Public Lands Film Festival – Minneapolis
Hosted by the Wild Rivers Conservancy, this night of film aims to inspire outdoor recreation and a love for nature.
America’s public lands are more than forests, rivers, and mountains—they are places where people find peace, adventure, inspiration, and a connection to something larger than themselves. Through a curated collection of short films from independent filmmakers, the Public Lands Film Festival celebrates the breathtaking beauty, rich diversity, and enduring importance of these special places. Each film was chosen for its ability to inform, inspire, and remind audiences that when people come together around the places they love, extraordinary things happen.
Connect with our public land partners at the event
Minnesota Chapter
The Film Lineup
Loon
Runtime: 9:51 | Themes: Conservation
Is wilderness more valuable than money? It depends on who you ask. Loon is a through-hiking naturalist who understands what’s truly valuable in life. At 80 years old with more than 2,000 acres of wilderness to his name, he must decide what to do with this precious asset.
Wood Hood
Runtime: 16:19 | Themes: Diversity & Identity, Youth Voices, Accessibility
DeVaughn is a 15-year-old kid from New York City who loves skateboarding and craves a “quiet place” to escape the chaos of his home, the city, and kids who steal from him. Wood Hood follows DeVaughn on a weekend-long group camping trip with Camping To Connect, a BIPOC-led mentorship program that teaches leadership, brotherhood, and inclusion in the outdoors.
Ferryman at the Wall
Runtime: 15:37 | Themes: Challenging Perspectives, Conservation, National Parks
Originally proposed as an international peace park with Mexico, Big Bend, Texas has a unique relationship with its southern neighbor. For the past 40 years, Mike Davidson has been ferrying tourists across the Rio Grande for a little taste of Mexican life — but now a great big border wall might divide the park.
Keeper of the Cascades
Runtime: 14:03 | Themes: Conservation, National Parks
A documentary about legacy and bold passion, Keeper of the Cascades, filmed in North Cascades National Park, highlights those who have made a career out of what they love. It follows the story of Bill Zimmer, Chief of Facilities, and Abbie Graf, Wilderness Ranger, on a three-day, two-night backpacking trip and highlights their passion as caretakers of our parks.
A Guide to Fighting for Wild Rivers
Runtime: 9:56 | Themes: Conservation
A Guide to Fighting for Wild Rivers illustrates how OARS, American Rivers, and Friends of the Yampa have worked together for more than a decade to build a coalition of support for the last free-flowing river in the Colorado River Basin.
What the River Knows
Runtime: 34:19 | Themes: Conservation, Challenging Perspectives
A lost Eden drowned under Lake Powell re-emerges, revealing the follies of the past and a new way forward for the Colorado River.
The Venue
Surly Brewing
Minneapolis, MN
Their massive space is a destination for locals and travelers alike. It’s neighborhood-y enough for an after-work beer, and big enough for a thousand of your closest friends to eat and drink in the Beer Hall, Beer Garden, and Surly Pizza on any given Thursday. Think of it as a community gathering space, only our community is the entire Upper Midwest and beyond.
Meet Your Event Staff
About Public Lands Alliance
Public Lands Alliance (PLA) has been connecting, strengthening, and representing the nonprofit partners of America’s public lands since 1977, in pursuit of a world where public lands are valued, preserved, and enjoyed by all. Its members are nonprofit organizations with formal partnerships with land management agencies to support parks, forests, wildlife refuges, cultural sites, and other public lands sites. PLA members serve over 700 sites nationwide and raise $250 million annually to support those lands.