Square Lake Film & Music

Square Lake Film & Music The biggest little music and film festival nestled in a Stillwater backyard. BIG ACTS, small crowd.

We warmly welcome you to FILMS at the FAIR Weekend II that premiers tonight, 8:30PM at the Minnesota State Fair!We are v...
09/04/2026

We warmly welcome you to FILMS at the FAIR Weekend II that premiers tonight, 8:30PM at the Minnesota State Fair!

We are very pleased to collaborate on tonight's screening with FilmNorth as our spotlight partner. FilmNorth is a vital part of our film community in Minnesota. Thank you to the entire FilmNorth team for all you do.

Weekend II 9/4-5:
THE NIGHT WITH THE BEAR By Adam Geiger, NIGHT PRISM
By Chris Lange, BOOTS By Lily Berg, LA FRONTERA
By Paola Guerrero Abrego, BOUND FOR THE LAST CONTINENT
By Josh Carlon, STRESSZILLA By Rocky Casillas Aguirre, THE PLEASURE-DOME By Marcie LaCerte, FALLEN STARS
By Jon Passig & Celeste Wilburn, A WILDERNESS ACT
By Nisogaabokwe Melonee Montano & Tom Deschenes, HALCYON DAYS By Bri Dorsey, WEB 5000 By Sishirprithvi Bommakanti.

Screening details:
🎬 FILMS at the FAIR – Screening Schedule 🎬
Join us each night this Labor Day weekend!
We are only active during the specific screening windows listed below:Friday, Sept 4: 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Saturday, Sept 5: 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Sunday, Sept 6: 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Presented by Square Lake Film & Music
We are beyond excited—and deeply honored—to share our Weekend II program...an extraordinary selection of short, family-friendly films created by talented artists from across Minnesota. Many of the filmmakers will join us at the screenings!
This is the first film showcase of its kind in Minnesota State Fair history. Join us in celebrating this historic occasion!

Limited seating begins at 8 p.m.; films begin at 8:30 p.m. Come early, find a seat, and vote for your favorite films.
Pet Pavilions
Northwest corner of Murphy Avenue and Underwood Street
Free with Minnesota State Fair admission
Complete film lineup and filmmaker information:
https://www.squarelakefestival.com/statefairshowcases/
Official Minnesota State Fair listing:
https://www.mnstatefair.org/new/at-the-fair/films-at-fair
Square Lake Film & Music will also have a limited number of signed-and-numbered screen-printed posters, along with glow-in-the-dark T-shirts and tote bags!

Hellavision Television is a spotlight film organization partner for the very first night of FILMS at the FAIR, tomorrow ...
08/28/2026

Hellavision Television is a spotlight film organization partner for the very first night of FILMS at the FAIR, tomorrow 8/28 at 8PM at the Pet Pavillion. Help us fill the bleachers!

Hellavision Television promotes creativity and collaboration worldwide. We love em. Their newest episode “DANCE EVERYWHERE invites animators to dance in an unexpected location, to let the surroundings choreograph their movement and allow animation to transform their dance into something impossible. This episode is created by Dane Cree & Woodlin Latocki.”

Hellavision Television is a spotlight film organization partner for the very first night of FILMS at the FAIR, tomorrow ...
08/28/2026

Hellavision Television is a spotlight film organization partner for the very first night of FILMS at the FAIR, tomorrow 8/28 at 8PM at the Pet Pavillion. Help us fill the bleachers! Learn more here: https://www.squarelakefestival.com/statefairshowcases/

Hellavision Television promotes creativity and collaboration worldwide. We love em. Their newest episode "DANCE EVERYWHERE invites animators to dance in an unexpected location, to let the surroundings choreograph their movement and allow animation to transform their dance into something impossible. This episode is created by Dane Cree & Woodlin Latocki."
Learn more here: https://www.hellavisiontelevision.com/episodes/dance-everywhere

We're really excited about this coming weekend!Join us this coming weekend (8/28-29) at the 2026 Minnesota State Fair fo...
08/25/2026

We're really excited about this coming weekend!

Join us this coming weekend (8/28-29) at the 2026 Minnesota State Fair for our first weekend showcasing film & animation from across Minnesota. We'll be easy to find. Look for the huge Ferris Wheel and keep going to the Pet Pavillion. You'll see our screen. Seating starts at 8 and films at 8:30.

Square Lake Film & Music began discussing this idea 10 years ago, and we stuck with it because there really is something deeply inspiring about Minnesota. The whole world has its eyes on us right now. There's never been a showcase of films like this in MN State Fair history.

"Films at the Fair" spans five nights with a different showcase of films each weekend. We received over 185 submissions and watched 18+ hours of short films. Only 14% were selected for screening, and all together we'll screen 26 films in 2026 and you can vote on your favorite.

Our intern Le Nguyen designed our "Films at the Fair" logo and we love it.
We'll have 40 limited edition copies of this year's screen print poster, signed & numbered by the artist Connor Hryhorysak.
The even talented Cathan Murray created an animated version of the poster, like he's been doing for 10+ years at the Square Lake Films & Music Festival. All the pistons are firing!

