120 min

Ope, we made it 10 years. Time to look back at our driving themes of Adventure, Conservation and Inspiration and hear from some special guests old and new.

60 min

Reelin in the Years with some of the best short films to flow through the Fresh Coast.

60 min

Reelin in the Years with some of the best short films to flow through the Fresh Coast.

105 min

Peer-to-peer learning opportunity for filmmakers.

105 min • Keith Patterson, Lindsey Hagen, Mike King

So you made a film, now what? Gather for a peer-to-peer conversation around distribution. Filmmakers Keith Patterson, Lindsey Hagen and Mike King will share their experiences, everything from selling a film to booking an indy theater tour. This workshop is intended for attending filmmakers but is open to everyone.

2025 • USA • 6 min • Cecelia Gould

First Time Filmmaker, Student Filmmaker

Native plants improve outcomes for the environment, but are increasingly eliminated in favor of more “typical” garden plants. Learn how to make an impact on your local environment, and potentially yourself, by planting native species.

2026 • USA • 15 min • Armin Korsos

Michigan Premiere, Filmmaker in Attendance

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.

2025 • USA • 15 min • Jacob White

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!

2026 • USA • 15 min • Jesse Roesler

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.

2026 • USA • 10 min • Jim Aikman

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.

2025 • USA • 7 min • Finn Ryan, Craig Eley

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.

2026 • USA • 5 min • Adam Burns

Family Friendly, Filmmaker in Attendance

An eccentric coach uses his outsider status to develop a new play to implement in the annual Troy Athens powder puff football game.

2026 • USA • 12 min • Mike King

Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance

 An inside look at Northern Michigan’s surf scene. Hometown hype is part of a video series highlighting America’s Surf Towns.

2026 • USA • 4 min • Ethan Lewis Sperber

Filmmaker in Attendance, Adult Language

Spanning between Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota lies 650 miles of trees, lakes, and trails, what some call the North Woods, where most folks don’t expect to see anyone on a bicycle. A posse of Midwestern boys decided it’d be a good idea to bike through this area of the country that sometimes gets overlooked.

2026 • USA • 6 min • Aaron Peterson and Haley Holland

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.

2026 • USA • 20 min • Nate Sheppard

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.

2026 • USA • 6 min • Mike Ramsdell

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.

2026 • USA • 10 min • Kelley Wolf Griffith

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.

2025 • USA • 15 min • Ryan Belville

Adult Language

The city of Detroit is 138 square miles. You may know Midtown or Downtown, but Rabinski has been all around. Follow Dan as he traverses the back roads, alleys, and dense wilderness of the Detroit you’ve never seen. Armed with only his bicycle and a camera, Rabinski takes you on a journey that even the locals have a hard time finding.

2026 • USA • 6 min • Joe Brown

Michigan Premiere

This short documentary tells the story of sandhill cranes in America.

2025 • USA • 17 min • Richard Mack, John Manos

Filmmaker in Attendance, First Time Filmmaker

Water is Life covers issues facing the Great Lakes in brief yet explains how people around the region are doing something when it comes to the challenges they face. This is a synopsis of the longer documentary still in production.

2025 • USA • 39 min • Joe VanderMeulen

Representative in Attendance

The Search for Anna & Levi uncovers the overlooked story of Anna and Levi Johnson, early Black homesteaders in Leelanau County. Through descendants, historians, and regional experts, the film connects their family story to the broader history of African American settlement in the Midwest.

2026 • USA • 3 min • Nick & Chris Loud

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.

2026 • USA • 21 min • Jacob Wilkins

Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Student Filmmaker

After their life takes an unexpected turn, Megan and Mitchell start a business creating keepsakes for families’ most important moments.

2026 • USA • 27 min • Shawn Connelly

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.

2026 • USA • 5 min • Ryan Sullivan

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. 

