Thunder Bay International Film Festival On the Road at the Rogers Theater
Step into a world where cinema meets history at the Thunder Bay International Film Festival, held at the Rogers Theater, now proudly listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This iconic venue hosts the first night of the Thunder Bay International Film Festival, featuring a diverse selection of acclaimed ocean and Great Lakes films—from compelling documentaries to thought-provoking narratives.
Join us for an unforgettable celebration of cinema, culture, and community in this nationally recognized historic theater.
NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary hosts the Thunder Bay International Film Festival in partnership with the International Ocean Film Festival, the premier global platform for ocean literacy and education through independent film.
Featured Films:
Earth is Blue: Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, ONMS (USA), 2 min
Join us in welcoming Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary to the National Marine Sanctuary System as the third largest of America’s 17 existing marine sanctuaries! The 4,543 square-mile sanctuary off the coast of Central California will conserve rich biodiversity while respecting and honoring the native homeland waters of Chumash Peoples and their ancestors, highlighting and celebrating the area’s rich cultural history, and welcoming Indigenous Knowledge and participation in the co-stewardship of this special place.
Return to Spur Lake: Bringing Back the Food that Grows on Water, Finn Ryan (USA) 10 min
There’s always been only a few special places in the world where wild rice (known as manoomin to the Ojibwe people), grows. Which made it troubling when manoomin stopped growing in the early 2000’s at Spur Lake, a 113 acre lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin. This film features a group of conservation partners who come together to bring wild rice back to Spur Lake.
Kingdom of Ice: Antarctica’s Leopard Seals, Paul Nicklen & Andy Mann (Canada) 9 min
This bite-sized film takes a “Gary Larsen-esque” look at one of Antarctica’s most fearsome predators, leopard seals. The bane of hapless penguins, they confront divers with a fearless ferocity and razor-sharp teeth. The humans soon discover they are objects of special interest: but as pals…or prey? See how one encounter revealed our “role” in their world (prepare to be humbled).
All Too Clear, Yvonne Drebert & Zach Melnick (Canada) 90 min *
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.
*filmmaker or representative expected for Q&A
Date & Time
Wed, Jan 22, 2025 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Venue Details
Rogers Theater
257 North 3rd Street Rogers City, Michigan 49779
Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Established in 2010 by local community leaders, the Friends of TBNMS is a nonprofit 501(c)3. Its founders envisioned the significant opportunity the sanctuary offered for protecting our Great Lakes and their rich maritime history, hands-on educational experiences for area students, and local economic development. Today, that vision has become a reality with the Friends of TBNMS sharing a close working relationship with the sanctuary staff, playing a critical role in funding the sanctuary’s education programs, community outreach efforts, unique museum experiences, and research.
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