Outdoor Tours and Experiences Sponsored by Kayak, Bike & Brew and TC Brew Bus

Sunday Hike: Enji-minozhiiyaamigak: The Place of Peacefulness on Little Traverse Bay in Charlevoix County with Little Traverse Conservancy

Sunday 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Limited to 25 Participants / Free to Festivalgoers

A quiet Upper Michigan town becomes the center of an international media frenzy after three scientists discover a record-breaking ‘Humongous Fungus’ living next door. Decades later, the town and the scientists continue to embrace the fungus as a growing symbol of community and wonder. Who will be crowned Mr. Fungi? Will there be a giant mushroom pizza? Will the ‘Humongous Fungus’ outlive us all?

Special Guest: Writer, Producer and Editor Tim Warmanen

Can images truly mirror the soul? By exploring these diverse lives and dreams, these shorts invite us to create a global home, or simply remind us of what we seeking.

Special Guest: Filmmaker José Guadalupe Jiménez Jr.

Presented with support from Northwestern Michigan College

If you've ever wondered how the future generation sees our world, our human condition, or what their sense of humor is then you won't want to miss this special selection of short films from the enormously talented Visual Communications Program at Northwestern Michigan College with support from Caroline Schaefer-Hills — as well as students from University of Wisconsin-Superior and the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.

In the late 1970s, Satish Bhaskar embarked on an epic journey along India’s coastline and the spectacular Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where he uncovered the vital nesting beaches of sea turtles. During his death-defying quest, he unravels mysteries surrounding these enigmatic ocean creatures – and sets out to save them from extinction.

Written and Directed by Jared Isaac

98 mins / Not Rated / World Premiere Heartland Film Festival

Starring Mark McKenna, Lukita Maxwell, Louise Barnes, Jun Yu, Julian Bass, Katie Baker, and Tony Horton

Special Guest Producer JohnPaul Morris

It's the Summer of 2010, and 18 year old Kevin (McKenna) is two months into his family's annual summer trip in Northern Michigan. Kevin is soon joined by his girlfriend Cody (Maxwell), and best friends Jared (Jun Yu) and Martin (Julian Bass), as they arrive from their hometown Chicago to spend the rest of the summer together. 

This summer, Kevin and Cody have one month remaining before change is thrust upon them and their lives take them to different colleges. Amid peaceful summer days and adventurous nights, Kevin and Cody attempt to seize the moments before them as they awaken to reality: That this time together will eventually end, and each moment may become a fleeting memory... 

Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale is America’s No.1 IPA. The now infamous & iconic trout image is found in every convenience store nationwide. The legends behind this label and many others have been buried in folklore for nearly 40 years, but the vision created at Bell’s started a revolution in the craft brewing industry that changed what a beer label could be. This is the unconventional story of an artist whose love of fishing, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and beer found its way into every store in America.

Presented with support from The Minervini Group

Special Guests: Filmmakers Keith Patterson and Rory K. McHarg with artists Ladislav and Jana Hanka

“Beer City, USA” — a sneak peek excerpt from Keith Patterson’s love letter to Grand Rapids, Michigan, detailing its history and evolution into a premier craft beer destination. Don’t miss the chance to get up close and frothy with the creator.

Outdoor Tours and Experiences Sponsored by Kayak, Bike & Brew and TC Brew Bus

Sunday Walk & Talk Hike with Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
Sunday 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm / The Ridge / Rendezvous Point TBA

Limited to 25 Participants / Free to Festivalgoers

We are woven into a single, breathing tapestry. From the rhythmic hum of the bees to the steady heartbeat of beasts, we share one fragile home … bound together by love, breath, and life.

Special Guests: Filmmakers Nicholas Stachurski, Jason Whalen and Chris Zuker

Detroit endured six decades of massive disinvestment, losing its primary industry in what is often described as the largest economic withdrawal in U.S. history. Its industry collapsed, its skyline dimmed. Yet the city’s spirit refused to vanish. Some call what followed the greatest comeback story in the nation. Others insist Detroit never left at all. Now, through the eyes of a two-time Emmy Award–winning filmmaker and the voice of a celebrated poet, comes a story told from the ground up.

Presented with support from Casamara Club

Special Guest: Filmmaker Stephen McGee

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the birthplace of organized skiing in America. It is also home to the National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and one of the oldest ski clubs in the country. This documentary film explores the skiing culture that continues to shape the lives of those who consider themselves Yoopers.

Special Guest: Filmmaker Ryan Busch

Catching Pinecones is the story of Jan and Herb Conn, pioneering rock climbers and cave explorers who lived life to the fullest on their own terms. Rejecting a conventional lifestyle in pursuit of adventure and fun, the Conns’ story reveals a legacy of renowned discoveries and their philosophies for a simple, well-lived life.

Special Guest: Cinematographer and Editor Parker Michaels-Boyce

In the Midwest, problem-solving is a quiet, collective triumph. It’s the "roll-up-your-sleeves" grit that turns a neighbor’s broken tractor or a frozen pipe into a shared victory. That steady, practical ingenuity offers a deep sense of purpose, rooted in community, resilience, and a genuine kindness for the world around us.

Special Guests: Producer Dan Wanschura and Filmmakers Nick Loud and Grant Piering

Against the backdrop of the sixth mass extinction, an all-woman team of biologists set out to save bats from a deadly fungal disease, but when the COVID-19 pandemic interrupts their work, they are sent down a path of discovery that illuminates the connections between bat conservation and the spread of infectious disease.

