2021 • 3 min • Mike Call

Subject in Attendance

North Face athlete and Michigan native Sam Elias is on fire, but fire needs fuel.

2020 • 16 min • Mike Call

Subject in Attendance

Russ Clune is an integral part of climbing’s humble beginnings in America. Recently Black Diamond Athlete Sam Elias paid Clune a visit at his home in upstate New York, where he sampled the historic routes of the past, and attempted a rare ascent of the new-school trad testpiece: Brozone (5.14b). But perhaps the most important thing Sam walked away with, amid all the climbing history lessons, and constant, often hilarious, Clune cliff-banter, was an intimate view into the soul of a man who has dedicated his entire life to climbing.

2021 • USA • 22 min • Lindsey Hagen

Filmmaker in Attendance, Staff Pick, Michigan Premiere

After Skid Row documents the journey of Barbie Carter as she navigates the transition to housed life following the brutal reality of a decade on the streets. The film illuminates the intimate humanity behind homelessness as Barbie rediscovers parts of her identity that she had been forced to stifle in order to survive. Her unique story and compelling character help to both demystify and deeply personalize a homelessness epidemic that continues to swell across the US.

2020 • Australia & US • 13 min • Nathaniel Schmidt

Michigan Premiere

Best known for his legendary polar explorations, Will Steger’s life work grew out of a single log cabin he built after moving to the Minnesotan wilderness at age 25. Reliant on sustainable energy and natural commodities, Steger formed a community and culture based on the principle of mutuality. Central to Steger’s operation is the lost art of cutting ice for refrigeration. This annual harvest formed a tradition spanning fifty years that became known as the “Ice Ball”. While this old world technology inevitably became obsolete, its disappearance parallels a concerning loss of social interdependence in modern society.

2020 • United States • 10 min • Andrew Bydlon & Kody Kohlman

Filmmaker in Attendance

Raising cattle doesn’t usually rate as an earth-friendly practice. Amy O’Hoyt, a first-generation rancher, can confirm. So she bucked the standard way of producing beef to finish her cattle on the grass growing in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, rotating pastures, and proving there’s a way forward that’s connected with the earth, the animals, and, ultimately, a better future.

2019 • United States • 90 min • Ryan Busch

Staff Pick, Filmmaker in Attendance, Adult Language

Four friends set out on an expedition inspired by Lake Superior. They travel in kayaks, paddle stroke by paddle stroke to circumnavigate the worlds largest freshwater resource. Their story connects the people whose lives have been shaped by the water and our need to protect this precious resource for future generations. Join them on their journey to understand the magic, beauty, and importance of the water right in our backyard.

2020 • USA • 20 min • Grace Bright

The Arctic Grayling disappeared from Michigan waters over 100 years ago. This is the story of what it will take to bring it back. The Michigan Arctic Grayling Initiative is a partnership of over 50 organizations committed to restoring the native grayling to its Michigan habitat.

2018 • United States • 26 min • Ellie Burck

Filmmaker in Attendance

Cast your line into another world. What is out there? An unknown.
Meet the people who explore the hills and valleys of the lake bottom.
Why do they do it? What happens when they and the fish meet?
Moments are shared. Life cycles circle. And I keep the camera rolling.

2021 • United States • 84 min • Joe Brown

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

“Operation Wolf Patrol,” is a feature length documentary about eco-activist, Rod Coronado, and his attempt to end wolf hunting in the United States.

Over the course of three years, we watch Rod work to redefine his activism in an era– post 9/11, where some have called him an “eco-terrorist.” The film comes to a climax when Coronado’s “Wolf Patrol” is met with a tightening of “hunter harassment” laws that prohibit photography on public lands. Now Coronado has to ask himself is he willing to go back to prison to fight a law that some are calling “unconstitutional.”

2019 • United States • 10 min • Whit Hassett + Chelsea Jolly

Runner and advocate Faith E. Briggs used to run through the streets of Brooklyn every morning. Now, she’s running 150 miles through three U.S. National Monuments that lay in the thick of the controversy around public lands. Accompanied by running companions who represent diverse perspectives in what it means to be a public land owner, she assesses what is at stake if previously protected lands are reduced and if the public is largely unaware. THIS LAND is a story about land access told through a journey of inclusion and empowerment.

