Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, Representative in Attendance
Kendsie and Matt have been living car-free forever, and now they’ve added two kids to the mix without losing any of their optimism. The filmmaker knew she had to capture the joy it’s brought her family and so many others along the way.
Michigan Premiere
This short documentary tells the story of sandhill cranes in America.
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere
In 1994 Eric Anderson returned to his home town with a dream of building an outdoor themed business with his father. This video tells the story of how a family’s dream became a reality and how the owners gave it away to keep the Ironwood, Michigan property in its natural state for all to enjoy.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere
This short film explores the work of local Marquette artist, Niikah Hatfield, engaging with the philosophical questions of life and what it means to be alive through the process of ceramics, creativity, and living well.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, Student Filmmaker
The filmmakers mother, Jennifer Johnson a fish biologist with the Michigan DNR, discusses her connection with ice fishing.
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
“Big Jim” Whittaker was a legendary Pacific Northwest mountaineer who became the first American to summit Mount Everest on May 1, 1963. Featuring rarely seen 16mm footage from the 1963 American Everest Expedition, archival images from the Whittaker family collection, and interviews filmed in Jim’s late 80s, the film is both an intimate portrait of an extraordinary life and a celebration of the adventurous spirit that helped define a generation of American climbing.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Adult Language, Michigan Premiere, Adult Themes
Before Stonewall there was The Black Nite, a Milwaukee gay bar where LGBTQ activists and allies brawled with a group of homophobic sailors. This video ode to the location tells the story of that night.
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker
Two boys arrive at a remote summer camp in the Vermont woods. Free from screens and societal expectations, they learn to open up, support one another, and redefine what it means to be a boy.
Michigan Premiere
On a small Caribbean island, the native Brown Booby is disappearing, not from climate change but from feral cats people brought generations ago. Chicago-based filmmaker Armin Korsos follows the stories of the conservationists caught between action and inaction, asking when human-caused damage becomes our responsibility to fix, and what it means if we choose not to.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere
Cold Blooded Kari follows Minneapolis ultra winter athlete Kari Gibbons on her journey toward the legendary 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational on foot. Driven by an obsession with winter and the pursuit of endurance, Kari has become a respected leader in the growing community of female ultra winter athletes.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, Making Waves Recipient
After years of addiction derailed his dreams, one man returns to Alaska to face 100 miles of sub-arctic wilderness and everything he left in it.
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
Since 1972 the Little Traverse Conservancy has preserved over 82,000 acres in northern Michigan. Today every LTC sign is an invitation and a reminder that all conservany-owned lands are open to you to enjoy.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, Staff Pick
This portrait of Northern Michigan artist and musician Dana Falconberry follows her from inspiration to finished piece as she combines paint and traditional chain-stitching to create a multi-layered scene.
Michigan Premiere, Staff Pick
After a traumatic chapter left Ashley battling anxiety and depression, he discovered that the river offered more than just fish. Currentcy follows one man’s journey as fly fishing became a path toward connection, healing, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
Dragon Mom follows Laura, a mother learning to navigate the emotional, physical, and societal complexities of raising a child who lives with severe disability. Alongside her family, Laura must confront the realities of ableism, advocate for accessibility, and redefine what strength and connection look like.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Michigan Premiere
Endless Ride follows artist Billy Coulon of Evergreen Skateparks and his crew making public parks as skateable art pieces all over the United States.
Michigan Premiere, Representative in Attendance
Two iconic Lake Superior estuaries are among the planet’s most biologically productive environments. The pristine Bad River Sloughs have been sustained through time by the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The much maligned St. Louis River estuary is the heart of the Fond du Lac Band’s traditional homeland. Both face an uncertain future.
Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker, Adult Language, Subject in Attendance, Filmmaker in Attendance
Finding the Universe follows photographer John Berry as he journeys into the Colorado Rockies to capture a time-lapse of the Milky Way over his favorite alpine lake. Along the way, he reflects on personal struggles, creative perseverance, and the quiet, demanding work behind filming the night sky in the mountains.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, Staff Pick
A short form film created around a poem titled Flag Song, written by the Indigenous Nations Poets Fellows and Faculty at their retreat at Amerind Museum and University of Arizona Poetry Center in the spring of 2026.
Subject in Attendance, Michigan Premiere
The rapidly changing climate weighs heavily on Andrea, a sensitive and passionate professor who has taught climate science for over 20 years. She knows she can’t navigate these feelings alone. The film follows participants in the Good Grief Network, an innovative support program, as they lean into their painful feelings and, in the process, discover joy, connection, and a renewed sense of possibility.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Has Subtitles, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
On the mend from a knee replacement, ultra marathoner Dane Rauschenberg attempts to break a record in the half marathon portage category – even though he’s never before lifted a canoe!
Michigan Premiere, Adult Language, Family Friendly
For over a decade, artist Pete Mauney has been ritualistically trekking into the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night, all alone. The desolate darkness brings him into confrontation with everything he can’t control. But when the landscape slowly starts to shimmer and sparkle, the magic begins.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, First Time Filmmaker
At 86 years old, Michigan fly fishing legend Jac Ford still paddles rivers across Michigan and Montana, guiding clients and teaching fellow guides his craft. In Jac, the master angler reveals some of his secrets, and shares a lifetime of wisdom for living a long, happy life.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker, World Premiere
Casual friends meet at a Lake Superior beach on a beautiful September morning. Soon they’re dipping regularly while their friendship grows as they show up for each other, and themselves dipping through the winter, in the icy lake.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere
After crushing the fastest known time paddling the Wisconsin River, Kyle Parker takes on his next adventure: canoeing from Washington to Florida. Throughout his solo tip to tip journey, he discovers community and connection on and off the water.
First Time Filmmaker, World Premiere, Michigan Premiere, Nudity
Life Model Protégé is a glimpse behind the curtain at the unique world of figure art. Meet models who pose in the nude and the artists who draw them.
Staff Pick, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
Listen is a sensory immersion that dissolves the boundaries between us and the more-than-human world. It follows Alaskan author Hank Lentfer as he records forgotten sounds of the natural world and cares for his mother with dementia.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker, Nudity, Staff Pick
Part nature documentary, part queer love letter to community and action, Neon Reef immerses you in the sun-drenched, surreal beauty of Miami’s underwater world. Dive past the waves that break on the pulsing neon shores of America’s glitziest beach town with this unlikely reef warrior couple as they dive, strategize, schmooze politicians, and rally a diverse community to defend the coral reef at their doorstep.
Has Subtitles, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, Staff Pick
Plant Life captures Dr. Joanne Chory at a pivotal moment: as her Parkinson’s advances and carbon levels surge, she pursues her most audacious experiment yet. Having revolutionized plant biology once already, she and her team are re-engineering crops to draw down carbon dioxide at planetary scale — a scientific race against time that may determine both her legacy and our future.
Has Subtitles, Michigan Premiere
Amid modern distractions and challenges faced by Indigenous peoples, staying connected to culture can be challenging. Meet the Terry Lee Canoe Club as it experiences a powerful resurgence as the next generation strives to nurture and reestablish the canoe culture of their region of British Columbia, Canada.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, Staff Pick
A five-minute tribute to the last 100 years of Flint, through the lyrics and performance of Mama Sol and the Flint Symphony.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
When previously used surgical robots and other medical equipment find new life in the Great Lakes region, a small Toledo company’s commitment to reuse and sustainability helps train the next generation of veterinary surgeons, while giving rescue dogs a second chance at adoption.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Michigan Premiere
Lifelong equestrian Britta Nancarrow seeks to progress as a professional competitive skijorer. Join along as she trains with Michigan skier Mike King and snowboarder Sandra Hillen, taking their on-snow skills to the next level at their very first competition.
