2026 • USA • 25 min • Annabel Edwards, Mito Habe-Evans

Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker

Two boys arrive at a remote summer camp in the Vermont woods. Free from screens and societal expectations, they learn to open up, support one another, and redefine what it means to be a boy.

2026 • USA • 14 min • Ryan Rumpca

Filmmaker in Attendance, Michigan Premiere, World Premiere, Making Waves Recipient

After years of addiction derailed his dreams, one man returns to Alaska to face 100 miles of sub-arctic wilderness and everything he left in it.

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

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.

2025 • USA • 8 min • John Berry Jr

Michigan Premiere, First Time Filmmaker, Adult Language, Subject in Attendance, Filmmaker in Attendance

Finding the Universe follows photographer John Berry as he journeys into the Colorado Rockies to capture a time-lapse of the Milky Way over his favorite alpine lake. Along the way, he reflects on personal struggles, creative perseverance, and the quiet, demanding work behind filming the night sky in the mountains.

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.

2026 • USA • 23 min • Mike Brooks

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.

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. 

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.

2025 • USA • 13 min • Elena Shepard

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.

2026 • USA • 23 min • Brett Marty and Josh Izenberg

Has Subtitles, Family Friendly, Michigan Premiere, Staff Pick

Plant Life captures Dr. Joanne Chory at a pivotal moment: as her Parkinson’s advances and carbon levels surge, she pursues her most audacious experiment yet. Having revolutionized plant biology once already, she and her team are re-engineering crops to draw down carbon dioxide at planetary scale — a scientific race against time that may determine both her legacy and our future.

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.

2025 • USA • 24 min • Danny Mizicko

Michigan Premiere, Staff Pick

A documentary chronicling the life and career of Kristian Svitak, a professional skateboarder hailing from Cleveland, Ohio. Known for his fearless style and dedication, Svitak has been a significant figure in shaping Ohio’s skateboarding culture.

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 • 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.

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.