Family Friendly, First Time Filmmaker, Filmmaker in Attendance
The true story of an ancient crop, a farmer, and a pizza, this self-made film follows one season of wheat production on Anarchy Acres, a tiny farm in Wisconsin. One passionate …
80+ New Films for 2022
Adventure. Conservation. Inspiration.
25 Weeks: A Wisconsin Pizza Harvest
A Yooper Remodels a Sundancer
Filmmaker in Attendance, Adult Language, First Time Filmmaker
Ross Wayne Johnson scored an old camper walks us through patching her up. She gonna go!
All Hop'd UP
Filmmaker in Attendance, Adult Language, Michigan Premiere, Subject in Attendance, World Premiere
In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a rather unique subculture steeped in craft brewing has been growing since the mid 1990’s. This film explores that story by giving voice to some …
American Scar
When wedding photographer John Kurc decided to spend a few days between assignments exploring the borderlands of southwest Arizona, he had no idea he would spend the next eight …
Annapurna '78
Arlene Blum led the groundbreaking first American and first all-female ascent of Annapurna in 1978. Despite dangerous avalanches and tumultuous conditions, the team was determined …
Art of Grind
Michigan Premiere
Since the 1800s bicycles have been a powerful liberating tool, starting with the first faltering pedal strokes of a child daring to venture a little further from home. Yet, …
Ascend: Reframing Disability in the Outdoors
Vasu Sojitra doesn’t want to be called an inspiration. For the Indian-American right leg amputee, it’s not his disability, but instead, the barriers to access the outdoors that …
Avoesis
Michigan Premiere
An exploration of natural silence and human existence within it.
Bacon 'N' Laces
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, Staff Pick
A single dad of three boys manages a diner. But, there’s more to John than meets the eye.
Beneath Our Feet
Michigan Premiere
An artist explores the hidden world of sound beneath New York City, revealing a complex sonic ecosystem in which all living beings co-exist.
Between Walls
Two women are looking for speed!
In spring 2019 gigantic snow walls piled up along the pass road of Timmelsjoch, Austria. Johanna Bolanos Cabrera and Jasmijn Hanegraef grabbed …
Biketown
Struggling to find their seat at the table, mountain bikers have had to form unlikely partnerships in their fight to ride. Little did they know they were actually helping transform …
Born in the Barn: Part 1
Filmmaker in Attendance, World Premiere
Like the landscape in much of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the Ewen-Trout Creek school district is a quintessential rural setting, dotted with the weathered structures of …
Brainwaves
In 2017, Brooke Hess had her best year of kayaking. In January, she spent a month training in Uganda. And then from Stakeout to Unleashed to Montréal Eau Vive, she stood on the …
Breaking Trail
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
Emily Ford sets out with Diggins a borrowed female Alaskan Huskie sled dog as her companion and protector to hike the entire 1200-mile Ice Age Trail in winter. As the 69-day …
Charro & Steed (A Story of Mexican Rodeo)
Filmmaker in Attendance, First Time Filmmaker
The “Charreria” or Mexican Rodeo, while often misunderstood, is really the roots of American Rodeo. This documentary explores the history, culture, and impact that …
Continuum
Everything is connected. Each ride is an extension of the one before. Each reentry is a transition to the next launch. Each experience builds on one another toward a flow state of …
Counter Methods
Family Friendly, Subject in Attendance, Filmmaker in Attendance, Staff Pick
John and Nahli Curtis are a father daughter duo on a mission to spread the stoke behind empowering young female athletes. Counter Methods is a documentary that gives an insider …
Der Wienershrimp: Shorelunch with Nate P
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Adult Language
It’s the end of the ice fishing season and Nate’s desire for northern pike has him reaching for alternative baits. Which legendary bait of legends will prevail? Soaked hot dogs? …
Eco-Hack!
