90 New Films for 2025
Adventure. Conservation. Inspiration.
Title | Year | Country | Length | |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | (In)Security Directed by Christopher Lemkuil Food security is an issue for residents of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. (In)Security explores the food systems in the U.P., and how a few organizations are working to improve access to quality food. | 2024 | USA | 10 min |
![]() | 1969: Killers, Freaks, and Radicals Directed by Andrew Templeton Amid the radical politics and cultural upheaval of the late 1960s, a series of brutal murders targeting young women gripped the twin university towns of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan. This independent documentary examines not just a series of crimes, but the social and political tensions that enabled them—many of which still resonate today. | 2025 | USA | 111 min |
![]() | A Caregivers Journey Directed by Andrew J. Morgan & Nick Nummerdor A Caregivers Journey puts a spotlight on the lives and experiences of two Michigan caregivers who are caring for their aging loved ones. It’s a heartfelt first-hand look at the joy and challenges that come with caregiving. | 2024 | USA | 8 min |
![]() | A Paranormal Night in Eagle Harbor Lighthouse Directed by Eric Machiela On the shores of the Keweenaw Peninsula, a group of paranormal investigators break out their ghost hunting equipment and expertise to prove the historic Eagle Harbor Lighthouse is haunted. But their evidence leaves some unconvinced. | 2025 | USA | 15 min |
![]() | A Seething Underneath: Water Contamination in Wisconsin Directed by Nels Lindquist A Seething Underneath explores the stories of three Wisconsin communities grappling with the devastating challenges posed by water contamination – from lead in Milwaukee’s drinking water, to nitrate-polluted groundwater in the state’s farm country, to the threats posed by factory farming on the shores of Lake Superior. | 2025 | USA | 16 min |
![]() | A Wilderness Act Directed by Tom Deschenes and Nisogaabokwe Melonee Montano Indigenous and Western ways of knowing come together through the collaboration of a Anishinaabe scholar and college professor to redefine our understanding of wilderness and argue for the return of fire to our forests. | 2025 | USA | 12 min |
![]() | An Outlook on Your Life Directed by syddonut24 A visual essay from a first-time filmmaker explores how life is beautiful and complex. Enjoy every second of every day you have in this life. One day it will all be gone. | 2024 | USA | 4 min |
![]() | Asylum: Not Abandoned (Sizzle Reel) Directed by Kate and Rob Houle Filmmaker Kate Arpke Houle unravels her father’s unusual childhood inside a rural Wisconsin mental hospital, where he and his siblings grew up among patients. Not Abandoned explores family, resilience, and confronting darkness with curiosity in this unfolding Midwestern tale. | 2025 | USA | 4 min |
![]() | Beneath The Surface Directed by Nathan Fairbanks Set against the breathtaking landscape of the Great Lakes, Beneath The Surface follows a group of young girls from a Northern Michigan town as they embark on a summer of self-discovery and adventure including the challenging art of spearfishing in the cold, clear waters of the Great Lakes. | 2025 | USA | 6 min |
![]() | Beyond the Ashes Directed by Kevin Paczesny & Jada Pearson In November 2016 Gatlinburg, Tennessee was devastated by a wildfire that impacted thousands of families and businesses. Beyond the Ashes tells the stories of the families and businesses affected by the fire and how one city demonstrated resilience during its darkest times. | 2025 | USA | 15 min |
![]() | Bloodhound Dog Directed by Louis Moulin Bloodhound dog handlers have an essential role in Québec’s hunting ecosystem. Thanks to them, a large number of wounded and lost animals are found during hunting season. Meet Yves Martineau as he follows the long waits and intense searches that come with the job. | 2024 | Canada | 13 min |
![]() | Bouncy Brothers Directed by Nicholas J. Santore Bouncy Brothers examines the unspoken bond of brotherhood and what it looks like to take a second crack at the American dream. | 2025 | USA | 20 min |
