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 adventure, environmental and cultural filmmaking from around the world while creating a venue for, and building a culture of, Great Lakes storytelling.

Films accepted into Fresh Coast Film Festival may be invited to tour with our evolving platform of satellite roadshow events curated from our alumni archives. All submissions first flow through the home festival in October in Marquette, Michigan before being considered for future programs at satellite festivals. Example: Films selected for the October 2026 festival in Marquette will then be considered for the roadshows in 2027.

Fresh Coast is held annually the third weekend in October during the height of fall color season in the Lake Superior harbor town of Marquette, Michigan. Here the waves of an inland sea crash on the bedrock remains of the ancient Huron Mountains. A red lighthouse winks across the water at thousand-foot freighters slipping through the fog. Singletrack trails link a historic downtown with world class mountain biking, trail running and waterfalls. After a day of play, a vibrant brewing and dining scene reward hard work with ingredients and inspiration drawn from the crisp clean waters of the world’s largest body of fresh water, Lake Superior. We think you’ll like it here.

A key component of the Fresh Coast experience is the guided outdoor activities to introduce visitors to the outdoor playground of the Marquette area. Activities such as rock climbing, rowing, waterfall hikes, fall color hikes and history tours will be offered as part of the Fresh Coast weekend.

Please join us for a weekend of storytelling, networking, learning and outdoor recreation like no other in the Great Lakes region. Let's go #freshcoasting.

Awards & Prizes

Fresh Coast Film Festival assists with a limited amount of lodging and travel stipends to attending filmmakers. All attending filmmakers receive a complimentary Weekend Pass and an invite to Friday night's Filmmaker Welcome event.

Fresh Coast gives awards for Best Regional Feature (over 25 minutes), Best Regional Short (under 25 minutes) and best first time filmmaker (any length).

Fresh Coast also offers the Making Waves commitment grant to support film projects with a regional focus or connection. Please visit freshcoastfilm.com for details on applying.

Rules & Terms

Rules & Terms
-We prefer that films have been completed within two calendar years of current festival. Example: 2019 Festival will accept films from 2017, 2018 and 2019. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.

-Online screeners from secure sources are mandatory. Vimeo is our preferred platform but others accepted as well. Include screener link and password in your submission and please be sure download is turned on.

-Press kit is optional but recommended - electronic only, please

-All films in a language other than English must be subtitled in English for festival presentation.

-The festival will consider work-in-progress, films with temporary soundtracks etc--if in doubt, send it. We screen everything and will work with you.

– – – SCREENING/PRESENTATION TERMS OF AGREEMENT – – –

Fresh Coast Film Festival is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes.

The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.

The individual or corporation submitting the film shall indemnify and hold harmless Fresh Coast Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

By submitting your film to the Fresh Coast Film Festival, you are also giving permission (if your film should be accepted) for the Fresh Coast Film Festival to keep a copy of the film for our festival library and archival purposes. Accepted films additionally provide permission to be used for future in-person and online screenings as part of the Fresh Coast Roadshow and satellite festivals.
29 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • José Guadalupe Jiménez Jr.

    Fantastic festival. Great staff! Great vibes and energy!

    November 2025
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  • Nick Santore

    What a great festival, ran by a great team, in a great location at the perfect time of year! We had a blast and hope to come back again soon. They really take care of the filmmakers here.

    October 2025
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  • Nateya Taylor

    I had an amazing time at the 2025 Fresh Coast Film Festival. Marquette, MI is beautiful and the festival staff is very hospitable. They really take care of their filmmakers. This is by far the best film festival I've been to. The festival offers more than just film screenings, but also outdoor tours to explore the beauty of Marquette and gatherings for filmmakers to network and connect.

    October 2025
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  • Kristin Tieche

    The Fresh Coast Film Festival is currently holding the #1 spot in my all time favorite film festivals. I had no idea when I was flying to Marquette that I would suddenly be embraced by such a warm and welcoming community. The whole town came alive with films from everywhere. I met people in the street who had already heard about my film and were excited to see it. I was also offered opportunities to engage with press and widen my film's audience. It was easy to meet and connect meaningfully with other filmmakers and filmgoers. It's rare that I leave a festival with the feeling of not wanting to go home, or wanting to come back and participate as soon as I possibly can! Hospitality was top notch. 10/10! Thank you, Fresh Coast, for selecting "The Invisible Mammal" to participate in your 2025 festival. I miss you already and wish I could do it all over again.

    October 2025
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  • Kate Stapleton

    We were blown away by the incredible Fresh Coast Film Festival, and by the beauty of Marquette, MI on the wild and rocky shores of Lake Superior, surrounded by scarlet and burnished gold forests, beneath a brilliant blue sky. This festival is incredibly professional and well run, super communicative, yet totally unpretentious and truly a community run and driven event with a huge amount of respect for filmmakers and the art of storytelling, as well as the land and history that forms the stories we share. Venues all over town were packed with engaged and enthusiastic audiences, the volunteers were the kindest and most competent I've ever seen. I cannot recommend this festival highly enough. Would give it 6,000,000,000,000,000 stars if I could.

    October 2025
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