Special Guests: Producer Matthew Podolsky and Filmmaker Kristin Tièche

Outdoor Tours and Experiences Sponsored by Kayak, Bike & Brew and TC Brew Bus

Sunday Walk & Talk Hike with Leelanau Conservancy
Sunday 8:30 am - 9:30 am / DeYoung Natural Area in Leelanau County

Limited to 25 Participants / Free to Festivalgoers

Presented by Pancake Boy Productions

with culinary support from American Spoon and Higher Grounds Coffee Co.

Private Event for Filmmakers and All-Access and Sunday Day-Passholders

Stacked high and warm, pancakes turn strangers into long lost friends. This shared ritual of syrup and laughter fuels the soul before everyone drifts back into the world. Join our 100% local volunteer team as they sling out breakfast to power the last day of #freshcoasting in TC.

Private Event for All-Access Weekend Passholders and Saturday Day-Passholders. Must be 21+

Mingle alongside Filmmakers, Volunteers, and Supporters to celebrate our first year and stay up way past bedtime.

Delish offerings from the Kitchen Open till 11:00 pm

Festival Drink Specials

Saturday Night Gala presented by Keen Technical Solutions and Short’s Brewing Company

Michigan Premiere with Special Guests: Filmmaker Sasha Waters in conversation with journalist Beth Milligan

From a lonely childhood to literary fame, her life was shaped by devotion to nature, paying attention, and the long journey toward learning to love and to be loved. If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it.

2026 World Premiere True/False Film Festival

In collaboration with Alluvion Arts with support from Traverse City Arts Commission - Hosted by Curator Jessica Kooiman Parker

Creator of the 2017 Fresh Coast Film Festival look and feel, Geoffrey Holstad is the visionary behind the 2026 poster and campaign for the first ever TC edition.

Featuring a live acoustical performance, a special screening of the short film “Cabin-Time: E. Sierras”and a possible post-panel adventure?

Featuring a curated collection of local guests sharing true, first-person stories about times in their lives when they threw caution to the wind (and came away with an adventure tale). If you love spoken-word, The Moth Radio Hour, or the power of one person to surprise and delight you ... then you won't want to miss this one-time-only special festival event.

Special Guest Storytellers Howard Lovy, Diane Dupuis, Al Jankowski and Ed Ronco

It’s that restless, gritty part of us that looks at a locked door and starts picking the lock. It’s built to push back and demand better. The human spirit is our relentless inner drive to endure, create, and find meaning, even when facing life’s greatest challenges.

Special Guests: Filmmaker Aaron Peterson and Producer Dan Wanschura with Biker/Philosopher Kiko Silvelet and Producer Rachel Felder, Detroit Parks & Recreation

2026 Sundance Film Festival U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Winner

In the town of Churchill, Manitoba, a polar bear’s migration is transformed into a surreal spectacle of tourism, town safety protocols, and invasive human curiosity.

Presented by West Shore Bank

Deep within us burns a restless fire, an innate hunger to shape the world. We are not mere observers; we are creators and catalysts. Driven by hope and unyielding spirit, let’s take action!

Special Guests: Filmmakers Christy Frank and Alex Goetz and documentary subject Laura Bartlett in Attendance

Against the backdrop of the sixth mass extinction, an all-woman team of biologists set out to save bats from a deadly fungal disease, but when the COVID-19 pandemic interrupts their work, they are sent down a path of discovery that illuminates the connections between bat conservation and the spread of infectious disease.

Special Guests: Producer Matthew Podolsky and Filmmaker Kristin Tièche

Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale is America’s No.1 IPA. The now infamous and iconic trout image is found in every convenience store nationwide. The legends behind this label and many others have been buried in folklore for nearly 40 years, but the vision created at Bell’s started a revolution in the craft brewing industry that changed what a beer label could be. This is the unconventional story of an artist whose love of fishing, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and beer found its way into every store in America.

Presented with support from The Minervini Group

Special Guests: Filmmakers Keith Patterson and Rory K. McHarg with artists Ladislav and Jana Hanka

“Beer City, USA” — a sneak peek excerpt from Keith Patterson’s love letter to Grand Rapids, Michigan, detailing its history and evolution into a premier craft beer destination. Don’t miss the chance to get up close and frothy with the creator.

Living anywhere near the Great Lakes and all their connected inland seas and rivers means embracing a four-season lifestyle defined by vast freshwater horizons, sandy dunes, and world-class recreation that has to be felt to be truly appreciated.

Presented with support from Northwestern Michigan College

Special Guests: Filmmakers Jason Whalen and Mike King

A team of evolutionary biologists from the University of Idaho travels to the Galápagos Islands to solve the Earth’s biodiversity crisis. The twist? They aren’t studying the iconic tortoises or blue footed boobies on this storied archipelago—they are Snail Hunters, studying a more unlikely subject in the crucible of evolution.

Special Guest: Filmmaker Jim Aikman

Narrated by Quannah ChasingHorse and Edward Norton, the documentary Bad River explores the Bad River Band’s high-stakes legal battle against Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline. It contextually links this modern environmental fight for Lake Superior’s freshwater to a centuries-old history of Indigenous resistance and sovereignty.

Presented with support from Flow Water Advocates

Special Guest: Impact Strategist Bill Latka

Identity is the soul's unique map, providing the essential sense of belonging, purpose, and continuity that anchors our human existence. This is a celebration of That.

Special Guests: Filmmakers Jason Lindsey, Aaron Peterson and Julián Trejo Bax with butterfly advocate Claudia Galeno-Sánchez

Local Outreach Partnership with Grand Traverse Conservation District

Exploring how environmental education - and the people who teach with it - can help heal some of our most pressing social, emotional, and political divides. Through stories of resilience and reconnection, the film reveals why nature belongs at the heart of what it means to be truly educated.

Special Guests: Filmmaker James Parker and subjects Quilen Blackwell and Hannah Bonham Blackwell

Local Outreach Partnership with Grand Traverse Conservation District