2020 • 4 min • Weyni Mengesha & Lucius Dechausay

“A Revolution of Love” is a short film that follows a young Black woman as she grapples with the histories of her ancestors, the present-day violence ravaging her community, and begins to imagine what her future looks like through dance. Awakenings is a new programming philosophy within Toronto History Museums that will feature art projects that explore untold stories, awaken a new perspective and invite the public to join the conversation.

2019 • USA • 10 min • Aaron Peterson

Family Friendly

This is a family camping story told by my son Josiah. The film takes place during a 10-day canoeing and camping trip to the Slate Islands of Ontario, Canada on Lake Superior. It was scripted from campfire conversations about life, climate change and the natural world that we shared during this and other trips. The film was originally produced in 2018 but not released because I didn’t think it was finished, but in August 2019 Josiah passed away due to a fungal brain infection contracted during treatment for leukemia. He was 10 years old. Now the film has become a memorial to my best friend and adventure buddy, a very special kid that experienced more in his decade than many do in a full life. I ache to know what he would have become, but find joy in all that he was.

2018 • USA • 23 min • Bobby & Maura Marko

Family Friendly

Maura and Bobby Marko are impassioned outdoor explorers. After becoming parents they knew that passing on a love and respect for the wilderness would be a major priority for their family. The family attempted a bold traverse of the Arrowhead of Minnesota traveling from the Mississippi River to Lake Superior by bicycle, canoe, and foot; all with their 3-year-old son and 9-month-old daughter along for the adventure.

2019 • USA • 3 min • Elliot Kennedy

Filmmaker in Attendance

Development is a short film by Elliot Kennedy following the story of Matt, a young boulder developer, who is working on a new problem. The film is told through an interview with Matt as he expresses how he got interested in rock climbing and how he discovered the art of cleaning boulders.

2019 • USA • 4 min • Aaron Peterson

Tom and Max Werkman are Werkman Outfitters and they chase trophy cold water and warm water species on the Grand River including the unique urban fishery of the city’s bustling downtown.

2019 • USA • 4 min • gnarly bay

Adult Content

Rhode Island artist Tom Deininger shares his perspectives on some big themes and how his anxieties and fears about human consumption and plastic waste create the foundation of his medium for artistic expression. His art has so many layers of social commentary and this film explores the depths of these microcosmic hot-glued havens of hedonism in order to confront this perverse plastic waste challenge that humanity – us included – needs to stop ignoring.

2019 • USA • 16 min • Eric Ebner & Aaron Ebner

Has Subtitles, Family Friendly

Julio Hancco is a guardian of biodiversity, critical to the survival of humanity. He represents a people, a culture, and way of life that is being lost to modernization. Will their culture survive? Or will it all be lost with the last Potato King?

2018 • USA • 17 min • Jake Youngman

FC Flashback

A Superior Island is a personal travel documentary with stunning nature cinematography sequences that tells the story of when two diabetics set off to the Upper Peninsula into the remote wilderness of Isle Royale National Park, with five pounds of medical supplies, eleven pounds of food, and twenty two pounds of camera gear.

2019 • USA • 2 min • Liam Kaiser

Family Friendly, Filmmaker in Attendance

Papa Jacks Cottage is a short story documenting the eroding shoreline on Lake Michigan and it’s affect it has on the landscape . The films conception and narration was sparked from a friendly voicemail from Papa Jack to his grandson Liam about the rising waters around his cottage. This short but sweet story serves as a monument to places we hold dear to our hearts.

2018 • USA • 7 min • Nick & Chris Loud of The Boardman Review

Family Friendly, Filmmaker in Attendance

This film, by The Boardman Review, details an exciting new project by the non-profit Leelanau Conservancy and tells the story of building sustainable mountain bike trails at the Palmer Woods Forest Reserve in Leelanau County, Michigan.

