Edgelands

2025 • USA • 3 min • Jason Whalen/Fauna Creative

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.

2025 • USA • 8 min • Finn Ryan

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.

2024 • USA • 44 min • Alex Maier and Amy Robin

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.