All We Carry follows a young family’s extraordinary journey as they flee persecution from narcotraffickers in Honduras and endure months in US detention. Upon their release, a local synagogue sponsors the family while they await the final decision on their asylum case. Over three years, the family navigates countless life-altering and every-day moments where memory, joy, and grief collide.

All We Carry is a love story about a couple that finds community in an unexpected place while they attempt to heal from their past.

Directed by Cady Voge

88 minutes

When Lasik eye surgery destroys a filmmaker’s vision, she decides to make a movie about it. What starts out as an attempt to hang onto her lifelong passion turns into a harrowing investigation into a multibillion industry and the discovery of an underground network of thousands of patients permanently scarred by Lasik, the so-called “safest elective surgery on the market.” Minnesota filmmaker Dana Conroy’s debut feature is an intimate and explosive documentary that demands to be seen.

Directed by Dana Conroy

78 minutes

In the remote mountain villages of Bamyan, Afghanistan, a newfound passion for skiing attracts young athletes from rival ethnic groups to the slopes. With minimal gear and makeshift wooden skis, the determined ski coach Alishah Farhang organizes a thrilling ski race that fosters camaraderie, joy, and triumph. However, after the shocking collapse of their country, many of the skiers are displaced across the globe as refugees, and must call upon the lessons learned in the mountains of their homeland to find a way to rebuild.

CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY captures the thrill of a sports rivalry intertwined with a poignant portrait of a community in profound transition -- parallel stories converging to explore what it means to be a champion, in all its forms.

Directed by Ben Sturgulewski

81 minutes

This film is only available in person at the festival.

Programmatic advertising systems are responsible for placing the vast majority of digital ads on the web, using sophisticated algorithms to automatically match products with potential customers. Only a handful of big tech and social media companies control this technology, helping sustain their monopoly over this multi-billion dollar industry.

‘The Click Trap’ reveals how this same digital advertising economy is also helping to fuel scams, dis- and mis- information and extremist hate online, making dodgy and even criminal “content creators” rich in the process. Drawing on expert testimony, it investigates what real world impact digital advertising is having on our societies and questions whether there’s a safer and more ethical way to do business.

Is it time to regulate online advertising?

Directed by Peter Porta

90 minutes

After a 3 year hiatus, Dream State returns to the ice, and heads north to Hockeytown, USA. Following a double overtime loss at the Xcel Energy Center in 2023, and the unexpected losses of both a beloved coach, and a generational hockey icon, the identity of Warroad has never faltered. The varsity boys have a rekindled spark of intensity that could have easily extinguished in the face of such losses. Embed yourself with the team, and skate through the ups and downs of the 2023-24 season, as Warroad Varsity sets it's sights on St. Paul. This is Dream State.

Directed by Ian Fritz

69 minutes

‘Flash Wars’ dives into the disturbing world of autonomous weapons. We explore why it’s so hard to teach morality to an AI and think about ways that autonomous weapons could make future wars more humane. And we follower ex-hacker Alberto Pelliccione into a secret world of spy software, military contractors and cyberweapons sold by European companies to authoritarian regimes. First, there was the invention of gunpowder, then the atomic bomb. Now we find ourselves at the threshold of another dramatic escalation in the field of armed conflict.

Directed by Daniel Andrew Wunderer

94 minutes

Winner of "Best Feature Documentary" at the 2024 Interrobang Film Festival, "Heart Sisters" tells the story of two girls, ages 6 and 2, from separate families who formed a close bond while living in a pediatric hospital as they both awaited life-saving heart transplants. Alongside their emotional journeys, this hour-long documentary takes viewers into the operating room and, via interviews with the very people who make transplants happen, answers the question, "So, how exactly does a heart transplant work?" The epitome of independent film, “Heart Sisters” was directed, produced, written, recorded and edited entirely by one person and is the debut feature-length film from Christopher Phillips, a self-taught filmmaker and photographer.

