Thank you Thank you

TO OUR SPONSORS!

https://zeitgeistarts.com/zinema2/north-by-north-film-festival/nxn-films/

A message from the director….

Community is at the core of our film festival. Our goal is to support local artists while introducing independent films to our region. Collaborating with the Duluth NAACP, Twin Ports Asian Pacific Islander Desi Collective, American Indian Community Housing Organization, Minnesota Discovery Center and the Minnesota Environmental Partnership has been a great boost to our programming. We are honored to be working with organizations from all over northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin and incredibly thankful to our sponsors and supporters.

Our ethos for programming reflects the tenacious spirit of the north and has a focus on sharing under-represented regions, communities and people from all over the world. Through the film festival, year-round programming, grant funding opportunities, and actively engaging and listening to our community, our mission is to cultivate an independent film scene by connecting our local community to the world through film and helping to share our diverse local stories.

My team and I have proudly introduced a new pitch competition, which further supports local filmmakers. We have $18,000 in pocket to underwrite their work, and are excited to help bring ideas from the drawing board to fruition. We support filmmakers who do not have access to the industry’s institutional money and attention. The Northland has so many stories to tell and this is just the start.

None of this would be possible without my amazing team of programmers and staff at North X North and Zeitgeist, and our supportive community.

Thank You, Matthew Koshmrl North x North Director

OPENING https://zeitgeistarts.com/zinema2/north-by-north-film-festival/nxn-films/

FILM!

Sun, May 1

Zinema 2 | 1:30 pm

A Northeast Passage

Directed by Tyler Paul Hudson and Gregory Alan Paape | USA | 73 min

Captured over the last four months of 2020, this is a look back at the tumultuous and historic events of the year, filtered through the lens of the Northeast Minneapolis Community.

Wed, April 27

Zinema 1 | 8:00 pm

Bad Axe

OPENING NIGHT FILM!

Presented by Twin Ports Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Collective (TPAC) Directed by David Siev (in attendance!) USA | 101 min https://zeitgeistarts.com/zinema2/north-by-north-film-festival/nxn-films/

Sun, May 1

Zinema 1 | 5:00 pm

Beyond The North Woods

Directed by Lance Todd (in attendance!) USA | 59 min

Raw, unedited footage recovered from the iPhone of a YouTuber who went missing while filming in a mysterious forest. “Beyond the North Woods” is a Duluth, Minn., based found-footage horror experience. Followed by Q&A session session.

Sat, April 30

Zinema 2 | 2:00 pm

Bring Her Home

Presented by American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO)

Directed by Leya Hale (in attendance!) USA | 56 min https://zeitgeistarts.com/zinema2/north-by-north-film-festival/nxn-films/

“Bring Her Home” follows three Indigenous women — an artist, an activist and a politician — as they work to vindicate and honor their relatives who are victims in the growing epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. As they face the lasting effects of historical trauma, each woman searches for healing while navigating the oppressive systems that brought about this very crisis. Film followed by Q&A session.

Sat, April 30

Zinema 2 | 6:00 pm

Cup Confidential

Directed by Ryan La Via (in attendance!) Canada | 42 min.

“Cup Confidential” is a 43-minute documentary that tells the true story about how a scrappy, semi-pro hockey team won the hearts of the blue-collar city they represented while on their way to winning the very first Colonial Hockey League championship. Film followed by Q&A session.

Sun, May 1

Zinema 1 | 1:30 pm

Daughter Of A Lost Bird

Presented by American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO)

Directed by Brooke Swaney | USA | 66 min https://zeitgeistarts.com/zinema2/north-by-north-film-festival/nxn-films/

“Daughter of a Lost Bird” explores the ethics surrounding Native American adoption, via a singular story as an entry point into a more complicated national issue. In many ways, Kendra Potter is a perfect example of cultural assimilation, a modern representation of the painful phrase, “Kill the Indian, save the man.” She is a thriving woman who grew up in a loving, upper middle-class white family, and feels no significant loss with the absence of Native American culture or family in her life. And yet, as a Blackfeet/Salish woman, director Brooke Swaney could not imagine that Kendra could be content or complete without understanding her heritage. So together they embark on a 7 year journey.

Sun, May 1

Zinema 1 | 12:00 pm

Freshwater

Presented by Minnesota Environmental Partnership (MEP)

Directed by Ian Planchon and Lynn Melling | USA | 51 min

“Freshwater” is a documentary that dives into the cold waters of Lake Superior along Minnesota’s North Shore. Despite the fact that it contains 10 percent of Earth’s freshwater, this massive force of nature remains largely unexplored. One group of people, however, is intimately aware of its power. From the surfers who catch its waves to the scientists who study its depths, learn why Lake Superior is a precious resource that should never be taken for granted.

