Happening on January 25, the second annual film competition features five films from across the Great Lakes Region.
Alpena, Michigan | Returning for 2024, The Sanctuary Selections Film Competition is a unique opportunity for Great Lakes Region-based filmmakers to showcase their work, with a chance of winning $5,000!
Five films will be shown during the evening, followed by a live Q&A session with each filmmaker. At the end of the program, the winning film will be announced and awarded the $5,000 cash prize to help fund future projects. This event will include hors d’oeuvres, film screenings, live discussions, a cash bar, and the final award presentation.
TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE NOW AND WILL SELL OUT FAST. BE SURE AND GET YOURS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!
Films for this competition were selected by the Sanctuary Selections Judges Panel, composed of regional industry professionals and Northeast Michigan community members. Films were selected based on predetermined criteria such as creativity, originality, cinematography, and ability to adhere to the theme.
2025 Theme: “The Great Lakes Region: Stories of Discovery, Experience, and Connection”
OFFICIAL FINALISTS
THE SPIRITS OF THE NAHMA INN
MICHIGAN, USA | 17 MIN | ERIC MACHIELA
Ghost towns in the Upper Peninsula aren't simply abandoned communities. Some of them are still very much alive. Told from the perspective of the Nahma Inn employees, they recount the spooky and unexplainable happenings that occur on a regular basis.
TO BE A GOOD HOME
MINNESOTA, USA | 15 MIN | EVAN FLOM
To Be A Good Home follows three women who farm and steward land in northern Minnesota. Kaitlyn is a descendant of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, tending her plot at the place of the gardens, Gitigaaning. Starr is an urban farmer, feeding her community near the shores of Lake Superior, Gichigami. Hannah is a regenerative farmer and rancher, caring for her herd and building the soil with them along Medicine Creek.
KIKO
MICHIGAN, USA | 16 MIN | AARON PETERSON, DARRYN SCHULTE, AND DANIEL WANSCHURA
Kiko Silvelet is the Keweenaw’s favorite Brazilian Yooper. He rides elite endurance events on his beloved BMX bike, plays accordion, makes a little trouble, and tells truths we all probably need to hear.
ALL TOO CLEAR: A JOURNEY INTO THE GREAT LAKES
ONTARIO, CANADA | 20 MIN | YVONNE DREBERT, ZACH MELNICK
Cutting-edge underwater drones explore how quadrillions of tiny invasive quagga mussels are re-engineering the ecosystem of the Great Lakes at a scale not seen since the glaciers. Part scientific exploration, part natural history adventure – the film shines a spotlight on freshwater wildlife and environments like never before.
WATERMARKS
PENNSYLVANIA, USA | 14 MIN | RISHI SETHI
Watermarks shows how one person’s dedication and passion for paddling, river surfing, filmmaking, and conservation can have a ripple effect, inspiring others to take action and make a difference in their communities. The story is centered on a program called First Waves, which provides under-resourced youth with the chance to enjoy and protect their local waterways.
This project is proudly supported in part by the Michigan Arts & Culture
Council and Michigan Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
