Join us for Fresh Coast Free, the annual kickoff event for the Fresh Coast Film Festival

Our free festival kickoff starts at 5pm with Marquette’s food trucks and a bluegrass concert at the Fresh Coast Basecamp tent in Lower Harbor Park. This family-friendly event is open to all, so bring a blanket and enjoy. Film screenings and award announcements begin at 7pm.

Troubled Water is an exhilarating adventure, conservation film that beckons viewers to follow along on a transformative journey down the stunning coast of Lake Michigan. As the journey unfolds, the film unveils the significance of the Line 5 pipeline issue, the dire need for collective action and the historic precedent that this movement would establish. If successfully shutdown, it would become the first active pipeline in US history to be terminated before it ruptures.

Special Program: Saturday Night with Katie Burrell! Katie is a comedian, actor, director, screenwriter, influencer, and “professional leisure athlete.” With a background in stand-up comedy and improv, her character driven creative skills have ranged from award-winning films ‘Dream Job’ and ‘Coach’ to viral brand content on social media. This past year, Katie wrote, directed and starred in her first feature film, WEAK LAYERS, which was in theatres in January 2024 and is now streaming.