Sat, April 30

Zinema 1 | 8:30 pm

Glob Lessons

Directed by Nicole Rodenburg and Colin Froeber (in attendance!) | USA | 105 min.

While performing two-person low-budget children’s theatre out of a minivan across North Dakota and the frozen Upper Midwest, two aimless thirtysomething strangers — a repressed gay man and an enigmatic woman with a wild streak — struggle to overcome their fears of inadequacy and intimacy in order to survive that lonely tundra called life. “Glob Lessons” is about the stories we tell to others, and the stories we tell ourselves. Film followed by Q&A session session.

https://zeitgeistarts.com/zinema2/north-by-north-film-festival/nxn-films/

Thu, April 28

Zinema 1 | 8:00 pm

Islands

Presented by TPAC

Directed by Martin Edralin (in attendance!) USA | 94 min.

“Islands” is a coming-of-middle-age film about a timid Filipino immigrant struggling with the care of an elderly parent while managing his first experience of puppy love. Film followed by Q&A session.

Sat, April 30

Zinema 1 | 6:30 pm

Let The Little Light Shine

Presented by NAACP Duluth Branch

Directed by Kevin Shawn (in attendance!) USA | 87 min https://zeitgeistarts.com/zinema2/north-by-north-film-festival/nxn-films/

When a thriving, top-ranked African American elementary school is threatened to be closed and replaced by a new high school that favors the community’s wealthier residents, parents, students and educators fight for the elementary school’s survival. Film followed by Q&A session.

Sat, April 30

Teatro | 3:30 pm

LÍNEAS de SANGRE

Directed by Taja Will (in attendance!) | USA | 54 min

Queer ceremony. Tierra. Fuego, Agua, Viento. Reclaiming connection to bloodlines through the guidance of plant and land ancestors on Dakota and Anishinaabe land, Mni Sota Makoce. We find ourselves right where we are, as we listen deeply to the plantita ancestors near us. This dance film is the biomythology of bodies in Latine diaspora, Boricua, Chicana, Chilean. We journey with the archetypes which support/guide/ mask/empower us, we are LOVER, VIRGEN, SHADOW, SERVANT, SIREN and ALCHEMIST. We are here now, and ancient, elders in training and millennials, we are stress, and meditation, we are tired and we are growing. Film followed by Q&A session.

Sat, April 30

Zinema 1 | 12:00 pm

Musher

Directed by Anuradha Rana and Laurie Little (in attendance!) | USA | 75 min https://zeitgeistarts.com/zinema2/north-by-north-film-festival/nxn-films/

“Musher” follows four female sled-dog racers as they prepare for the annual Copperdog150, bonding with their dogs, and passing the torch between women and girls and their dogs and puppies. As each musher prepares for the race, we reveal their community, devotion to the lifestyle, and how women influence the sport.

Sat, April 30

Zinema 1 | 4:00 pm

One Of Ours

Presented by AICHO + NAACP DULUTH BRANCH

Directed by Yasmine Mathurin Canada| 88 min

Josiah Wilson was adopted as a baby in Haiti and raised in an Indigenous family in Calgary, Canada. Years later, when Josiah is racially profiled at an Indigenous basketball tournament and refused the right to play a sport he deeply loves, his experience makes the news. In the aftermath of this hurtful rejection, Josiah is left to examine his identity, his shaken sense of belonging and the complex relationships he has with this family and community. With the unwavering support of his loved ones, Josiah embarks on the difficult path of healing from his past and finding his footing in the world. With deep compassion for Josiah’s journey, this honest portrayal of complicated family dynamics boldly asks us to create space for non-linear paths to self-acceptance, while revealing the empowering experience of being accepted and loved by your community. Film followed by Q&A session.

Fri, April 29

Zinema 2 | 4:00 pm

SAAMSIK: GREAT GRANDMOTHERS HAT

Directed by Anstein Mikkelsen and Harry Johansen | Norway | 60 min

Living in Norway on the border of Russia and Finland, Venke Tørmænen has seen her Skolt Sámi culture being crushed between world events. For a long, long time, perhaps since the dawn of time, the Pasvik Sámi managed their small borderless area in harmony with nature. Then Norway, Russia and Finland divided the area between them. Mining and power plants changed the landscape and the river. On the Norwegian side, the language and culture were almost obliterated. But they never managed to eradicate the East Sami genes. In the film, we follow Venke Tørmænen who wants to learn to sew the Skolt Sámi womenś hat her great-grandmother wears in an old picture. – “I feel that when I can sew it and put it on my head, the ring is closed. I want the world to know that we exist. We are here and we live here.” https://zeitgeistarts.com/zinema2/north-by-north-film-festival/nxn-films/

Thu, April 28

Zinema 1 | 10:00 pm

The Hand That Feeds

Directed by Blair Smith (in attendance!) USA | 101 min https://zeitgeistarts.com/zinema2/north-by-north-film-festival/nxn-films/

Russel, mid-30s, has wasted his whole life. Devoid of purpose or ambition, all he has to claim as his own, is the bar left to him by his father, a father who never approved of him. All seems to be moving into a positive light for Russel, until he realizes what lives in the loft about the bar. Film followed by Q&A session.

