The Ely Film Festival is a promise of exposure, exploration, and cultural enrichment, and we invite you to bring your creative energies! It’s an event that fuses the magic of cinema, the richness of our shared stories, and the pristine beauty of Ely, Minnesota.

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

In the Land of Palm Oil

Greenstone Cinema

3:00 PM

IN THE LAND OF PALM OIL focuses on the casualties, both human and environmental, of palm oil exploitation in Indonesia. The film fuses first hand accounts of villagers -- victims of land-grabbing by large global corporations who pay off local and national officials -- and vérité observations of young Dayak activists who are trying to expose the brutal human rights violations.

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Antarctic Voyage & Where the Wind Takes You (short)

Ely's State Theater

4:00 PM

"Antarctic Voyage" is a new documentary from award-winning filmmaker Kevin Schreck about a biological research expedition to the remote island of South Georgia, starring charismatic field biologist, Dr. Samantha Monier. Part modern-day adventure film, part visual tone poem, "Antarctic Voyage" sheds a light on the current state of the polar region's majestic wildlife, and the intrepid explorers who are dedicated to preserving and understanding what remains of our fragile, vital natural world, all through a refreshingly unconventional manner from the standard nature documentary genre.

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The Birds Who Fear Death

Greenstone Cinema

6:00 PM

Two brothers, disinherited and desperate for cash, journey into the Canadian wilds to find themselves, their people and their fortune.

Boundary Waters

Ely's State Theater

7:00 PM

In the Iron Range of Minnesota, 12yo Michael is just learning to flirt with girls and find his place among his friends, when one night his mother is badly hurt. Desperate to fix what happened, Michael tries to become a man in a world where he learns some men cause harm. Director Tessa Blake, Producer Erin Mae Miller, and leading actors Allison Miller & Bill Heck in attendance!

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Date: March 12 - 16, 2025