The films from weekend one are family-friendly & spectacular:
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH BIRDS By Taylor Bakken
END OF WINTER By Jonny Weaver
THE BOOM By Ajuawak Kapashesit
SPAGHETTI WITH SEEDS By Grey Anderson
THE SURVEYOR By Avery Luthardt
MAY THE FORESAKEN BE FORGIVEN By Taoheed Bayo
THE RED WOOL PENDLETON By Tom Schroeder
TEB CHAW (LAND) By Joua Lee Grande
RECIPE FOR DISASTER By Spencer Knott & Kevin Noonan
(Many filmmakers will be present at the screenings)

Help us create a new MN State Fair tradition!

PS: We're still looking for volunteers. Msg us

Friends- Join us next month on September 25th for the 2nd annual Square Lake "Floating Film" Showcase, featuring the wor...
08/16/2026

Friends-
Join us next month on September 25th for the 2nd annual Square Lake "Floating Film" Showcase, featuring the world premier of short films made for year one of the St. Croix River Tales project.

We did this "Floating Film" cruise last year (see photos) and it was so much fun. This year we'll be watching films about the St. Croix River while floating on the St. Croix River!

Discount tickets available till 8/24: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/square-lake-floating-film-showcase-tickets-1997055176793?aff=oddtdtcreator

đź“· credit: Mark Brown

Call for submissions: Share your St. Croix River Tale!We're looking for storytellers to craft a short film (5 minutes or...
07/21/2026

Call for submissions: Share your St. Croix River Tale!

We're looking for storytellers to craft a short film (5 minutes or less) inspired by the St. Croix River.
*Cash prizes up to $1,000 will be awarded to winning films.
*Selected films will screen on a riverboat on September 25
*Participants of all skill levels welcome. Filmmaker support available to help you reach the finish line.
*Submission Deadline: 9/1/2026

Learn more and register your participation on our website: https://www.squarelakefestival.com/st-croix-river-tales/

Rural Minnesota Filmmakers & Animators-Square Lake Film & Music is proudly presenting the first-ever showcase of Minneso...
07/20/2026

Rural Minnesota Filmmakers & Animators-
Square Lake Film & Music is proudly presenting the first-ever showcase of Minnesota-made film & animated shorts at this year's Minnesota State Fair.
Our goal is to spotlight recent work of artists from all across the state (rural and urban). If you are an artist from rural Minnesota, please submit your work and/or share this with your artist network.
No submission fees.
We're looking for film & animation in all genres that is 15 min or less in length.
Selected films will screen five weekend nights at the fair and receive wide media coverage.
To learn more and submit, visit https://www.squarelakefestival.com/mnfilmsfair/
Don't delay! Final submission deadline is midnight on Friday 7/27.

If you are interested in making a film, or want to learn more about the St. Croix River Tales filmmaking project, consid...
04/12/2026

If you are interested in making a film, or want to learn more about the St. Croix River Tales filmmaking project, consider joining us next week for two info sessions at ArtReach St. Croix on:
Monday 4/13, 2-4PM
Wednesday 4/15, 6-8PM
These info sessions are open house-style, and will provide a range of info and filmmaker support.
Poets, spoken word artists, writers are warmly welcomed to attend. We can talk through and strategize how to blend your work with the St. Croix River drone footage (available free for project participants) to make a film.
More info at https://www.squarelakefestival.com/st-croix-river-tales/

Square Lake Film & Music is hiring a project manager.View our job posting on Indeed:https://www.indeed.com/job/project-m...
04/09/2026

Square Lake Film & Music is hiring a project manager.
View our job posting on Indeed:
https://www.indeed.com/job/project-manager-square-lake-film-music-5d670fc73bc147c0
2025 & 2026 have been huge growth years for our small but mighty non-profit arts group and there are no signs of slowing down in 2027.
We're looking for a project manager who can complement our working board as we meet the moment and exciting events ahead (more good stuff to be announced in mid-May).
If you, or someone in your network believes in the social impact of filmmaking and organizing film events then this job might be a good fit.

Hey filmmakers & animators-The Square Lake Film & Music Festival, in partnership with St. Croix 360, The Pietro Hanka Di...
03/25/2026

Hey filmmakers & animators-
The Square Lake Film & Music Festival, in partnership with St. Croix 360, The Pietro Hanka DiLorenzo St Croix River Conservancy Fund, Hamline University) would like to invite you to create and submit a film to St. Croix River Tales:
https://www.squarelakefestival.com/st-croix-river-tales/
This "Open Call" for films about the St. Croix River Valley is a great way to showcase your talent, help protect this scenic river way AND compete to win a cash prize!
$1000 1st place
$500 2nd place
$250 3rd place
$350 Emerging Filmmaker award
We accept films in any genre, and participants can access high quality drone footage of the upper St. Croix for use in your film.
All registration and participation info is on our website.
Step 1 is registering for the project.
Submission deadline is 8/1/26 with numerous potential screening opportunities this fall for completed films.
Tell your St. Croix River tale!

Address

13359 Partridge Road N
Stillwater, MN
55082

Telephone

+16512265046

Website

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