Michigan Premiere, Staff Pick
Through the use of specialized drones, desert rovers, laser cannons and fake exploding tortoise shells, desert biologist Tim Shields and his colleagues take what control they can …
Elevated
Michigan Premiere, Filmmaker in Attendance
Creating this visual trick of relentless flow and seamless transitions from one scene to the next was a technical challenge for both rider and cinematographer, and it required …
Fight or Flight
Family Friendly, Staff Pick, Michigan Premiere
Fight or Flight chronicles the journey of the first female pilot employed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. She shares her story of how she overcame childhood trauma by taking to the …
Forty Gallons: A Visit to the Detroit Sugarbush
Family Friendly
Getting Black and brown Detroiters to fall in love with nature is a mission and passion for Antonio Rafael, who works with groups like the Detroit Indigenous People’s …
Freshwater
Michigan Premiere
Freshwater is a documentary that dives into the cold waters of Lake Superior along Minnesota’s North Shore. It contains 10% of Earth’s freshwater, yet this massive …
Fresnel
A behind-the-scenes look at Grand Haven’s historic lighthouses, and the group of volunteers dedicated to saving them.
From Great Water
Michigan Premiere
Native run salmon is as wild as the Alaskan rivers they swim. It stays that way because of a community that protects its waters and dedicates itself to the idea that a fish that …
From the Ground Up
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, First Time Filmmaker
From the Ground Up shows a town coming together to support its members, grow food, and do the necessary work to live kindly and responsibly off the land.
In Ishpeming, MI, the slow …
Game Hawker
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
For Shawn Hayes, the ancient practice of falconry is more than a deep connection with raptors. It’s his life’s work. As an American falconry ambassador, he’s carved a space for …
Hellbender in the Blue
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
From New York to Appalachia, the two-foot long eastern hellbender salamander is an indicator species for our river health. The population has declined noticeably since the early …
High Road
Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, Family Friendly, Staff Pick, Subject in Attendance
High Road celebrates the unbreakable bond between Paralympian Meg Fisher and Jack Berry a young para athlete who’s cycling career is just beginning to unfold. Together the …
I Am Salmon
Michigan Premiere
Connecting humanity with salmon and the sea through the subtle art of poetry and Gyotaku (fish rubbing), Duncan Berry shares his experience as a longtime environmentalist and …
I Still Remain
Filmmaker in Attendance
I Still Remain is a film that inspects and explores the inner workings, insights, and inspirations of a man driven and informed by his previous two fights with cancer. The first, …
Ibach
Filmmaker in Attendance
Ibach follows the escape of a Jewish family and their piano from Nazi Germany in the 1930’s to
the piano’s restoration in Philadelphia four generations later. Weaving an in-depth …
Jack Z. Jet Ski
Filmmaker in Attendance
A look into the world of stand up freestyle jet skiing with Jack Ziegler. Follow him around Marquette’s shores as he trains for the world finals, learning about his passion and …
Janwaar
Michigan Premiere
Janwaar celebrates a rambunctious group of kids whose lives are transformed when a skatepark is built in their small village in India. Raw talent, creativity, and unadulterated …
Joe Gothic
Michigan Premiere
Kids and bikes, wherever you are in the world, you’ll find the two together - smiling, aimlessly drifting. The bike for most kids is a first sense of afforded freedom. As we get …
Jorts & Korean Chicken: Shorelunch with Nate P
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Adult Language
Summer weather is FINALLY (kinda) here! The water is high and the jorts are short. Join us on a rain swollen tributary to see if the allure of a well dressed man can be resisted by …
Josiah and the Bones
Michigan Premiere
Josiah Ching, a Hawaiian native and Iraq war veteran, is ready to tell his story. From shouldering the responsibility to do what it takes to survive, to shouldering the burden of …
Julieta & the Turtles in the Plastic Soup
Family Friendly, Staff Pick, Michigan Premiere
14-year-old Julieta lives on the Caribbean island of Curaçao and prefers to be under water rather than above. The wonderful, exciting world of the ocean feels like home to Julieta. …
Lake Effect
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance
Pro skier returns to Michigan because of covid, rediscovers Michigan terrain but more importantly the ski community that made him who he is.