Directed by Christopher Phillips

64 minutes

Incarcerated men and women share their stories and how making art has led to their recovery.

Directed by Barbara Wiener

64 minutes

No one fights to preserve a multiplex, but some people will risk everything to save a marquee. Through booms and busts, Delft Theatres Inc. - and its innovative gem, The Nordic - endured in Marquette for almost 100 years, even as the world changed endlessly around them.

Local teenager Bernie Rosendahl’s modern crusade as an adult to restore the historic arthouse to its former glory leads filmmakers to discover a hidden cinema empire in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Portraying the fascinating history of motion pictures through one iconic screen - "Marqueetown" is the true story of chasing your dreams, redefining failure and success, and reembracing the enduring magic of movies.

Directed by Joseph Beyer and Jordan Anderson

83 minutes

The A Sea Change for Superior documentary examines the dramatic warming of famously frigid Lake Superior, the world’s largest lake (by surface area), which is now among the fastest warming of the world's largest lakes. The hour-long film, which has been nominated for a 2024 regional Emmy award and selected for multiple festival screenings, explores why this sea change is happening and what it means for the lake's natural systems and human communities, and those whose livelihoods are closely bound to this wondrous natural and cultural resource.

Directed by John Thain

Produced by John Shepard

60 minutes

A contemporary portrait of America, told through a collection of stories observed within the walls of former Pizza Hut buildings across the country. These nostalgic spaces hold memories of a bygone era, but through the power of transformation, they provide something new and special for the communities that continue to flow through them.

From an LGBTQ+ church in Florida, to a karaoke bar in Texas, to a cannabis dispensary in rural Colorado, these modern-day portraits are paralleled with the origin story of Pizza Hut - one of America's most iconic brands, and the two brothers who founded the company in Wichita, Kansas in 1958.

Directed by Matthew Salleh

82 minutes

This film is only available in person at the festival.

"Wildboy" chronicles the incredible journey of Brando, a young man with ADHD, who sets out on adventures around the globe to rediscover himself. At 18, he spends two years walking New Zealand’s entire coastline, sparking a decade of daring challenges like skiing across Greenland and biking through Australia’s Outback. Alongside breathtaking landscapes and extreme physical challenges, the film explores his struggles with identity, mental health, and purpose, offering a raw, inspiring tale of resilience and self-discovery.

Directed by Toby Schmutzler

92 minutes

376 Days (Nick Cave: Keep it Movin’) takes viewers on an intimate exploration of acclaimed artist Nick Cave’s life and creative process as he prepares for a retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, marking the culmination of his illustrious 40-year career. The focus extends to an extraordinary 80-piece couture fashion performance titled “The Color Is,” which beautifully celebrates themes of gender identity and acceptance.

Nazaire-Miller’s inspiring documentary offers an unfiltered glimpse into Cave’s authentic vulnerability and humanity as both an artist and a cherished member of his community. It’s a testament to the profound love and support that surrounds him. 376 Days confidently signals that Cave’s body of work will continue to resonate and leave an indelible mark on the art world for generations to come.

Directed by Claude-Aline Miller

36 minutes

In their milestone 10th season, the resilient all-girls First Robotics Team, the Accelerators, strive to make it to the MN State Championships for the first time in their school's history.

Directed by Leah Xiuzhen Rathe

23 minutes

Prankster activists perform an elaborate hoax to improve conditions for garment workers in the Adidas supply chain. Staging a shocking runway show at Berlin Fashion Week, they use humor and mischief to make the world pay attention to labor and environmental abuses that the massive sportswear brand is trying to hide.

Directed by Keil Orion Troisi & Igor Vamos

21 minutes

In "Aldo's Bug Extravaganza," join 5-year-old Aldo and his dad on a backyard safari filled with tiny wonders and big laughs. Armed with a camera and boundless curiosity, Aldo embarks on a bug-hunting escapade, narrating his discoveries with adorable wit and charm. As the week unfolds, Aldo's wide-eyed explorations not only capture the audience's imagination, but also subtly echo the timeless wisdom of Aldo Leopold, making for a delightful and endearing ode to the joy of nature's smallest marvels.