2026 • USA • 65 min • Chris Ozminski

Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Work in Progress

Michipicoten Island in Lake Superior is the little known sibling to famous Isle Royale. Soak in the rugged wilderness. Explore seldom seen relics and natural wonders.  Get to know your seasoned off-trail guides, Michael Neiger and Chris Ozminski. This is a special sneak preview of the nearly completed film.

2026 • USA • 9 min • Loye Miller

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.

2026 • USA • 8 min • Rachel Roff

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.

2026 • USA • 14 min • Nick Nummerdor & Andrew J. Morgan

Filmmaker in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, Adult Language

Endless Ride follows artist Billy Coulon of Evergreen Skateparks and his crew making public parks as skateable art pieces all over the United States.

2026 • USA • 23 min • Andrew J. Morgan and Nick Nummerdor

Filmmaker in Attendance, Adult Language

Mall Video Store is a fun and nostalgic short documentary about Harrison Lange, owner of Static Tape Video, an independent video store located inside a Michigan shopping mall. Passionate about movies and physical media, Harrison spends his days rescuing VHS tapes, tracking down forgotten collections, and creating a place where movie lovers can connect through a shared love of film. 

2026 • USA • 3 min • Mark Wilson of New Leonard Media

Filmmaker in Attendance, Has Subtitles, Family Friendly, Representative in Attendance

Patrick Concannon reflects on his ancestral land near North Lake Leelanau, where hunting, gathering and caring for the land connect family across generations. This film is part of the Leelanau Conservancy’s Indigenous Knowledges Project, dedicated to elevating Anishinaabe voices.

2026 • USA • 8 min • Mark Wilson of New Leonard Media

Filmmaker in Attendance, Has Subtitles, Family Friendly, Representative in Attendance

For Tanya Raphael, maple season is a time for family, friends, and tradition. This film is part of the Leelanau Conservancy’s Indigenous Knowledges Project, dedicated to elevating Anishinaabe voices.

2025 • USA • 18 min • Fiona Otway

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.

2025 • USA • 15 min • Christy Frank

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.

2026 • USA • 17 min • Nels Lindquist

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.

2026 • USA • 17 min • Nels Lindquist

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.

2026 • USA • 21 min • Dean Tucker & Quinn Costantini

Family Friendly

An intimate documentary exploring the world of Dan Yagmin as the creative force behind Decoy Holds. It’s a portrait of an artist shaping not just holds, but the way we experience climbing itself.

2024 • USA • 38 min • Katie Flint

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.

2026 • USA • 10 min • Dylan Dubé

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.

2025 • Canada • 11 min • Dr. Kelsey Leonard and Alejandro Miranda

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.

2020 • USA • 5 min • Annette Summersett

Filmmaker in Attendance

A music video for the song ‘If I Go’ which touches on themes of life, death, rebirth, mental health and mother nature. Featuring various beautiful, natural U.P. locations such as The Huron Islands, Montreal Falls, Point Abbaye, and Manitou Island.

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 • 45 min • Dan Wanschura, Ellie Katz

Filmmaker in Attendance

It’s theater of the mind! It’s cinema for the ear! It’s a Points North listening party! This immersive audio experience will transport you through time and space via two never heard before episodes of the award winning podcast about the land, water and inhabitants of the Great Lakes. Discussion with Points North producers Ellie Katz and Dan Wanschura will follow.

2026 • USA • 24 min • Steve Panton

Filmmaker in Attendance, First Time Filmmaker

Artists, researchers, and activists explore the relationship between their lived experiences and the patterns of uneven development in Metropolitan Detroit and its art ecosystem.

2025 • USA • 15 min • Danny Schmidt

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.

2025 • USA • 7 min • Keall Emmers

Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Student Filmmaker

Normal is a short reflexive documentary about growing up with divorced parents and living between two homes. Using personal narration, archival footage, and interviews with my parents, the film reflects on how something that seems difficult or overwhelming to others became my everyday reality - and how hearing their perspectives changed the way I understand my own childhood.