Lake Superior: A New Threat
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere
The world’s largest surface area of freshwater, whose forested shorelines showcase the awesome beauty and grandeur of our planet Earth…is being threatened! In this …
Like A River
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
Artist and climber Jeremy Collins has had a long and loving relationship with the desert canyons of the American southwest. In this short film, he describes his passion for three …
LUMINOUS
LUMINOUS tells the story of the first astronomer in history to publicly predict the near-future explosion of a star–will he be right? Others in the astronomical community are …
Mandatory Gear
Michigan Premiere
In the male-dominated sport of adventure racing, co-ed teams of four race unsupported through rugged, wild terrain. To compete, each team must have at least one woman. Due to this …
Michigan's Largest Weed Farm
Filmmaker in Attendance, Michigan Premiere
Check out the spectacular views and troubles of growing cannabis in one of the most northern states in the country.
Miles to Go
Michigan Premiere, Filmmaker in Attendance
In 2022 alone there have been over 300 anti LGBTQ+ bills proposed in various states across the country. Refusing to sit idly by, trans trail runner Perry Cohen formed a team of …
Move Me
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Adult Language, Has Subtitles, Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker, Staff Pick
At 27, Kelsey Peterson (co-director) dove into Lake Superior, and emerged paralyzed. Now, the former dancer faces an opportunity to dance again while grappling with a decision to …
Musher
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Staff Pick
Musher peels back the veil behind the bond that four women have between their dogs and the world of sled-dog racing. As each woman prepares for the Copperdog annual race, we reveal …
My Duduś
Filmmaker in Attendance, Has Subtitles, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker
A Polish mother grieves when her only child leaves their home in the suburbs of Chicago to study in Poland. While her son is away, she finds a baby squirrel in her backyard and …
Naughty Guerrilla Filmmaking: Doing Good by Being Bad
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Adult Language
Keil Orion Troisi, of notorious culture-jamming collective The Yes Men, presents funny and shocking documentary shorts that mix humor and mischief to plague evildoers and amplify …
No Other Lake
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker
Motivated by a desire to better understand his home watershed, Jordan Rowell embarks on a two week kayaking trip along the 120-mile length of Lake Champlain, stopping to talk to a …
North Shore Betty
Adult Language
The misty forests above North Vancouver, British Columbia are hallowed ground for mountain biking, a place so harrowing it’s influenced every aspect of the sport for over 30 years. …
Out of the Woodwork
Michigan Premiere
For Dan Baker, passion came at a cost. Out of a deep connection with nature, he built a life working with wood. His dedication to his craft, his home state of Michigan, and to all …
Peace Pipeline
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Has Subtitles, Michigan Premiere, Adult Language
Comedians and activists pose as a indigenous energy company to share plans to reroute Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline through the wealthy white suburbs of Duluth, MN, to more fairly …
Pheasants of Detroit
Family Friendly, Staff Pick
Ring-necked Pheasants, typically known as a rural farmland species, are thriving in the open spaces of Detroit. A little human-pheasant subculture has developed in the …
Ploverville
Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker, Family Friendly, Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance
After an 83-year absence, two tiny endangered birds arrive in a small midwest community. People unite to protect them, facing heartbreak and overcoming challenges, only to discover …
Pony Boys
Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
Summer, 1967. Two Massachusetts boys – 9 and 11 – set off on an improbable journey with their family pet, a Shetland pony named King. Tony and Jeff Whittemore are desperate to …
Pro Stone Skipper Julie Benda
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, Family Friendly
Pro stone skipper Julie Benda has a rocky reputation of dealing with chunkers and clunkers of all sizes. As one of very few women to go pro in stone skipping, she encourages others …
Prolyfyk
Family Friendly, Staff Pick, Michigan Premiere
Their route is uphill by design.
Through the language of running, Prolyfyck Run Crew is creating a safe space where Black runners can see themselves represented, and all runners …
Rosalie Fish
Michigan Premiere
For Rosalie Fish, Indigenous student-athlete and activist, running isn’t just a sport — it’s how she represents the strength and resilience of indigenous women within her tribe and …
Rush
Family Friendly
‘Rush’ explores the life and philosophy of super-volunteer Oly Rush, who ditched his 9-5 job for beach cleans and record-breaking swims. Oly is responsible for removing …
Saltless Sea Creamery
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere
This film, by The Boardman Review, features cheesemaker Dave Omar and his wife Joy, who specialize in Mediterranean-style cheeses crafted from Michigan ingredients. They use …
Savage Waters
Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker, Staff Pick
How far would you go searching for something that may not exist?