Michigan Premiere, Staff Pick
A documentary chronicling the life and career of Kristian Svitak, a professional skateboarder hailing from Cleveland, Ohio. Known for his fearless style and dedication, Svitak has been a significant figure in shaping Ohio’s skateboarding culture.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, Student Filmmaker, Family Friendly
A student documentary exploring what drives people to keep going, and the people who show up to support them, Still Running follows the Anderson Lake Backyard Ultra, a grueling endurance race in the heart of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere
Stone Cold Phoenix is an intimate look at the life and stylings of Shelley Novotny, a northern Wisconsin artist who creates stunning wearable art pieces to showcase the understated beauty of the world and people around her. This film explores how communal art (and cold water immersion!) can transform us through the ashes of trauma into something new and more beautiful.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Adult Language, Michigan Premiere, Adult Themes, Staff Pick
From Brooklyn’s concrete jungle to the heart of the Everglades, Black wildlife photographer George McKenzie Jr. is transforming his lens into a beacon of change. A rare gem in the predominantly white canvas of wildlife photography, McKenzie is empowering kids of color to shift their gaze to conservation.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
Drafted by the Detroit Tigers 50 years ago, Mike Wilson never made it to the Major Leagues. Instead, he devoted his life to coaching youth baseball in Detroit. Now overseeing historic Hamtramck Stadium, the former Negro League ballpark where he fell in love with the game, Mike’s story reveals how mentorship, community, and baseball can shape generations.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Michigan Premiere
Lead poisoning is an ongoing public health emergency. This short documentary goes into the trenches with the workers and advocates fighting to replace lead pipes in Wisconsin, while revealing the human stakes of a water crisis that continues to put children at risk.
Michigan Premiere, Staff Pick
The last commercial fishermen of the Great Lakes struggle to survive as they face unprecedented ecological disasters, a changing climate, and outdated governmental regulations.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Adult Language, Michigan Premiere, Staff Pick
A cowboy doctor has spent a lifetime paying house calls to the Old Order Amish community in Southwestern Wisconsin- but what will they do when he dies?
Filmmaker in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, Nudity
The Heat That Holds Us explores the enduring sauna culture of the Great Lakes region, tracing its evolution from century-old public steam rooms to breathtaking modern architectural marvels.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Michigan Premiere
Lake Michigan’s Green Bay is the world’s largest freshwater estuary, where the warm, nutrient-rich water of the Lower Fox River mixes with the cool water of the lake, creating an aquatic environment that supports a productive fishery, wetlands and a migratory flyway. The film turns to the people who care for this world of fish and birds as they seek understanding and look for solutions.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Michigan Premiere
In America’s Dairyland, many families only learn that the water coming from their wells is toxic once it’s far too late. The Right to Know follows people living with nitrate and bacterial contamination caused by factory farming, and shows how knowing what’s in your water can be a matter of life and death.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, Adult Language, Adult Themes
Witchy Boots_ _is a spirited and empowering documentary that explores both historical and modern women that shape the craft beer industry. From trailblazing founders accused of witchcraft to contemporary voices carving space in the male-dominated field, the film captures the movement toward inclusion, creativity, and sisterhood inside the brewhouse.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker
Across the salt-sprayed shores of Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, a gathering of Indigenous women comes together to rematriate wampum as a living system of justice, truth, and inherent relationship. Through practices of teaching, making, and collective remembrance, the film examines how patriarchal disruption, colonial extraction, and climate-driven coastal change threaten not only living shores but the relationships that sustain them.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere
After losing her corporate job in New York City, Christina “Maz” ventures into the remote Upper Peninsula searching for a way back to her art and herself. Guided by Yooper Wise Women, a collective of healing artists deeply connected to nature, she enters a transformative world where the wilderness becomes her guide. This is a sneak preview of the upcoming documentary series Yooper Wisdom.