Directed by Neil Losin

6 minutes

“If you listen to nature, it will lead the way…” Elder Gagaj Taimanav

Steeped in symbolism and no larger than a child’s hand, the diminutive bird known as the Armea is found in only one place on Earth: the Pacific island of Rotuma.

After scores of performances around the world and years away from Rotuma, ARMEA opens as the dedicated dancers and musicians of Rako Pasefika make their long awaited return home to the island. Arriving by air yet received just as their seafaring predecessors were, the Rako team engages with creative elders in the hopes of revitalizing ancient stories that are in danger of being forgotten. As Rako prepares to perform a new production inspired by the totemic Armea, their relationships with elders, knowledge keepers, healers, artisans and cultural custodians reveal deep and reciprocal connections to this ancient land and to the immense ocean from which it rises. Both an offering to those who have guided the way — such as the hån lep he rua sacred women — and a promise to sustain sacred artforms for generations to come, ARMEA is an ode to all that is small yet sacred.

Directed by Letila Mitchell

20 minutes

Trapped in a shower for six hours in Amsterdam.

Directed by Tom Schroeder

4 minutes

Beyond the Green Veil sets to explore the juxtaposition between backcountry recreation and the access the logging industry provides. Most outdoor enthusiasts are also environmentalists, caring deeply for the natural world and the locations. However, access to these spots is dictated by a necessary but destructive logging industry.

Directed by Drew Austin and Elena Jean

28 minutes

Interweaving the rhythms of daily life on the ranch and wild horses on the range, "Beyond the Herd" tells the story of Mexican-American equestrians Amber and Isidro. Their kinship with mustangs echoes their own experiences with discrimination and 'otherness.' As resources dwindle for wild horses, their bond becomes a symbol of resilience, transforming once-wild mustangs into lifelong companions.

Directed by Michelle Fenn

20 minutes

Maria Granberg lives to conquer the world's highest mountains. It's her way of trying to understand herself better and evolve as a person. It's also a means of coping with the darkness that comes and goes in life. BRAVE - HOW THE MOUNTAIN SAVED MY LIFE is a film about confronting one's vulnerability to find the courage to truly live.

Directed by Martin Sandin

24 minutes

A deeply personal documentary that follows Team England parasurfer and Paralympian, Hannah Dines, who lives with cerebral palsy and PSC, from the shores of Wales to California to compete in the World Championships.

Directed by Christina Yianni

10 minutes

Winding through the maze of downtown Chicago, the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors work alongside the Field Museum and Willowbrook Wildlife Center to rescue birds that collide with windows, and study the birds that are killed during their annual migrations. The tenderhearted work presents a lens of environmental change that impacts every landscape.

Directed by Erika Valenciana & Mitchell Wenkus

18 minutes

A story of hope and healing from a daughter’s vulnerable journey to find love and acceptance of her father beyond the trauma experienced from his struggles with schizophrenia.

Directed by Naomi McDougall Jones

23 minutes

This is a story about feeling the wind in your hair, no matter where you are on life’s journey. The film follows John, a retired teacher, and his merry group of volunteers as they use pedal-powered rickshaws to give adventure and joy to those who have lost the ability to ride themselves. Through the intimate moments of these rides, Cycling Without Age asks audiences to consider the importance of the outdoors for those who are all too often trapped inside.

Directed by Isaac Seigel-Boettner

27 minutes

By studying the flight of insects and birds, scientists hope to create the next generation of efficient bio-inspired flying machine: like the famous inventions of Leonardo da Vinci, they are reimagining new ways of flight.

Animal flight is one of the most complex tasks that evolution has ever managed to achieve and it has been a source of fascination for humankind since antiquity. Leonardo da Vinci drew inspiration from nature to design the first flying machines which unfortunately would never take flight.

