The Illness

2023 • United States • 25 min • Chris Parr

Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Staff Pick, Adult Language

After winning the American Birkebeiner - the largest cross country ski race in North America - Joe Dubay was disqualified for wearing the wrong bib. Now, 11 years later, Joe and his former roommate who lent him the bib -Chris - document their return to the Birkebeiner to pioneer a new sport: tandem cross country skiing.

2023 • United States • 41 min • Rory K. McHarg & Bret Miller

Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker, Staff Pick

Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale is America’s No.1 IPA. The now infamous & iconic trout image is found in every convenience store nationwide. The legends behind this label and many others have been buried in folklore for nearly 40 years, but the vision created at Bell’s started a revolution in the craft brewing industry that changed what a beer label could be. This is the unconventional story of an artist whose love of fishing, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and beer found its way into every store in America. Dave Chapelle, during a comedy set in Kalamazoo said aloud, “Why the hell did you put a fish on the label?” However, eccentric artist Ladislav Hanka’s reasoning is simple yet personal. Just like the rest of his artwork.

2023 • USA • 9 min • Jim Aikman

Adult Language, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere

Following an unlikely courtship, Jorge and Joanne Urioste arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1970s, long before it was a mecca of rock climbing in North America. When the rest of the country was focused on Yosemite Valley, the Uriostes began developing long, moderate climbs on Red Rock Canyon’s impeccable sandstone, defying climbing norms and charting a new path for the sport. Their routes remain the most classic in Red Rock, drawing climbers from all over the world.