Award-winning documentarian with 20+ years combining wilderness experience with formal storytelling. Based in Portland, Oregon, he co-founded Bedrock Film Works, directing titles for National Geographic/Disney+, Outside, REI, and AT&T.
Traverse City-born multimedia creative, 15-year broadcasting veteran, and founder of Pancake Boy Productions. Also one of the region's go-to DJs and live event music producers. Co-wrote and co-directed the award-winning documentary "Marqueetown" — a love letter to U.P. cinema that premiered at the 2023 Fresh Coast Film Festival.
Mexican-Belgian visual journalist based in Chicago and Mexico City. AP video journalist covering climate and environment in Mexico, specializing in stories at the intersection of climate change, immigration, and human rights.
Michigan-born arts leader who spent 14+ years at Sundance Institute as Director of Digital Initiatives before returning home. Former Executive Director of the Traverse City Film Festival. Co-created the documentary "Marqueetown," now streaming on 120+ PBS affiliates.
Co-founder of Southside Blooms in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood, where she trained at-risk youth in floristry and built the organization's farm-to-vase model from the ground up. Her partnership with Quilen Blackwell transformed a personal mission into a nationally recognized social enterprise.
Co-founder of Southside Blooms, which transforms vacant lots on Chicago's South Side into flower farms employing at-risk youth. Named the 2025 CNN Hero of the Year, he has expanded the nonprofit to six urban farms and a national shipping operation.
Michigan native and NMU BFA graduate in Digital Cinema. A self-driven storyteller fueled by exploration of the Great Lakes region, passionate about sharing the wonders of this watershed through cinematic documentary filmmaking.
Story strategist and documentary filmmaker whose advocacy films help environmental justice organizations move audiences to action. Debut short "Belonging" won Best Regional Film at the Ely Film Festival and is licensed by WaterBear Network and PBS.
Co-founder of Traverse City's Rare Bird Brewpub, where his passion for ornithology literally named the place. Since 2014, he has championed local craft brewing, community collaboration, and sustainability in Northern Michigan.
Northern Michigan native and Grammy Award winner (Best New Artist and Song of the Year, 2013) as co-founder of the band fun., known for the global hit "We Are Young." Now based in Traverse City, he teaches at Interlochen Arts Academy and creates music under his own name and with Metal Bubble Trio.
Naturalist with Detroit Parks & Recreation and member of the Detroit Outdoors collaborative. Dedicated to making nature accessible to all, she works to ensure everyone feels safe and welcome while exploring the outdoors.
Great Lakes–based filmmaker, photojournalist, biologist, and writer. Tells intimate stories at the intersection of environmental, human, and wildlife conditions. Work has appeared with PBS Nature, National Wildlife Federation, Audubon, and bioGraphic.
Traverse City broadcaster, journalist, and host of "Currently with Christal Frost," a weekly Northern Michigan news roundup produced by Pancake Boy Productions. Also an afternoon on-air host at Z93 and a familiar voice across the region's media landscape. Known for convening local journalists and community voices to break down the stories shaping Northwest Michigan.
Traverse City's hub for comedic arts, established in 2019 as part of the Northern Michigan Comedy Collective (501c3). The troupe performs monthly shows blending short-form, long-form, and sketch improv, and offers classes for all ages. Members trained at Second City, iO, UCB, and Planet Ant.
Chicago activist who transformed a pandemic nature project into a neighborhood movement. Now leads "Mujeres Por Espacios Verdes" (Women for Green Spaces), expanding green spaces and butterfly habitat in Chicago communities.
Co-founder, editor, and managing director at House of Bug Productions, a Chicago-based documentary studio. Her work centers on compelling nonfiction narratives exploring urban waterways, community transformation, and environmental storytelling.
Wildlife filmmaker, photographer, and co-founder of Running Wild Media. Contributor to National Geographic, BBC, PBS, and CNN. A 2019 National Geographic "Wild to Inspire" film competition winner who has filmed on five continents.
Michigan-based artist, printmaker, and fly fisherman. University of Michigan graduate best known for designing the iconic trout label for Bell's Two-Hearted Ale — one of the most recognized images in American craft brewing.
Serbian-born, Milwaukee-based filmmaker with a BFA in fine art and interests in cinematography and storytelling. Co-owns and operates Stumptown Media, a boutique production company crafting intimate documentary work.
