Looking out the woody wagon window to the snow-swept British Columbia landscape, a young boy gazes in amazement as
he daydreams of his skiing fantasy. In the daydream, pro-skier Tom Wallisch shreds urban features of the snow-covered housetops, handrails and side hits along the road on his route to school.
As his parents are oblivious, talking
to each other about what
to do with the bathroom, the boy
imagines a world of his own.
The short film “Imagination,” starring Wallisch, is in the line-up of the 130 films scheduled for the Fresh Coast Film Festival which runs Oct. 18 through Oct 21. Held annually in October during the height of the fall color
season, films are shown in different restaurants, bars, stores, auditoriums and breweries across downtown Marquette. The festival begins at noon each day and continues until 7 p.m. at Black Rocks Brewery, The Ore Dock Brewing Co., The Delft Bistro, Masonic Building, Kaufman auditorium, Graveraet cafe and other locations.
The Fresh Coast Film Festival is the first of its kind: a documentary film festival celebrating the outdoor lifestyle, water-rich environment and resilient spirit of the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest. The festival gathers the best in
environmental and cultural filmmaking from around the world, while creating a venue for the culture of Great Lakes storytelling.
The festival is an opportunity for filmmakers, community
members and students to interact with environmental thinkers, outdoor athletes and media professionals working in the outdoor industry, according to Fresh Coast’s website,
Freshcoastfilm.com.
A component of the Fresh Coast experience is the 11 guided outdoor activities offered that introduce the outdoor playground of the Marquette area before the film showings. Start your day rock climbing at Cliffs Ridge, practicing yoga, hiking to waterfalls or up the
different peaks in the Huron Mountain Range, or go on a
47-mile bike tour on the Iron Ore Heritage Trail—all are a part
of the Fresh Coast weekend with the
purchase of a weekend or day pass.
In the morning, enjoy the view as waves of the inland sea crash on the bedrock remains of the ancient Huron Mountains while thousand-foot freighters slip through
fog, passing the old red brick
harbor lighthouse, as it winks back across the water. Then, after a day of play near the crisp and clean
waters of the world’s largest body of freshwater, enjoy the vibrant
brewing and dining scene of Marquette and reward the hard day’s work
with good ingredients and inspiration drawn from the world-class outdoor documentary films,
described FreshCoastfilm.com.
On Thursday, the festival
is free of charge. See the opening round of 16 films at 7 p.m. in the Marquette Commons, which includes the trailer to the Marquette kayaking group, “Four the Water,” who kayaked around Lake Superior in 102 days this summer. Also shown, is a 7-minute profile on a local Marquette legend, Surfer Dan, presented
by outdoor apparel brand Merrell.
Tickets for students are $25 for the weekend of films, $70
for adults and $35 for a day pass.
For more information and a schedule of events go to Fresh Coast Film Festivals website.