2016 • USA • 2 min • Eric Becker Producers: Susan Purvis, Nolan Anderson, Graham McDowell, & Eric Becker

Family Friendly, Filmmaker in Attendance

A Higher Crawling is a film starring two titans of climbing. Shelby and Reyka are the rising stars of the under-6-month-old age bracket. This story tells the tale of friendship through competition, adversity, and the utter necessity of diapers.

2012 • USA • 40 min

Family Friendly, Filmmaker in Attendance

In June of 2011, The Okee Dokee Brothers canoed the Mississippi River from St. Paul, MN to St. Louis, MO. During their month-long journey down the river, they camped, paddled, and composed the songs that make up the GRAMMY Award-winning album, Can You Canoe?. This 40-minute movie details their adventure with interviews, music videos, and other shenanigans set along the Mississippi River.

2017 • Latvia • 14 min • Jacob Dimiters

FC Flashback

This documentary features the difficult and time-consuming process of making a traditional expanded dugout canoe using mostly traditional hand tools and techniques. The woodworker is Rihards Vidzickis, an experienced green woodworker, wood sculptor and dugout canoe maker. Rihards’ passion for green wood and solid wood creations has only grown since his childhood days.

2017 • France • 6 min • Hugo Manghes

FC Flashback

La Torche shows two crazy French surfers, surfing by night the famous spot of La Torche, one of the best in France.

2017 • USA • 5 min • David Mossop

FC Flashback

Have you ever been that little kid sitting in the backseat of your parents car, wishing you were somewhere else? So you imagine a skier on the side of the road, your fingers commanding back flips, roof drops and improbable rail slides. Join us as we travel through the eyes of a young boy who brings professional urban skier Tom Wallisch to realization. Together, they turn an otherwise drab winter commute into a ski adventure for the ages.

2018 • USA • 5 min • Jordan Halland

FC Flashback

A dash of spelunking. A pinch of ice climbing. A sprinkle of semi-psychedelic light show. This brief recipe is just right for a short feast.

2018 • Canada • 9 min • Andrew Wyton

FC Flashback

In the film, the world’s freshwater supply has become too toxic to support mass human life. A lone survivor is mystically transported back in time to the present day, where he and his surf pals were still able to enjoy the greatness of the lakes before the toxifying effects of agricultural and industrial pollution reached a tipping point.

2016 • Norway • 6 min • Audun Fjeldheim & Sindre Kinnerød

FC Flashback

British artist Simon Beck walks with purpose through the snow, counting his paces and humming a tune. But Beck isn’t en rout to a typical winter adventure: Using snowshoes and a ski pole, he’s meticulously stomping elaborate geometric patterns in the pristine white of Norway’s mountain meadows.

2017 • Finland • 4 min • Ian Derry

FC Flashback

Finnish freediver Johanna Nordblad holds the world record for a 50-meter drive under ice. Her love for the sport came through cold-water treatment after recovering from a mountain biking accident.

2015 • USA • 12 min • Brendan Leonard & Fitz Cahall

FC Flashback

The first time Frank Sanders saw Devils Tower was in the sudden brilliance of a lightening strike. It sent a wave of anxiety through him, but the next day he climbed The Tower. Forty-three years later, he’s repeated that act more than 2,000 times and learned a thing or two about going up and not growing old.

2012 • USA • 8 min • Alex Horner

FC Flashback

Along with amazing wake skating imagery, you get to learn how cranberries get harvested. No berries were destroyed while making this. Cranberries are tough as hell, there was zero waste of food. As far as sanitation goes, it’s an open body of water. A few dudes in wetsuits won’t hurt a thing.

2016 • USA • 10 min • Palmer Morse & Matthew Mikkelsen

FC Flashback

For most of his life, Gordon Hempton has been in pursuit of nature’s myriad and multi-faceted soundscapes as an Emmy-winning acoustic ecologist. During that time, he has become a master of a skill that is inarguably a dying art: listening. In Being Hear he shares insights on the constant and nuanced communications of nature, the alarming extinction of places unaffected by human activity, the way quiet can open our eyes to the larger picture and the benefits of simply paying attention to place. Silence, as he puts it, “is the think tank of the soul.”