Film and New Media instructor at North Ed Career Tech, the regional career and technical education school serving 25+ high schools across five northwest Michigan counties. Guides high school juniors and seniors through the full filmmaking process, celebrating their work at an annual student film festival.
Michigan-born art director and Senior Art Director at Patagonia for over a decade. Lake surfer, trail runner, and founder of Cabin-Time, a creative residency. Deeply connected to the Great Lakes environmental and outdoor community.
Science, conservation, and environment reporter for Interlochen Public Radio since 2023. Work featured on NPR, Science Friday, and Here & Now. Previously with Heritage Radio Network, Stitcher, and Michigan Public. A proud Michigander by way of Texas.
Filmmaker and former professional freestyle skier based in Northern Michigan. His award-winning work blends cinematic imagery with human-centered narratives celebrating weather, water, and the Great Lakes surf community.
Research scientist and manager of Michigan State University's Black River Streamside Rearing Facility in Onaway. For over two decades, he has led lake sturgeon restoration research — tagging, tracking, and releasing thousands of fish back into Michigan waterways.
Award-winning director and conservationist rooted in photojournalism. Permanently protected 27 acres of Illinois forest and served on the Prairie Rivers Network board. Films explore climate change through intimate, action-inspiring stories.
Co-founder and Executive Editor of The Boardman Review, the beloved Northern Michigan print and digital journal he launched with his brother Nick in 2017. A screenwriter and travel writer turned cultural curator, Chris has been twice named to Traverse City Business News' "40 Under 40." His writing has appeared in Traverse Magazine, The Glen Arbor Sun, and national anthologies, and he has produced short films, web series, and travel television shows.
Traverse City–based filmmaker and co-founder of The Boardman Review. Over a decade of producing, directing, and editing documentaries, including work on the Steven Spielberg–exec-produced "Finding Oscar." His film "The Last to Leave" premiered at Fresh Coast Film Festival.
Michigan-based filmmaker, photographer, and content creator specializing in travel and outdoor adventure storytelling. Michigan Emmy Award recipient who co-directed "A Thousand Sunrises," a short documentary profile of U.P. sunrise photographer Bugsy Sailor.
Emmy Award–winning creative director and filmmaker from New Zealand. Head of Creative at Detroit's Woodward Original, drawn to the intersection of culture, art, and human condition. Occasional Flight of the Conchords enthusiast.
Two-time Emmy Award–winning San Francisco native turned Detroiter. Over 20 years and 3 million photographs, McGee crafted "Resurgo" — a cinematic portrait of Detroit's resilience. The film won Best Feature at Fresh Coast Film Festival.
Photojournalist published in The New York Times, Washington Post, and Outside. "Catching Pinecones" is his debut feature film, rooted in 15 years documenting people who embrace eco-centric and primitive-skills lifestyles.
Head writer for the Traverse City Ticker and one of northern Michigan's most trusted local journalists. Deep community roots across the Traverse City Film Festival, National Writers Series, Up North Pride, and the Leelanau Conservancy.
Michigan-born writer/director and founder of Practical Studios, the largest commercial and narrative production studio in Northern Michigan. Known for "Quicksand" and the Disney+ production "Camp Alec." His work is emotive, character-driven, and deeply rooted in Michigan.
Media and Digital Director for Pure Michigan/Travel Michigan with 20+ years in digital storytelling, photography, and brand communications. University of Utah Telecommunications & Film alum and passionate Michigan advocate who co-directed "A Thousand Sunrises."
Director and founder of Synchronous Pictures. Multiple Emmy nominee whose work spans CBS, ABC, BBC, Amazon Studios, and National Geographic. Has documented human stories across eight countries, from rural Oregon to Botswana.
Executive Director of Interlochen Public Radio since 2016, with IPR since 2000. Former longtime host of the Points North podcast and award-winning reporter whose work has aired on NPR and Bridge Michigan. Lifelong Benzie County vacationer, now proud Traverse City resident.
Award-winning filmmaker, photographer, and creative director based in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Co-founder of the Fresh Coast Film Festival, dedicated to documenting adventure, environmental stewardship, and Great Lakes regional identity.