![]() | Boundless Water Directed by Jorden Susewitz “Boundless Waters” tells the story of Jorden Susewitz - a seasoned conventional fisherman who had seemingly reached the pinnacle of his smallmouth bass pursuits. Feeling a sense of stagnation, he discovered the art of fly fishing, igniting a newfound passion and opening up a world of angling opportunities. | 2025 | United States | 11 min |
![]() | Breaking Ice: The Making of Cracks in the Ice Directed by Jason Lindsey “Breaking Ice” follows photographer Jason Lindsey creating his “Cracks in the Ice” series after his son Björn asked what the world will look like due to climate change. Unable to give clear answers to a child who craves stability due to his medical history, Lindsey turns to art to explore this question. | 2025 | USA | 4 min |
![]() | Camp Daggett - A Centennial Celebration Directed by John Curtis A heartwarming tribute, this centennial documentary celebrates tradition, nature, and the lasting impact of Camp Daggett on Northern Michigan families. | 2025 | USA | 24 min |
![]() | Catching Pinecones Directed by Chad Heddleston Catching Pinecones is the story of Jan and Herb Conn, pioneering rock climbers and cave explorers who lived life to the fullest on their own terms. Rejecting a conventional lifestyle in pursuit of adventure and fun, the Conns’ story reveals a legacy of renowned discoveries and their philosophies for a simple, well-lived life. | 2025 | USA | 71 min |
![]() | Citizen: The Jilmar Ramos Gomez Story Directed by José Guadalupe Jiménez Jr. “Citizen” explores the near deportation of Grand Rapids, Michigan-born U.S. citizen, Marine, and combat veteran Jilmar Ramos Gomez. This film scrutinizes the system that nearly expelled him, the collaboration between local law enforcement and I.C.E., and raises critical questions about who gets to define what it means to be American. | 2025 | USA | 29 min |
![]() | Color Out Here: Breaking Ice & Building Community Directed by Alan Helzer Rooted in the core values of uplifting representation, place, and public learning, this segment follows Alice Lyn and community members on a powerful journey to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where they learn to ice climb at Michigan Ice Fest. Color Out Here is a TV show highlighting BIPOC representation in the outdoors through Public Learning, Representation, and Place. Each episode explores outdoor activities, unique environmental narratives, and the intersection of identity with nature, inspiring inclusion and advocacy for equitable access to outdoor spaces. | 2025 | USA | 30 min |
![]() | Detroit to Gloryland Directed by Sierra Club Creative Team Eight Detroit youth venture to Yosemite National Park to meet legendary Park Ranger and fellow Detroiter, Shelton Johnson. A homecoming in the High Sierra ensues and the next generation is inspired to connect with and protect precious outdoor spaces. | 2024 | USA | 6 min |
![]() | Dinosaur Fish Directed by Jason Whalen The Lake Sturgeon has existed virtually unchanged for more than 130 million years. It survived a meteor impact and outlived the dinosaurs but we’ve found out it couldn’t survive in the face of human development. With only 1 percent remaining in the Great Lakes, conservationists in Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay are working to bring this iconic species back. | 2025 | USA | 23 min |
![]() | Driven Apart Directed by Rachel Kozlowski A documentary about urbanism and life on the road- how is a car centric society changing the way we interact? | 2025 | USA | 22 min |
![]() | Edgelands Directed by Ben Weaver Using relationship as a method of storytelling, Edgelands explores urban green spaces to see what’s thriving despite impositions of modern infrastructure. | 2025 | USA | 14 min |
![]() | Entrepreneur Directed by Nate Sheppard What does it take to start a small business in rural Wisconsin? ENTREPRENEUR explores the stories of four interconnected businesses in a historic building in downtown Rhinelander. | 2025 | USA | 13 min |
![]() | Feature Previews | FCFF Free! Directed by A mashup of teasers for the amazing feature films on offer at Fresh Coast 2025! | 2025 | -- | 10 min |
![]() | First Waves Beaver County Directed by Rishi Sethi First Waves Beaver County documents the expansion of the Watersmith Guild’s groundbreaking youth environmental education program into the Beaver and Ohio River valleys in the aftermath of the ethylene cracker plant’s penalties for pollution. | 2025 | USA | 5 min |
