they think of ultra running. But it’s here on the rolling hills and chunky karst terrain where race director Shalini Bhajjan has built Terrain Trail Runners, a community of long distance ultra trail runners. Follow along as three members of this community set out to complete Shalini’s toughest race and run 100 miles through extreme weather in the Ozark foothills.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Has Subtitles, First Time Filmmaker, World Premiere, Making Waves Recipient, Staff Pick
After turning her Chicago home into a monarch butterfly sanctuary, Claudia Galeno-Sánchez, an environmental activist, Mexican immigrant, and mother is on a mission to save the monarch butterfly, an important symbol for both her family and millions of others in the United States.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.