Filmmaker, audio producer, and educator. Co-directed "Sea of Shadows," winner of the Sundance Audience Award. Co-founder of Wild Lens Collective. Film professor at Boise State University and host of several documentary podcast series.
Director of "Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching" (2025), "America the Beautiful" (2022), and "Bugs That Rule the World" (2025). A vagabond creator and brother to Quentin Reiser.
Writer of "Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching" (2025) and author/illustrator of its companion "Field Guide of All the Birds We Found One Year in the United States." Vagabond creator and brother to Owen.
Traverse City–based UX/UI designer and creative collaborator with a background in brewing and winemaking. A multi-talented Northern Michigan creative, he co-produces the beloved annual "Christmas at the Old Art Building — A Variety Show Spectacular" alongside Andrew Dost.
News Director of Interlochen Public Radio since 2022, returning to his Michigan roots after eight years as All Things Considered host at KNKX Seattle. MSU journalism graduate and Murrow Award winner with stops in rural Alaska and northern Indiana.
Self-described Unofficial Ambassador of the Upper Peninsula and founder of U.P. Supply Co. Creator of the Year of the Sunrise project and originator of 906 Day, Plaidurday, and the Fresh Coast Film Festival.
Visual Communications program chair and instructor at NMC, holding an MFA and MA from Savannah College of Art and Design and a BFA from the College for Creative Studies. Career spans art direction at Ogilvy, creative design at Hallmark Cards, and Art Director of the Traverse City Film Festival.
Photographer and filmmaker with Aaron Peterson Studios, the Marquette-based outdoor storytelling studio co-founded by FCFF co-founder Aaron Peterson. Contributed additional sound and field interviews for the Points North short film "Kiko," about U.P. BMX legend Kiko Silvelet.
Traverse City born-and-raised mayor, first elected in 2023 and reelected in 2025. Former eight-year city commissioner and Mayor Pro Tem. MSU International Relations graduate, book awards director, and advocate for green energy, affordable housing, and LGBTQIA+ inclusion.
Brazilian-born U.P. resident whose love of BMX bikes began after watching E.T. as a child. Now in his early 50s, he races hardcore mountain bike competitions across northern Michigan on a $150 used BMX — and does it entirely on his own joyful terms.
Detroit-based director and founder of Eightfold, a production collective rooted in human-centered storytelling. His work spans automotive, branded documentary, and social campaigns, focusing on community, identity, and everyday Michigan moments.
Founder and creative director of Here:Say Storytelling, Traverse City's beloved monthly live storytelling series at The Alluvion. A Columbia College alumna who arrived in TC in 2009 and built a thriving literary arts institution from scratch.
Co-founder of the Fresh Coast Film Festival and longtime owner of Downwind Sports in Marquette, Michigan. Veteran climber and adventurer who has dedicated his career to fostering appreciation for Great Lakes backcountry.
Award-winning filmmaker and editor based in San Francisco. Debut feature "The Invisible Mammal" — following women scientists preventing bat extinction — won the Audience Choice Award at the 2025 DocLands Film Festival.
Field ornithologist and University of Minnesota Duluth graduate specializing in raptor migration and boreal breeding birds. Formerly at Hawk Ridge and Whitefish Point Bird Observatories. Now a data scientist at the Ocean Research College Academy.
Host and executive producer of Interlochen Public Radio's "Points North" podcast, covering the stories shaping the Great Lakes region. Co-created "The Last to Leave" with The Boardman Review and Detroit PBS's Great Lakes Now.
Award-winning commercial editor with Cannes Lion and Super Bowl credits. Writer, producer, and editor of "The Humongous Fungus Among Us." Currently in post-production on "Puzzle Party," featured in the New York Times.
Documentary filmmaker and VCUarts professor known for films about outsiders and everyday radicals. SXSW Special Jury Prize winner. Work featured at Telluride, Tribeca, Film Society of Lincoln Center, and the Sundance Channel.
Co-founder of Fauna Creative, a studio specializing in conservation storytelling. Filmmaker of "Dinosaur Fish," "Loon," "Restoring Northern Michigan's River," and "Ephemeral," connecting audiences to nature and efforts protecting rare species.
Co-founder and director of photography at Fauna Creative in Grand Rapids, bringing a background in environmental biology from Michigan State University. The visual eye and lead editor behind Fauna's conservation films, including the award-winning "Loon."