Sat, April 30

Zinema 2 | 12:00 pm

Trusted Messenger

Directed by Chris Newberry (in attendance!) USA | 56 min

As the world still grapples with COVID-19 and herd immunity eludes us, vaccine skepticism poses a huge obstacle. During the early months of the vaccination effort, filmmaker Chris Newberry and his crew followed a diverse ensemble of dedicated health care professionals as they set out to gain the trust of at-risk communities across Minnesota. The resulting documentary is a tribute to the doctors, nurses, organizers and influencers who are embracing community-led efforts to overcome vaccine hesitancy. Film followed by Q&A session.

Fri, April 29

Zinema 1 | 5:30 pm

What We Leave Behind

Directed by Iliana Sosa (in attendance!) USA | 71 min https://zeitgeistarts.com/zinema2/north-by-north-film-festival/nxn-films/

At the age of 89, Julián takes one last bus ride to El Paso, Texas, to visit his daughters and their children — a lengthy trip he has made without fail every month for decades. After returning to rural Mexico, he quietly starts building a house in the empty lot next to his home. In the absence of his physical visits, can this new house bridge the distance between his loved ones? Over several years, director Iliana Sosa films her grandfather’s work, gently sifting through Julián’s previously unspoken memories brought up by the construction project and revealing both the daily pragmatism and poetry of his life. “What We Leave Behind” unfolds as a love letter to her grandfather, as well as an intimate and insightful exploration of Iliana’s own relationship with him and his homeland. Film followed by Q&A session.

PANEL DISCUSSION: Filming in the Northland

11:30 AM SATURDAY, APRIL 30 | ZEITGEIST TEATRO

But what’s it really like? Three feature filmmakers share what it’s like to shoot in the Northland. Would they do it again? What is the future of the industry in our area? We’ll talk all things including the benefits and hurdles of shooting here. Shari Marshik, executive director of Upper Midwest Film Office (UMFO), will be on hand to field questions on incentives (yep - they are stackable!). The event will be moderated by Riki McManus, chief production officer of UMFO.

Featured Filmmakers:

Chris LaFleur, “The Hand That Feeds”

Max Selim, “Abroad”

Matt Roy, “Bough Brothers”

PUBLIC MEDIA:

How independent filmmakers can get funding for future projects with WDSE

1:00 PM SATURDAY, APRIL 30 | ZEITGEIST TEATRO

Join representatives from WDSE•WRPT, this region’s PBS station, to hear more about the opportunities of public television. From what public media is, to how to have your work featured on the station, get all your questions answered.

The panel will include Patricia Mester, general manager; Ramona Marozas, senior producer of Native Report; Megan McGarvey, associate producer of Almanac North; Isaac Quick, producer of The Slice; and Mike Scholtz, an independent local producer who has worked with WDSE•WRPT on projects like Iron Opera and Minnesota Historia

After Parties

Wednesday Opening Night Mixer at Zeitgeist Restaurant and Bar

10:30 p.m. at 222 E. Superior St., Duluth

Come celebrate our opening night and meet David Siev, the director of Bad Axe, our opening night film.

Thursday North X North Mixer at Sir Benedicts Tavern on the Lake

10:30 p.m. at 805 E. Superior St., Duluth

Enjoy a bite or cocktail after seeing our Thursday night film-, Islands with visiting filmmaker Martin Edralin.

Friday - North by North Film Festival

After-Party presented by the NAACP

Celebrate with us at Zeitgeist on Friday, April 29, immediately following the festival Awards Ceremony. Don’t miss this epic night of fun featuring live music by Mayyadda, visual art by Delphin Starr, comedian Greg Coleman, Renegade Improv, DJ Mark with Diamond MC Entertainment, karaoke and more!

Complimentary to festival badge holders. Tickets are $10 for walk-ups at the door (space is limited). Door sales begin at 9:15 p.m., performances start at 9:30 p.m. and continue into the night.

Friday Award Night After After Party at Sir Benedicts Tavern on the Lake

Midnight at 805 E. Superior St., Duluth

Continue the Friday night celebrations at Sir Ben’s!