![]() | Flowing Forward Directed by Christy Frank, Alex Goetz Mud-thick boots, cold farmers, an adze chopping holes for tiny trees in a huge field. These are memorable images from a film that follows one recent restoration project of Ohio’s Black Swamp Conservancy to tell the larger story of the history and mission of the Conservancy. | 2023 | USA | 15 min |
![]() | For Nokomis Directed by Ainsley Patterson A short documentary about three generations of Ojibwe women from L’Anse, Michigan, sharing their stories about intergenerational trauma. | 2025 | USA | 11 min |
![]() | GHOSTBIKE Directed by Judith M. Finneren Love and forgiveness are the telling messages in this real life story of a family whose lives changed in a split second due to distracted driving. | 2014 | USA | 20 min |
![]() | Gigiigemin Baaga’adoweyang “We are healed by stickball” Directed by Finn Ryan In its creation story, the game of Baaga’adowewin is given as a gift and tool for life. After forced assimilation, the game was suppressed and remained dormant for almost a century. This film shares the return of Baaga’adowewin, or stickball, as Ojibwe communities walk the path of cultural revitalization and exercise their treaty rights to continue to heal from historical traumas and overcome challenges of today. | 2024 | USA | 11 min |
![]() | GOLD the Documentary Directed by Paige McKenna GOLD is a documentary exploring the lives of four current dancers and the owner of the Gold Nugget strip club in Spread Eagle, Wisconsin. The film focuses heavily on Dusty’s story, who was a dancer in the 90s. She has owned the club for 30 years, and runs the club in a way that empowers women, guiding them to further education, encourages them toward sobriety, and offers respect and support through unconditional (and sometimes tough) love. | 2024 | USA | 80 min |
![]() | Green Blah: The History of Green Bay Punk Rock Directed by James Baker and Chris Pretti Green Blah! The History of Green Bay Punk Rock is a documentary that tells the story of the punk scene of Green Bay, WI. Green Bay is the hometown of the smallest NFL franchise, the Green Bay Packers. It’s also home to paper mills, pickle factories and cheese curds. Green Bay fostered a punk scene that spawned from meager beginnings and had a hard-core roster of local punk bands some with ties to the football team itself!! | 2024 | USA | 119 min |
![]() | Haagua Directed by Marc Chavez and Octavio Aceves Coutiño Over 400 years ago, a major disturbance disrupted nature’s law along the West Coast, reshaping coastlines, Indigenous life, and traditions. Now, a new wave emerges, allowing Indigenous communities to thrive in harmony with nature. Haagua portrays the deep bond between Great Great-Grandmother Ocean and her great-grandchildren, where surfing is more than a sport—it is a cultural revival, reconnecting with ancestral ways of life. | 2024 | USA/Mexico | 16 min |
![]() | Honk for Peace Directed by Sabrina Greener In the wake of the Iraq war, anti-war protesters began gathering on a street corner in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Twenty years later, a small but dedicated group still gathers, their message unchanged. | 2025 | USA | 17 min |
![]() | ʻAʻā (An Islands Twinkle) Directed by Mysto A cross pacific journey to find one’s homeland on a 26 foot voyaging canoe. Join a pacific islanders path from learning the stars to eventually re discovering their island. | 2025 | USA | 45 min |
![]() | Is It Worth It? Directed by Summit Olson A 17-year-old’s first film offers an intimate look at the climate crisis, current events and a trip West through a teenagers eyes. It is brave to admit you are scared. | 2025 | USA | 8 min |
![]() | Lake Leelanau, Spirit of the Lake Directed by Keith Patterson Blending stunning visuals, heartfelt stories, and expert perspectives, “Lake Leelanau, Spirit of the Lake” is a heartfelt tribute to a lake that continues to shape the identity and memories of its community. | 2024 | USA | 24 min |
![]() | Land of Lost Toys Directed by Nicholas Stachurski In the heart of Detroit, a city with a rich history and a tapestry of diverse communities, “Land of Lost Toys” follows the interconnected lives of its residents, brought together by a shared passion to combat the city’s vast stray dog epidemic. This mosaic of characters carry their own burdens and dreams, navigating the challenges of life in Detroit. With conflicted views on the breeding, spaying and neutering this group of characters discuss the saddening results of disposability culture, lack of municipal support and overall care for “humans’ best friend”. Following our lead character James, we get a unique look into the world of dog fostering and rescuing as he navigates his own internal hardships and the emotional support dogs bring to him. | 2025 | USA | 23 min |
