Beyond Our Senses: Bank Swallows

2026 • USA • 60 min • Daniel Larson

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.

2026 • USA • 28 min • Kathy Johnson

Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Staff Pick

The film explores the lake sturgeon’s traditional role in Anishinaabe culture as told through interviews with community members across Michigan and examines how traditional beliefs have guided and revolutionized lake sturgeon restoration efforts in the Great Lakes.

2026 • USA • 19 min • Josh Heese

Filmmaker in Attendance, World Premiere

Carving a Legacy follows Luke Costilow, an award-winning duck decoy carver and wildlife conservationist, and the often-overlooked role of hunters as stewards of the environment.