Saturday Night Party at Dubh Linn Brew Pub

11:00 p.m. at 109 W. Superior St., Duluth

Come meet and mingle with visiting and local filmmakers!

Closing Night Party at The Caddy Shack Indoor Golf & Pub

6:30 p.m. Sunday, May 1, at 2023 W Superior St., Duluth https://zeitgeistarts.com/zinema2/north-by-north-film-festival/nxn-films/

Celebrate our 5 days of films at the Caddy Shack-the set of local film The Hand That Feeds!

North by North Film School: Tell Your Story!

The Zeitgeist North by North Film School, in partnership with the Minnesota Discovery Center, is an affordable option for the Northland’s diverse creative community ranging from filmmakers, graphic designers, multimedia artists, and theatrical artists to learn, work, create, and connect. With teaching hubs in Chisholm and Duluth, we will add important contributions to the regional film ecosystem.

Our goal is to empower, support, and educate Northland community members ages 16+ as active participants in shaping our culture, and engage diverse communities to rethink the way we view film, art, and local storytelling. We provide access and a platform to work, learn, create, and experience filmmaking and media production in our community.

Benefits include access to iMac computers loaded with creative design and editing software, meeting rooms, multi-media studios, film/video equipment for on-site photo/video shoots & projects, digital tools, and more.

Registration is available available now for Fall Classes at Zeitgeistarts.com.

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Zinema 1 Zinema 2 Teatro Zeitgeist Atrium

Zinema 1 Zinema 2 Teatro Zeitgeist Atrium

10:30 A.M.

“FOR THE FAMILY” SHORTS BLOCK

5:30 P.M. OPENING CEREMONY

12:00 P.M.

“MUSHER”

FEATURE FILM

11:30 A.M.

UMFO PANEL DISCUSSION

6:30 P.M.

“CREATIVE THERAPY” SHORTS BLOCK, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

“FAMILY HERITAGE”

BLOCK, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

8:00 P.M.

“ISLANDS”

FEATURE FILM, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

10:00 P.M.

“THE HAND THAT FEEDS”

FEATURE FILM, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

“RESILIENT VULNERABILITY” SHORTS BLOCK

5:30 P.M.

“WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND”

FEATURE FILM, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

5:30 P.M.

“ONCE UPON A TIME” SHORTS BLOCK, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

SATURDAY, APRIL 30

2:00 P.M.

“TIME, PLACES, AND SPACES” SHORTS BLOCK, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

12:00 P.M.

“TRUSTED MESSENGER”

FEATURE FILM, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

1:00 P.M.

WDSE PANEL

4:00 P.M.

“ONE OF OURS” FEATURE FILM, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

2:00 P.M.

“BRING HER HOME”

FEATURE FILM, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

3:30 P.M.

“LÍNEAS DE SANGRE”

FEATURE FILM, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

6:30 P.M.

“LET THE LITTLE LIGHT SHINE”

FEATURE FILM, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

4:00 P.M.

“TRUTH TO POWER”

SHORTS BLOCK, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

6:00 P.M.

“CUP CONFIDENTIAL”

FEATURE FILM

4:00 P.M.

“SAAMSIK: GREAT GRANDMOTHERS HAT” FEATURE FILM

P.M. NXN AWARDS CEREMONY IN THE GREYSOLON MOORISH ROOM | 231 E. SUPERIOR STREET, DULUTH

ZEITGEIST COVID-19 POLICIES

• Masks are no longer required for patrons in the Zeitgeist Arts Building, regardless of vaccination status.

P.M. NXN AFTER PARTY AT ZEITGEIST

• Proof of full-course COVID-19 vaccination completed at least 14 days prior or a negative COVID-19 test result taken within the previous 72 hours is required for entry to public events in the Zeitgeist Arts Building. *This excludes private rentals and regular bar & dining service.

• Patrons must also present a photo ID which matches their proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test.

SUNDAY, MAY 1

8:30 P.M.

“GLOB LESSONS”

FEATURE FILM, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

12:00 P.M.

“FRESHWATER”

FEATURE FILM

1:30 P.M.

“DAUGHTER OF A LOST BIRD”

FEATURE FILM

3:00 P.M.

“WDSE”

SHORTS BLOCK, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

5:00 P.M.

“BEYOND THE WOODS”

FEATURE FILM, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

7:00 P.M.

“HORROR”

SHORTS BLOCK, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

12:00 P.M.

“EXCUSE ME, WHAT?” COMEDY

SHORTS BLOCK, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

1:30 P.M.

“A NORTHEAST PASSAGE”

FEATURE FILM, FOLLOWED BY Q&A

12:00 P.M.

“HOME ON EARTH”

DOCUMENTARY/PERFORMANCE