![]() | Language Back Directed by Dusan Harminc A short documentary about the importance of Native American language revitalization shot in Milwaukee, Keshena and Bjorklunden with Indigenous Nations Poets | 2025 | USA | 8 min |
![]() | Like Thunder Directed by Mark Serao In 2022, 17-year-old Marquette High School student Jordan DeMay’s life ended. What looked like a suicide revealed something far more sinister, an international scheme that preyed on his trust. | 2025 | USA | 55 min |
![]() | Love & Sugar Directed by Thomas C Johnson Love & Sugar celebrates how Stephen Loveland, renowned Saint Paul, Minnesota ice cream man, purposefully inspires kindness. | 2024 | USA | 4 min |
![]() | Make the Time Directed by Danielle Steffey “Make the Time” is a film that follows two friends on a canoe trip through Canada’s backcountry, beginning and ending at Lake Missinaibi. The story is filled with stunning landscapes, laughter, and moments of personal challenge. Embark on an unforgettable journey with Danielle and Tim as they paddle across pristine lakes and navigate twenty portages, including one uniquely by train! It’s a heartfelt reminder to make time for adventure, friendship, and what truly matters. | 2025 | USA | 36 min |
![]() | Mississippi Speed Record: An Epic Adventure Directed by Alex Maier and Amy Robin 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. | 2024 | USA | 44 min |
![]() | Mother River Directed by Jeremiah Schuster A look into Devin Brown’s journey as she seeks to be the First black female on record to kayak the entire Mississippi River. | 2025 | USA | 7 min |
![]() | Of The Black Sea Directed by Hennie van Jaarsveld Join Turkic-American pro-skier, Giray Dadali, on his journey to answer a life-long question: Which has a greater influence; the heritage from which you descended or the culture in which you were raised? | 2025 | USA | 37 min |
![]() | Of Two Worlds Directed by Mikayla Swanson The story of hardship, growth and resilience many indigenous women experience. | 2024 | USA | 13 min |
![]() | Our Terrain Directed by Anna Brannon Missouri isn’t a place most people think of when they think of ultra running. But it’s here on the rolling hills and chunky karst terrain where race director Shalini Bhajjan has built Terrain Trail Runners, a community of long distance ultra trail runners. Follow along as three members of this community set out to complete Shalini’s toughest race and run 100 miles through extreme weather in the Ozark foothills. | 2025 | USA | 29 min |
![]() | Platte To Platte Directed by Grant Piering Grant takes an unconventional road trip in a tiny 33 year old kei car from Japan, with a simple goal: to challenge the narrative that electric vehicles are the greener choice. | 2025 | USA | 18 min |
![]() | Pulse of the Great Lakes Directed by Daniel Wroblewski A look at the annual efforts to deploy and maintain the data collecting buoys by the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences. From scientists and sailors to weather forecasters and beachgoers, these buoys play an integral part of our lives to help us better understand and respond to the changing conditions of the Great Lakes. | 2025 | USA | 11 min |
![]() | Restoring Northern Michigan's Rivers Directed by Jason Whalen/Fauna Creative 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 | 3 min |
![]() | Resurgo: Detroit Directed by Stephen McGee Detroit endured six decades of massive disinvestment, losing its primary industry in what is often described as the largest economic withdrawal in U.S. history. Its industry collapsed, its skyline dimmed. Yet the city’s spirit refused to vanish. Some call what followed the greatest comeback story in the nation. Others insist Detroit never left at all. Now, through the eyes of a two-time Emmy Award–winning filmmaker and the voice of a celebrated poet, comes a story told from the ground up. Drawn from a twenty-year archive of over three million photographs and thousands of hours of unseen footage, this cinematic journey redefines an iconic city through the lives of the people who lived it. | 2025 | USA | 94 min |
