Whether it’s outrunning a hungry grizzly, sailing across the frozen shore of Iceland or recovering from being electrocuted by 2400 volts of electricity, it’s been documented. These riveting, heart-wrenching stories and more can be viewed at “Fresh Coast Film Festival” during a documentary-filled weekend celebrating the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest. The featured films cover a wide variety of topics inspired by the outdoor lifestyle including outdoor sports, conservation, sustainability and culture.
This film festival will last from Oct. 19 to 22 with over 100 films ranging from just a few minutes to over an hour long. They will be located at venues all around Marquette including Blackrocks Brewery, Ore Dock Brewing Co. and plenty more.
This year, Fresh Coast doubled the amount of films from 60 to 120, said Bugsy Sailor, co-founder of The Fresh Coast Film Fest. Though there are numerous viewing locations, the festival headquarters are located at The Delft Bistro, where tickets may be purchased at the door. Tickets cost $25 for student weekend passes, whereas non-student passes are $75 for the weekend and $35 for the day.
The opening night event, however, is free to the public and located in the Marquette Commons. It will consist of a variety of food trucks and three different films. There were about 400 attendees last year, and this year the organizers are hoping attendance doubles, Sailor said. The festival is a casual occasion.
“There is no red carpet at the film fest; if there was, it would be hunter orange, and it would be full of mud,” Sailor said.
Along with access to these inspiring documentaries, the ticket price also covers multiple outdoor tours, including yoga classes as well as hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing and waterfall tours. Most of these tours are headquartered at Down Wind Sports in Marquette.
“It’s really hard to come to a festival and sit inside all day, and so we plan these tours so we can all play in the morning, and then in the afternoon, watch films. It’s an opportunity to get out and explore the area,” said Bill Thompson, co-owner of Down Wind Sports.
One of the tours will feature Aaron Chase, a professional mountain biker and Red Bull athlete, who specializes in film, who will teach how to use a GoPro. Participants will ride with Chase and his GoPro, and he’ll show them his favorite angles, editing techniques and other filming strategies. Chase also plans on putting together a video from the ride and launching it on his social media channels.
“[It’s a] pretty cool opportunity for somebody who’s into biking or filmmaking… to come out and ride with this professional athlete and learn the tricks of the trade,” Thompson said.
Attendees for Fresh Coast are not just from the Marquette area; they are coming from all over the Midwest.
“Folks are coming up to enjoy the colors, get out and play, enjoy these films and really be inspired by them,” Thompson added. “We’ve probably doubled our numbers from last year, and we’re very excited. It looks like it’s going to be a killer weekend with great weather, and I think it’ll be a lot of fun.”
For more information visit freshcoastfilm.com or the Fresh Coast Film Festival on Facebook.
