Documentary films (several shorts and a feature) showcasing life in different corners of Michigan.
Screening: Sunday, Sep 14, 12:45pm at Soo Theatre (Block 12) |
|
Director: Chad Campbell
Documentary Short, United States, 2025, 3 min, Color
A relaxing journey through woods and fields at the Kalamazoo Nature Center.
Great Lakes Connection: The film was shot entirely in Kalamazoo.
Project Links: Instagram
Director: John Curtis
Documentary Short, United States, 2023, 25 min, Color,
Student Project—Shay Elementary School, Harbor Springs, Michigan
Six elementary school girls fly to an island in the middle of Lake Michigan to test their fly fishing skill. The girls are members of a school-sponsored Adventure Club that focuses on building community, belonging, and leadership skills to change the narrative of what girls can and cannot do.
Great Lakes Connection: The film was shot on Beaver Island and in Harbor Springs, Michigan. Shay Elementary is located on Lake Michigan and the school promotes lifelong sports unique to our Great Lakes Region.
Project Links: Instagram
Audience Choice Award Winner: Documentary Feature
Director: Stephany Slaughter
Documentary Feature, United States, 2025, 60 min, Color
Did You Guys Eat?/¿Ya Comieron? Stories of Michigan Agriculture is a journey into the heart of Mid-Michigan’s agricultural landscape—one of the most diverse in the nation. Second only to California in crop variety, Michigan’s farms are as varied as the people who work them.
This documentary follows the rhythm of the growing season, focusing on the individuals whose labor brings food to our tables: small family farmers, organic growers, and the often-overlooked seasonal migrant workers. Did You Guys Eat?/¿Ya Comieron? goes beyond the fields and greenhouses to also highlight the support network that cares for the well-being of those who help us eat.
This is not just a film about farming—it is about the people, the challenges, and the unseen systems that make each meal possible.
Great Lakes Connection: The subject of the film is Mid-Michigan’s rich agricultural landscape and the people involved in it.
Project Links: Project Website Trailer
Audience Choice Award Winner: Documentary Short
Directors: Finn Ryan, Aaron Peterson
Documentary Short, United States, 2024, 15 min, Color
The Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians is the largest indigenous tribe east of the Mississippi and has been stewarding the fisheries of their Great Lakes territory for generations. This project explores the cultural and economic importance of the fishery to the tribe and how they are working in the face of climate change and invasive species to ensure a healthy fishery for the next seven generations.
Great Lakes Connection: The film focuses on the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians’ deep connection to the Great Lakes and their efforts to restore whitefish populations.
Director: Chad Campbell
Documentary Short, United States, 2025, 27 min, Color
In honor of 25 years, The Alamo Studio takes a behind-the-scenes look at Johnathan Rand, the name behind two best-selling children’s book series, Michigan Chillers and its successor, American Chillers.
Great Lakes Connection: The film is about a Michigan author and a Michigan book series. In addition, all of the cast and crew are from Michigan and it was filmed in Michigan.
Project Links: Project Website
For the most up-to-date news, Like our Facebook page or Follow us on Instagram, Threads, or Bluesky.
© 2014-2025 Soo Film Festival, Inc. All rights reserved.