![]() | Return of the Lake Sturgeon Directed by Daniel Larson Green Bay Lake Sturgeon during their spring spawning run are blocked from traveling up the Menominee River by the first set of dams. The 12-minute documentary explores the sturgeon lift operation, how the sturgeon make their way past the dams and spawn 22 miles upriver at the Grand Rapids Dam. | 2025 | USA | 11 min |
![]() | Reviving the Legend Directed by Ian McGrew With a single Facebook post, a small mountain in upstate New York received national attention and captured the hearts of the entire ski industry. | 2025 | USA | 26 min |
![]() | Roots Directed by Danny Schmidt In the Dominican Republic, baseball is more than just a sport—it’s a way of life. Every child dreams of playing in the “big leagues,” and nearly every adult knows someone who has. However, as the nation’s passion for baseball flourishes, its natural environment is under threat from rapid development. Mangroves, which provide vital ecological benefits, are being destroyed to make way for new infrastructure. Despite this, there is hope. | 2024 | USA | 12 min |
![]() | Saving The Night Caller | Uncovering Echoes In The Dark Directed by Gregg McLachlan A hauntingly beautiful conservation documentary that follows wildlife researchers from Birds Canada and the University of Waterloo deep into the forests of southwestern Ontario, Canada to uncover the mysterious world of the Eastern Whip-poor-will — a nocturnal bird whose call once echoed across the night, and is now slowly falling silent. | 2025 | Canada | 21 min |
![]() | ScrapFest: An Artist's Journey Directed by Karen Stefl “ScrapFest: An Artist’s Journey” chronicles the transformation of an artist as he turns scrap metal into stunning sculptures—celebrating resilience, community, and reclaimed beauty. Embracing sobriety, Andrew carved out his own second chance while also giving new life to scrap, crafting beautiful pieces that express his experiences and himself. | 2025 | USA | 19 min |
![]() | Snail Hunters Directed by Jim Aikman A team of evolutionary biologists from the University of Idaho travels to the Galápagos Islands to solve the Earth’s biodiversity crisis. The twist? They aren’t studying the iconic tortoises or blue footed boobies on this storied archipelago—they are Snail Hunters, studying a more unlikely subject in the crucible of evolution. By understanding the unique traits that make snails a champion of coexistence, the multi-disciplinary scientists hope to unlock a brighter future for humanity and the planet. | 2025 | USA, Ecuador | 61 min |
![]() | Somber Tides Directed by Chantal Caron Somber Tides is a cry from the species, startled into survival against the elements. One last breath before being trampled by the Earth or maybe conversely a battle to wage against winds and tides clutching on before extinction. | 2024 | Canada | 12 min |
![]() | Something in the Water Directed by Nateya Taylor _Something in the Water _follows five water justice advocates who discuss how Milwaukee’s Black communities are disproportionately being lead poisoned, the debilitating effects it has on residents’ health, and their hopes to see equitable change that will heal the water and Black resident’s relationship to it. | 2024 | USA | 12 min |
![]() | Sueños De Una Monarca (Dreams of a Monarch) Directed by Julián Trejo Bax After turning her Chicago home into a monarch butterfly sanctuary, Claudia Galeno-Sánchez, an environmental activist, Mexican immigrant, and mother is on a mission to save the monarch butterfly, an important symbol for both her family and millions of others in the United States. | 2025 | USA, Mexico | 20 min |
![]() | Taste of Home Directed by Jordan Boehm Taste of Home follows Mimi and Eak, a Thai couple who run a beloved restaurant in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Through a blend of vérité footage and intimate interviews, we observe a full day in their lives, from morning prep to closing time, they navigate the joys and challenges of running an authentic Thai kitchen in America. | 2025 | USA | 11 min |
![]() | The Bird and the Bee Directed by Matt Pirrall How does a satire comedy website find itself on the front lines of the debate over free speech online? Seth Dillon and his team at the Babylon Bee,tell the story of how they unwittingly found themselves at war with Twitter over a joke, eventually garnering the attention of Elon Musk and ushering in a new era for the social media company. | 2024 | USA | 18 min |