Today paleontologists and biologists are rewriting entire pages of the history of life on earth, thanks to their discoveries regarding the first flying insects, and how the theropod dinosaurs’ transformed into birds.

Directed by Clément Champiat

58 minutes

Gath and K’iyh: Listen to Heal is a poetic visual exploration of a community-led creative arts project aimed at better understanding and restoring our relationship with gath (king salmon) and k’iyh (birch) relatives as we navigate our feelings around climate change in Alaska. Gath and K’iyh are words from the Benhti Kokhut’ana Kenaga’ (Lower Tanana) dialect spoken in the Interior Region of Alaska. Guided by the voice and wisdom of Ahtna Elder Fred John, this film invites viewers to pause, to listen, to sing and dream together and ask how we might be in better relationship to the natural world around us.

Directed by Princess Daazhraii Johnson

9 minutes

Girls Who Wanna Surf is a heartwarming documentary short that captures a group of women learning to surf their first waves. Fun yet thought-provoking, the women embrace the challenge with the support of the community that rallied for them. Together, they showcase the power of sisterhood and breaking barriers through surfing.

Directed by Janelle Bakacs

15 minutes

Hakki Akdeniz, a Turkish immigrant, exemplifies the American dream as the owner and executive chef of Champion Pizza in New York City. After facing homelessness for 96 days at the Bowery Mission, he found work as a dishwasher and was inspired to become the best pizza maker after seeing a street performer. His determination led him to win the International Pizza Expo in 2010, launching his successful career. Now with over 20 million Instagram followers and a line of frozen pizzas, he remains humble and generous. Every week, he gives away hundreds of pizzas to those in need, spreading kindness in his community.

Directed by David Larson

30 minutes

How to Sue the Klan is the story of how five Black women from Chattanooga used legal ingenuity to take on the Ku Klux Klan in a historic 1982 civil case, fighting to hold them accountable for their crimes and bring justice to their community. Their victory set a legal precedent that continues to inspire the ongoing fight against organized hate.

Directed by John Beder

34 minutes

This film is only available in person at the festival.

A young Dayak Iban girl growing up in the forests of central Borneo follows ancient connections to earn the gift of a story – how her community united to stop logging companies and government officials from taking their lands amid rampant deforestation.

Directed by Kynan Tegar

15 minutes

Ada; She is a little girl living in a dry village where it has not rained for a long time. Ada's family is considering leaving the village if the thirst continues. Ada is very upset about this and wants to tell us about her village with her camera. She goes to a lake that used to be full of water and visits the island named after her. But she sees that the lake is completely dry, the soil is cracked and there is no water left in it.

Directed by Mahmut Taş

5 minutes

"It's Time" is a poetic 4-minute film born from a personal journey of discovery, set in early spring, in our backyard on the banks of the Sangamon River in Illinois. The film combines the ancient practice of maple syrup making with flute music, using the tree's awakening as a metaphor for environmental awareness. The film honors Indigenous peoples like the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Wabanaki who originated maple syrup harvesting, while aiming to inspire viewers to become environmental stewards.

Directed by Jason Lindsey and Scott Krahn

4 minutes

Embark on a breathtaking journey with the Blue Morpho butterfly as it navigates the perils of the jungle in a remarkable cycle of transformation. Featuring rare, intimate footage from hatching to flight, this documentary unveils the delicate balance of life where beauty, struggle, and resilience coexist in the wild. This documentary strikes a perfect balance between stunning visuals, a captivating story, and fascinating information about butterflies. Watch, learn, and enjoy every moment as the intricate life of the Blue Morpho unfolds before your eyes.

Directed by Jaap Perenboom

18 minutes

Australia is one of the most precious places on God's earth, much of its wildlife can only be found there.

This is possibly the first wildlife film in the world entirely shot by drone.

