ELY — My love for the movies is no secret. So, imagine my excitement at attending a film festival right here in Northern Minnesota.
The fourth year of the Ely Film Festival took place March 11-15. While I was unable to attend all five days of the event, what I did see was an exciting endeavor.
I arrived early Saturday morning to catch the Nourishment Shorts, kicking off the day’s programming with films about the importance of food. I arrived to an already busy room at Ely's Historic State Theater filled with fellow festival attendees.
Another thing I noticed immediately were the red shirts, which I later found out were worn by volunteers. The volunteer who greeted me as I walked into the theater was so nice, I started to wonder if I had met this person before. They treated me like an old friend.
The Nourishment Shorts were informative and impressive short documentaries, and they signaled that I was in for a good day of films.
Later, I watched a documentary called Plastic People, which was about the effects microplastics have on human bodies. It was a chilling film and made me feel a little guilty about drinking my Mountain Dew from a plastic cup.
The day ended with quite the crowd-pleaser: Observer, a documentary about professional scientists taking part in playful social experiments of observing the world in a different light. Afterward, there was a Q&A with local phenologist Dallas Hudson, who was featured in the film. (Dallas also regularly contributes his observations to our Phenology program with John Latimer!)
What took me by surprise was the enthusiasm I encountered from people all day. It didn’t seem to matter if attendees knew about what they were about to see on the big screen. They trusted the festival to show them something worthwhile.
Ryan Bajan, the festival director, told me that it’s part of Ely’s identity. People may go there for outdoor recreation, but they also have a love for the arts. The increased attendance every year shows that, he said.
“The interest in independent film, the variety it brings, the way it can address interests at all levels, all ages, all different perspectives, people crave that," Bajan said. "And that's what's allowed the film festival to continue with such strength.”
Overall, my experience at the Ely Film Festival was a lot of fun. People conversed in the lobby about the films and the smell of popcorn was in the air. It doesn’t get much better than that. I hope I can attend more of the festival in 2027.
You can listen to my full conversation with Bajan and Program Director Lucy Soderstrom above.
Hear about the festival's origins, how they partner with the Ely community, why they extended the festival to five days and how the volunteer process works.
Tell us about upcoming arts events where you live in Northern Minnesota by emailing psa@kaxe.org.
Area Voices is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