![]() | The Bird House | On The Edge At Long Point Directed by Gregg McLachlan Filmed over two field seasons spanning three years, The Bird House tells the story of the impacts of weather, storms and high water at Canada’s most isolated bird banding and research station located at the tip of a 20-mile long wind-swept sandspit in the middle of Lake Erie. | 2023 | Canada | 16 min |
![]() | The Celebration Directed by Duane Peterson III A dedicated group of paddlers embarks on a seven-day journey along Vermont’s Upper Missisquoi and Trout Rivers, celebrating the 10th anniversary of their Wild & Scenic designation. | 2025 | USA | 29 min |
![]() | The Developer Directed by DJ Viernes The Developer is about outdoor climbing areas and how they are discovered, established, and maintained. Follow Michigan climber Brendan Baars and his journey to put The Nooks — a newly developed crag in northern Ontario — on the climbing community’s map. | 2025 | USA | 85 min |
![]() | The End of the World Directed by Anthony Lietart Maxime Chabloz is a seafarer, a man of the sea, a versatile athlete and a lover of the wind and watersports. Often surrounded by the ocean and other enthusiasts, this time he decides to go alone on a unique journey to the end of the world and this ode to the sea. | 2024 | France | 31 min |
![]() | The Forest Directed by Jorden Susewitz The definition of a trophy hunt is different for all hunters. This adventure and the path is my trophy taken. The Forest features the opportunity to go afield in the wild places of Northern Michigan’s pristine public lands in search of whitetail deer and your own personal adventure. | 2019 | United States | 10 min |
![]() | The Grand Ride Directed by Sawyer Harris The Grand Ride follows Grand Rapids, Michigan rider Patrick Ellis as he carves his way through West Michigan’s best mountain bike trails. From the punchy climbs of Richmond Park to the fast flow of The Underground and the lush loops of The Bike Park this film is a love letter to the region’s growing trail network and tight-knit riding community. | 2025 | North America | 3 min |
![]() | The Healing Soil: Detroit's Urban Farming Directed by Isabelle Tavares Urban farming empowers Detroiters to reclaim their food supply. Three Detroiters to share what urban farming does for them emotionally and physically. Their stories are unique, but all use urban gardening to connect with their communities and understand what’s going in their bodies. | 2024 | USA | 12 min |
![]() | The Iceland Cycling Expedition: A Rigorous Journey to End Myeloma Directed by Heimir fReyr Hlöðversson A team of 15 multiple myeloma survivors, care partners, and world-renowned physicians, embarks on the Iceland Cycling Expedition (ICE). Their mission: to cycle through Iceland’s rugged landscape to raise critical funds for groundbreaking myeloma research. | 2024 | USA | 14 min |
![]() | The Inner Sea Directed by Kate Stapleton The Inner Sea is an unconventional love story–a story about music, adoption, the journey of a lifetime, and a bright blue 40 foot school bus. This film explores the complex issues of identity that result from the decision to place a child for adoption. It is also a film that explores the role that art plays in suffering, and healing. | 2024 | USA | 52 min |
![]() | The Invisible Mammal Directed by Kristin Tièche Against the backdrop of the sixth mass extinction, an all-woman team of biologists set out to save bats from a deadly fungal disease, but when the COVID-19 pandemic interrupts their work, they are sent down a path of discovery that illuminates the connections between bat conservation and the spread of infectious disease. “The Invisible Mammal” is a captivating feature documentary that follows “Team Fat Bat,” a dedicated group of women scientists led by Dr. Winifred Frick, Chief Scientist of Bat Conservation International, as they strive to save North America’s bats from the devastating effects of white-nose syndrome (WNS). The film introduces the urgency of their mission through Dr. Frick’s passionate mentorship of her young son Darwin and her relentless pursuit of solutions to combat WNS. In 2019, Dr. Alice Chung-MacCoubrey’s discovery of the WNS-causing fungus in Northern California propels Dr. Frick’s team to pilot a new research project called “Operation Fat Bat” in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, aiming to increase bats’ survival rates through innovative methods. The project faces setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the spread of misinformation about bats, but public educators like Corky Quirk and researchers like Dr. Kevin Olival emphasize the importance of bat conservation for ecosystem and human health. As restrictions ease, Team Fat Bat resumes their efforts, ultimately achieving positive results and celebrating with the awe-inspiring “batnado” at Bracken Cave, symbolizing hope for the future of North America’s bats. | 2025 | USA | 89 min |