Directed by Chris Tangey

4 minutes

Love & Sugar (2024) celebrates how Stephen Loveland, renowned Saint Paul, Minnesota ice cream man, purposefully inspires kindness.

Directed by Thomas C. Johnson

4 minutes

On the day that Lansana Mansaray was born, a tree was planted in his name in his father’s Limba village. Now an Emmy and Peabody nominated filmmaker, Mansaray returns to the same village to better understand the essential relationship that Limbas share with the trees that define every aspect of community life. As the smooth highways of Freetown give way to vermillion dirt roads, the car becomes just one means of transport; there’s the scent of chuk chuk plums, a memory of the Matorma sound (a singular rhythm associated with sacred Limba rituals), as well as jokes and poignant moments of connection arising from Mansaray’s diligent efforts to speak Limba. For a “city Limba man” like Mansaray, returning to his deceased father’s homeland becomes a journey of Indigenous reclamation.

Directed by Lansana Mansaray

15 minutes

Surfboard shaper Josh Martin navigates a complicated path towards mastery and self-acceptance.

Directed by Brian Olliver

10 minutes

David Hicks, a Marine Corps combat veteran and avid outdoorsman, found his way to Ely, Minnesota to pursue a life of dogsledding. His donated huskies, once thought of as substandard by their previous owners, have learned to work together in beautiful harmony. David learned that his group of misfit dogs just needed to be given the opportunity to work within their strengths - and the outcome surprised him.

Directed by Dylan Melcher

14 minutes

Monarchs in Motion is a documentary exploring the life cycle, migration, and conservation of monarch butterflies. It highlights their unique 2500-mile journey, the threats they face, and the efforts of scientists and communities to protect them. The film inspires collective action to preserve these butterflies, with extensive footage from their wintering grounds in Michocan, Mexico.

Directed by Mason Mirabile

13 minutes

In the tourism town of Livingstone, Zambia, a group of local men who make their living portering kayaks aspire to become safety kayakers on the Zambezi River. The proposed Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Scheme threatens to flood the famous rapids of the Zambezi, and eliminate river related jobs.

Directed by Darby McAdams

11 minutes

Rogers Pass represents one of the most complicated avalanche programs in the world. Ski touring through its storied terrain is only possible thanks to the visionary mountain guide who architected the ski system years ago, and the woman she mentored who’s now at the helm of that avalanche program. The stakes are higher than most skiers could ever imagine.

Directed by Andrea Wing

14 minutes

A sedentary father issues an insane challenge to his daughter. This challenge will transform more than just their two lives. A crossing of Lac Saint-Jean that will go well beyond the initial 32 kilometres.

Directed by Stéphanie Gagné, Philippe Belley

52 minutes

This film is only available in person at the festival.

Heather Shaner, a feisty, blue-haired public defender in Washington, DC, has spent over 45 years representing people who can’t afford a lawyer. But her empathy is tested when a violent mob supporting President Donald Trump storms the U.S. Capitol.

As Heather gets to know her clients, she discovers Jack and Annie were deceived by misinformation and thought they’d joined a righteous defense of democracy, not an authoritarian wave.

PUBLIC DEFENDER explores the delicate state of U.S. democracy, the forces threatening to tear it apart, and the people dedicated to protecting it. Amidst a growing political divide, when trust is lost, the unlikely bonds between Heather and her clients reveal how people can rise above the fray to find each other’s humanity.

Directed by Andrea Kalin

51 minutes

This film is only available in person at the festival.

There’s always been only a few special places in the world where wild rice (known as manoomin to the Ojibwe people), grows. Which made it troubling when manoomin stopped growing in the early 2000’s at Spur Lake, a 113 acre lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin.

Directed by Finn Ryan

11 minutes

Running Towards the Fire - A War Correspondent's Story" captures the pivotal roles war correspondents played during the Allied forces’ 1944 D-Day invasion of Europe and the subsequent defeat of Nazi Germany and the Axis powers in 1945.