A 19th century treasure-hunter’s journal inspires a captivating journey to seek out and surf a mythical, …
SHORELUNCH with Nate P: After Hours, LIVE!
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Adult Language, Staff Pick
Shorelunch with Nate P is a modern twist on a venerable Midwest classic: the fishing show.
Fast cuts, metal riffs, F-bombs and wobbly-pops are all par for the course as Nate P …
SOLDIER
Filmmaker in Attendance, Adult Language, Michigan Premiere
SOLDIER focuses on Daniel Krug: a heroic firefighter, father of five, SWAT trainer and armored combat enthusiast. Daniel is also a former sniper, with ten years of combat, …
Spirit of the Peaks
Michigan Premiere
Centered around skier and Hunkpapa Lakota, Connor Ryan, Spirit of the Peaks dives deep into the struggles of identity that comes with being stuck between two worlds. His mission is …
Stronger Together
It has taken time for Alexandera Houchin to weave layers of her identity together. First and foremost, Alexandera is an Ojibwe woman. She’s also an artist, a farmer, a mechanic, a …
Taste Of Work: Daily Bread
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere
Daily Bread explores the meaning of community and the idea of service from the perspective of Traverse City’s Reverend Jane Lippert and her work in response to food …
Taste Of Work: The Cooks' House
Filmmaker in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, Adult Language, Staff Pick
The chef-owners of Traverse City’s celebrated restaurant, The Cooks’ House, speak to the struggle of attaining a healthy work life balance and to the changing nature of …
The Black Stonefly
Gian Lawrence is a fly fisherman and outdoorsman with a unique origin story. Growing up in Puyallup and Tacoma’s Hilltop, he fell into a life of crime, violence, and destitution …
The Erie Situation
Filmmaker in Attendance
As climate, politics, and agricultural interests collide, the health of Lake Erie – and that of humans and wildlife – hang in the balance.
In 2014, the citizens of Toledo, Ohio had …
The Iron Town
Filmmaker in Attendance, Has Subtitles, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, First Time Filmmaker
The discovery of iron ore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and how one small town hopes to outlive the industry that followed.
The Power of the River
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
The Power of the River takes viewers on a historical journey that begins with the melting of the last glacier and ends with a group of energetic kayakers transiting the De Pere …
The Return
Subject in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, Staff Pick, Filmmaker in Attendance
A story about the return of Fr. Jacques Marquette’s bones to their original burial place in the Northern Great Lakes Basin. His remains were carried there by Native American …
The Tree that Fire Built
Filmmaker in Attendance, Michigan Premiere
To the Alabama-Coushatta tribe of East Texas, to lose the longleaf pine is to lose a part of their culture. The tree provides needles that highly skilled weavers make into baskets. …
The Yes Men Share the Safety
Filmmaker in Attendance
Trickster comedian-activists The Yes Men impersonate the National Rifle Association to launch their “buy a gun, give a gun program” at the Reagan Presidential Library. …
This is BOW!
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, First Time Filmmaker
Every Summer and Winter the Michigan DNR puts on Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW), a weekend-long workshop bringing women in from around the Midwest for learning, teaching, and …
Total Disaster
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Has Subtitles, Michigan Premiere
Armed with realistic bird puppets, trickster environmental activists pretend to be oil company Total—staging a satirical press conference to introduce “RéHabitat,” a …
Unforgettable: A Celebration* of Michigan's Upper Peninsula by Bicycle
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance
In spring of 2021 a group of bikepackers set out to ride around the perimeter of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The approximately 1,600 mile journey, dubbed Project Adventrus, …
Wenji-Bimaadiziyaang | From Where We Get Life
Filmmaker in Attendance, Michigan Premiere
The Treaty of 1837 forced the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe to cede 13 million acres of land to the United States government. Despite this catastrophic loss of land, they refused to …
What's In A Name?
After immigrating from Brazil to the United States as a teenager, Maiza Lima worked to find her place in American culture and climbing. Now living in rural Montana where she is one …
When Hope Breaks Through
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Staff Pick
Mike Shoreman becomes the first disabled person to Paddleboard across all five Great Lakes! He has done so in order to raise money for mental health in Canada and the United …