![]() | The Last to Leave | saving the ash tree from extinction Directed by Nick Loud The film tells the story of how researchers discover ‘lingering ash’ trees, and use them to genetically breed emerald ash borer resistant trees. They hope to someday plant resistant trees back in forests across the country. A production from Points North Podcast & The Boardman Review in partnership with Great Lakes Now / Detroit PBS. | 2025 | United States | 10 min |
![]() | The Life We Have Directed by Sam Price-Waldman For over three years, Rob Shaver, 48, has run at least a mile every single day. Through rain, pain, and the weight of a terminal cancer diagnosis, his daily streak has become more than a habit — it’s an act of resilience, a step-by-step refusal to surrender to his disease. The Life We Have traces Rob’s two-decade journey with stage four cancer, confronting profound questions at the heart of the human experience: What gives life meaning when time feels fragile? How do we keep moving forward when suffering feels endless? As the film unfolds and Rob’s story deepens, we are invited into an intimate meditation on mortality, movement, and a reminder to cherish the life we have. | 2025 | USA | 24 min |
![]() | The Little Ancestor Directed by Alexa Tremblay-Francoeur On a windswept hill, in a place still young and devoid of all life, an ancestral house builds itself. The house comes to life and unveils its long life of one hundred and fifty years. Brick by brick and beam by beam, each action, big or small, shows life. Over the years, it leads us to feel the passage of time, the transformations of its surroundings and its vulnerability in the face of the unstoppable frenzy of our urban growth. The house evolves quietly in the heart of a growing and buzzing city that will eventually bring its end. | 2024 | Canada | 11 min |
![]() | The Seven Grandfathers Teachings Directed by City of Marquette Public Art Commission The Seven Grandfathers Teachings sculpture, created by renowned Anishinaabeg artist Jason Quigno, is an installation in the public art collection of the City of Marquette that honors the foundational principles of Anishinaabe culture. | 2025 | USA | 5 min |
![]() | The Spirit Gardens at Bad River Directed by Finn Ryan 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. | 2025 | USA | 8 min |
![]() | The Voice Behind Art Directed by Haley Holland For many, art is simply something to be observed and appreciated; for others, it serves as an outlet, a form of expression, and even a way of life. The Voice Behind Art delves into the minds of three artists, offering an intimate glimpse into their creative processes and stories. Experiencing art is powerful, but understanding the artist is personal. | 2025 | USA | 7 min |
![]() | The Wild Mile: A River Reborn Directed by House of Bug Productions Explore the evolution and transformation of a stretch of the Chicago River into a thriving habitat and neighborhood fixture through the Wild Mile, the world’s first floating eco-park planned and developed by nonprofit Urban Rivers. | 2025 | USA | 9 min |
![]() | This is FLINT | Almar Orchards Directed by Aaron Peterson, Darryn Schulte Almar Orchards near Flint, Michigan is a five generation farm and Michigan’s first organic apple orchard. Family bonds and unique climate characteristics help the Koan family provide food for their community and hard cider to the world. | 2025 | USA | 4 min |
![]() | This is FLINT | Mama Sol Directed by Aaron Peterson, Darryn Schulte Mama Sol is a spoken word artist, rapper and community activist in Flint, Michigan. This is more than a hustle, it’s her passion, and she’s proud to rep the 8-1-0. | 2025 | USA | 4 min |