The documentary draws extensively from the previously unpublished memoirs of Robert Reuben. The Omaha-born war correspondent parachuted into Normandy, France, hours before the D-Day invasion and was the first journalist on the ground.

Directed by Barney McCoy

56 minutes

Mi'randa Villanueva connects to her indigenous roots through runs in the desert. Her drive to set an example for her community is an inspiration to runners of all forms.

Directed by Jeremy Black

5 minutes

This film is only available in person at the festival.

Saving Silence follows action photographer Emily Tidwell to her hometown of Grand Marais, Minnesota, portal to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, as she investigates the importance of our public lands for our mental and planetary health. Emily chats with local legends, Olympians, and multi-generational business owners about why our wild spaces are so important. While home, she discovers a threat hidden in our fresh waters.

Directed by Emily Tidwell

15 minutes

An ambitious snail makes an unlikely friendship with a 3-legged mastiff. A story of friendship, patience and moving at your own pace. Inspired by a real-life tripod Boerboel who moves at his own speed.

Directed by Ashley Wong

2 minutes

People from around the world gather on the Space Coast to witness the launch of Artemis-1, the 'World's most powerful rocket.' But Mark, a veteran of the Space Shuttle Program, doubts this 'moondoggle' will ever fly.

Directed by Justin Barber

24 minutes

This film is only available in person at the festival.

Stud Country, the largest queer country western line dancing event in America, was created to preserve Los Angeles' little known 50+ year queer line dancing tradition. Despite its success and fiercely committed community, the event is set to lose its venue due to gentrification.

Directed by Lina Abascal & Alexandra Kern

11 minutes

Teach Me features scenes of women celebrating their spiritual connection to water in a new song called "Water Song." The music video follows local creatives, international indigenous water protectors gathered together to celebrate being creative beings during the 50th Anniversary festival at Ruigoord, a community outside of Amsterdam formed by squatters in 1973 ultimately becoming a harmonious magnet for seekers of music, freedom and art.

Directed by Keri Pickett

5 minutes

On a dry lakebed in the Mojave, a group of friends build a practical scale model of time:

13.8 billion years of cosmic evolution, and our place within it.

Directed by Alex Gorosh

10 minutes

In the heart of Leith, Edinburgh, a unique sanctuary exists where cherished childhood toys are given a second chance. This short documentary delves into the Toy Hospital, a heartwarming haven where Kiaz, the dedicated "toy doctor," works his magic. Through meticulous restoration, Kiaz brings old, worn-out toys back to life, rekindling precious memories for their owners.

Directed by Diego Rotmistrovsky

4 minutes

North of the 51st parallel, where the boreal forest opens onto an Arctic island, the snow-capped peaks of Uapishka Mountains watch over the Nitassinan of Pessamit. In the depths of winter, a group of Innu and non-indigenous adventurers attempt to cross this mountain range on snowshoes, in complete autonomy. Confronted with the immensity of the territory, the rigours of the northern climate and the impetuous breath of the tundra, they discover themselves in a new way, make friends and unite to better chart their course. As the miles go by, the adventure reveals a space for encounters, sharing and reconciliation.

Directed by Marie France L’Ecuyer

28 minutes

A blackmail email prompts a filmmaker to explore the intersection of shame and masturbation.

Directed by Eugene Kolb

14 minutes

An Indigenous women’s motorcycle group rides to end the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women while a member of their community desperately searches for her missing sister and tries to heal her shattered family.

Directed by Katrina Lillian Sorrentino

18 minutes

Welcome Home celebrates the incredible story of wolf reintroduction to Colorado. When the people of Colorado voted to return wolves to the state, they set in motion a unique conservation success story. Welcome Home shows the value of returning this iconic and beloved carnivore to Colorado and how the state is recovering wolves in a thoughtful way that cares for wildlife and people.​

Directed by Alan Lacy

21 minutes