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.
Subject in Attendance, Staff Pick
In the sterile storage of museums and archives our ancestor’s remains struggle to find their way home. The film follows eleven indigenous repatriation specialists that make up Michigan Anishinaabek Cultural Preservation & Repatriation Alliance, fighting to rebury and return ancestors from settler-colonial libraries, archives, and museums. Winner of the 2026 Sundance NEXT Audience Award.
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.
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.
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.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, Student Filmmaker
The filmmakers mother, Jennifer Johnson a fish biologist with the Michigan DNR, discusses her connection with ice fishing.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Staff Pick
Trail towns often face similar dilemmas when access to the outdoors, affordable housing and job creation compete for the same finite resources. Choosing Trail explores these issues in Marquette County, Michigan through conversations with land managers, business owners and trail advocates working to preserve and grow their beloved–but changing–community.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere
Cold Blooded Kari follows Minneapolis ultra winter athlete Kari Gibbons on her journey toward the legendary 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational on foot. Driven by an obsession with winter and the pursuit of endurance, Kari has become a respected leader in the growing community of female ultra winter athletes.
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.
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.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Michigan Premiere
Endless Ride follows artist Billy Coulon of Evergreen Skateparks and his crew making public parks as skateable art pieces all over the United States.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance
Frontier to Freedom is the origin story of Michigan from 1600-1837. Through a blend of expert interviews, archival imagery, and stunning visuals, the film traces our evolution from a vast wilderness inhabited by Indigenous peoples to its history of war and conflict on the American frontier, and the complex socio-political forces that shaped its path to statehood.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly
A group of high school students at a boarding school in Northern Michigan set out to make a film about regenerative farming, only to get tangled in the contradictions between what they learn and the system that feeds them.
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.
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.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, First Time Filmmaker
At 86 years old, Michigan fly fishing legend Jac Ford still paddles rivers across Michigan and Montana, guiding clients and teaching fellow guides his craft. In Jac, the master angler reveals some of his secrets, and shares a lifetime of wisdom for living a long, happy life.
Family Friendly
Inspired by the seasons and elements of the Upper Peninsula, Joseph Graci carves fine art that is textural, unique, and sense-awakening. This short film follows him as he works on his art in his studio and spends time in the expansive outdoors that inspires it.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker, World Premiere
Casual friends meet at a Lake Superior beach on a beautiful September morning. Soon they’re dipping regularly while their friendship grows as they show up for each other, and themselves dipping through the winter, in the icy lake.
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.
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.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Representative in Attendance, Student Filmmaker
_Organic Network _features interviews from urban farmers and experts in Flint, Michigan on the impact of the water crisis, COVID, benefits of local farming, and how the lives of the farmers have changed over the years.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere
Drafted by the Detroit Tigers 50 years ago, Mike Wilson never made it to the Major Leagues. Instead, he devoted his life to coaching youth baseball in Detroit. Now overseeing historic Hamtramck Stadium, the former Negro League ballpark where he fell in love with the game, Mike’s story reveals how mentorship, community, and baseball can shape generations.
Filmmaker in Attendance, Subject in Attendance, Family Friendly, Representative in Attendance, Staff Pick
In Michigan’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, teams from around the world compete in the MATE International ROV Competition. In this competition, the Thomson family from Alpena competes brother against sister against sister against father. Who will triumph in this test of engineering skills in the Great Lakes?
Michigan Premiere, Staff Pick
The last commercial fishermen of the Great Lakes struggle to survive as they face unprecedented ecological disasters, a changing climate, and outdated governmental regulations.
Has Subtitles
If a train in Detroit could talk, what would it say? This short film showcases the possible musings of Detroit’s tiny public transit system.
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.
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.
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.
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.