2015 • USA • 7 min • Jake Strassman

FC Flashback

Professional skier Banks Gilberti drops in on Minnesota and Wisconsin.

2016 • USA • 3 min • Aaron Peterson

FC Flashback

Meet the time-tested crew of blue collar trailblazers handcrafting a twisting, turning maze of old school singletrack through the iron-rich dirt of Negaunee and Ishpeming, Michigan.

2013 • USA • 7 min • Shawn Malone

FC Flashback

A northern Michigan celestial dark sky exposition from renowned night sky photographer Shawn Malone of Lake Superior Photo.

2014 • USA • 4 min • John Arnold

FC Flashback

Fly fishing for carp along the remote Lake Michigan flats of Beaver Land.

2019 • USA • 3 min • Liam Kaiser

Family Friendly, Filmmaker in Attendance

Trail Building is a art in itself. Palmer Woods follows trail Builder Matt Belic as he creates new paths in Leelanau, Michigan.

2019 • Australia • 4 min • Krystle Wright

Family Friendly

An ode to the athlete who relishes in getting dirty, who chuckles after a long day in the mountains, effortlessly glides through the crystal clear waves and most importantly, is unapologetic in pursuing their love of getting rowdy in adventures. Director Krystle Wright brings this next installment since the wild things never stopped playing.

2019 • USA • 7 min • Cameron Mattson & Matthew Key

Filmmaker in Attendance

Growing Freedom follows a family with humble origins turning their passion for farming into a rapidly expanding agricultural entrepreneurship. They’re bringing a new meaning to “homegrown” in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

2019 • USA • 12 min • Ethan Sperber

Filmmaker in Attendance

Four friends attempt to summit the Grand Teton in 2018, unprepared, they end up climbing themselves inches from death. Attempting to personally reflect on the incident, the simple question “why do I rock climb?” is harder to answer than it once seemed. After setting out on another trip west to try finding an honest answer, it is revealed that the rock provides much more than just an adrenaline rush.

2019 • USA • 12 min • Corey Robinson

Hike the Line follows two long-distance backpackers, Tenny Ostrem and Claire Wernstedt-Lynch, on the first ever thru-hike of the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border. For 175 days, these two women persevere through the most difficult adventure of their lives while gaining a unique perspective on America’s controversial immigration policies. Challenges around safety protocol and campsite selection tax the most valuable resource they have, each other. The hikers’ many encounters with activists, ranchers, Border Patrol, and migrants challenge their expectations about this highly contested region of our country.

2019 • USA • 9 min • David Ruck

In 2006, hypoxic water entered the water intake at Cleveland Water, turning the water supply yellow for its millions of customers. What happened and why? And what can technology do to help us prevent a crisis like this in the future?

2019 • USA • 3 min • Chris Zuker & Jason Whalen

Family Friendly, Filmmaker in Attendance

The frozen trails in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula look different every year. We’ll never get tired of exploring them.

2019 • USA • 4 min • Josh LeClair

Marquette native Joe Graci show us the process around his passion: Wood sculpting.

2019 • USA • 8 min • Joe Fairbanks

Filmmaker in Attendance

Homecoming is a paddling adventure that raises awareness about the threat of proposed sulfide-ore copper mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Northern Minnesota.

2019 • USA • 3 min • Brandon Rieck

Enjoy the mesmerizing contrast of flame and ice as two fire spinners work their magic around the grand island ice caves during a chilly winter night.

2018 • USA • 3 min • Heart of the Lakes

Filmmaker in Attendance

Sarah and Liz are Dogsledding guides for Nature’s Kennel Sled Dog Racing and Adventures. Moving to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula from San Francisco and Chicago, they consumed some amazing experiences — but these adventures in the snow-covered U.P. are threatened by climate change.

2019 • USA • 15 min • Brandon Rieck

Adult Content

Each year, in the remote desert outside Moab, highliners and spectators gather to enjoy a week filled with highlines,rope swings, base jumps, aerial arts, workshops and much more during the week of Thanksgiving. See the wild, jaw dropping adventures along the 400 foot cliffs and learn how organizers and volunteers have helped ensure the protection of the desert environment while accommodating for the growing crowd.