![]() | This is FLINT | Mural Artist Kevin Burdick Directed by Aaron Peterson, Darryn Schulte Kevin Burdick is a nationally recognized mural artist from Flint, Michigan. Join KevScraps14 on a tour of downtown art and the backstory on how a low point in Flint’s history led to it becoming a street art hotspot. | 2025 | USA | 3 min |
![]() | To Trinity Directed by Ryan Broussard When a father is faced with health issues caused by nearby petrochemical plants, he must make a decision: stay and fight for his community, or leave and save his family. | 2025 | USA | 15 min |
![]() | Trust Directed by Jorden Susewitz This story is about the relationship between an ARCHERY TECH and a HUNTER who holds a once-in-a-lifetime archery elk tag in Utah. | 2024 | United States | 12 min |
![]() | Turtle Walker Directed by Taira Malaney In the late 1970s, Satish Bhaskar embarked on an epic journey along India’s coastline and the spectacular Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where he uncovered the vital nesting beaches of sea turtles. During his death-defying quest, he unravels mysteries surrounding these enigmatic ocean creatures – and sets out to save them from extinction. | 2024 | India, USA | 75 min |
![]() | Voices of The Grand River Directed by Andrew Doyle Ron Yob, chairman of the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians, seeks to gain federal recognition for his tribe from the federal government. Through Yob’s fight, he walks viewers through the historical evidence of the tribe’s presence in Grand Rapids to understand why the tribes deserve their federal rights. | 2024 | USA | 10 min |
![]() | Weathering the Change: Climate Adaptation at Rush Creek Directed by Ben Albert In the face of climate change, Wisconsin conservationists are protecting the plants and wildlife at Rush Creek State Natural Area. Using fire and innovative adaptive techniques, their proactive approach offers a model for building resilience across our natural spaces in an uncertain future. In partnership with the Natural Resources Foundation of WI. | 2025 | USA | 9 min |
![]() | When I'm in the Water Directed by Kennedy Laylon When I’m in the Water is a film centered around a group of women, called the Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage, in Cape Cod, Mass. fighting to revitalize not only their own lives and the lives of their fellow group members, but the ecosystems consisting of hundreds of ponds in the Cape. Throughout their journey to clean up the ponds, members of the group have found an accepting and supporting community to aid them in their personal journeys, harnessing their mental fortitude and discovering physical strength at their age. | 2025 | USA | 12 min |
![]() | Where the Wind Takes You Directed by Ryan Rumpca / Nate Dodge Following in his father’s footsteps of polar exploration, captain Peter Schurke takes us up the West coast of Svalbard in a small sailboat, dwarfed by the towering mountains of this arctic archipelago. | 2025 | Norway | 12 min |
![]() | Wired to Inspire: Riding the La Crosse Omnium Directed by Nicholas Kapanke Elite cyclist Noah Collins reflects on his journey in the sport while hoping to inspire the next generation as he competes in the La Crosse Omnium in La Crosse, WI, the only three-day omnium in the United States. | 2025 | USA | 10 min |
![]() | Your Last Best: A Memphis Rox Story Directed by Glen Janssens Hope comes to a South Memphis neighborhood that has struggled with basic resources. It takes the unlikely form of a climbing gym, where Jarmond Johnson and others experience different outcomes on the wall. From the Director: An incredibly devastating note that has changed the trajectory of our film. and the entire Rox community - Jarmond Johnson - the film’s main subject and a deeply loved figure in the Memphis Rox community was shot and killed on June 29th while doing the work he loved, serving the people he loved. The whole community has been rocked, but they’ve responded with love, resilience and positive action. | 2025 | USA | 16 min |
![]() | Yours, Marquette: A Project Knot Work FIlm Directed by Eleanor Dohrenwend (lead director), Vesper Clark-Bonk, Iris Dohrenwend, Ondine Clark-Bonk, Graceyn Kitchel, Edith Kitchel, Atlas Erdman, Nathie Adams, Aegis Duck MacIvor-Andersen, Charlotte Lester, Zoe Gramana, Levin MacIvor-Andersen A perspective of life in Marquette, MI through the lens of Project Knot Work, a community of 12 self-directed homeschooled kids. | 2024 | USA | 10 min |