Frozen River Film Festival

09/02/2026

This Saturday, September 5, join us at POP’s Art Theater in Rochester for a screening of Akira Kurosawa’s 1949 film noir classic, Stray Dog (Nora Inu). 🎞️

Frozen River Film Festival will be joining the post-screening panel to discuss Kurosawa’s gripping crime drama and its enduring cinematic legacy. We’d love to see you there!

📍 POP’s Art Theater, Rochester, MN
📅 Saturday, September 5

RochesterMN ClassicCinema

08/28/2026

Thanks for joining us at Elmaro Vineyard

08/24/2026

This Thursday at Elmaro Vineyard 🍷 best of the fest!
Best of Fest at Elmaro Vineyard
Thursday, August 27
Join Frozen River Film Festival for a special summer evening celebrating some of the most memorable documentary shorts from our 2026 festival. Set amidst the scenic vineyards of Elmaro Vineyard, Best of Fest brings together four remarkable films that explore identity, tradition, resilience, and our connection to history.
This curated program features:
Gigiigemin Baaga’adoweyang (“We Are Healed by Stickball”) by Finn Ryan, a moving portrait of culture, healing, and the enduring power of Indigenous tradition.
The Red Wool Pendleton by Tom Schroeder, an intimate story woven through memory, heritage, and the meaning carried by a single object.
Society of Crows by Mike McKinlay, an evocative exploration of the intelligence, mystery, and surprising social lives of one of nature’s most fascinating birds.
The Little Ancestor by Alexa Tremblay-Francoeur, a beautifully crafted reflection on family, ancestry, and the stories that shape who we are.

08/24/2026

Join us this Thursday Elmaro Vineyard for "Best of the Fest", films start at 8:30PM $10 Suggested donations!

08/22/2026

Next Thursday at Elmaro Vineyard 🍷 🎥 🍿 Best of Fest at Elmaro Vineyard 🎥 starts around 8:30 or after sunset 🌅
Thursday, August 27
Join Frozen River Film Festival for a special summer evening celebrating some of the most memorable documentary shorts from our 2026 festival. Set amidst the scenic vineyards of Elmaro Vineyard, Best of Fest brings together four remarkable films that explore identity, tradition, resilience, and our connection to history. Cheese platter proceeds will be donated to the festival, preparing for our 2027 season 🎦!
This curated program features:
☁️Gigiigemin Baaga’adoweyang (“We Are Healed by Stickball”) by Finn Ryan, a moving portrait of culture, healing, and the enduring power of Indigenous tradition.
🧥The Red Wool Pendleton by Tom Schroeder, an intimate story woven through memory, heritage, and the meaning carried by a single object.
🐦‍⬛Society of Crows by Mike McKinlay, an evocative exploration of the intelligence, mystery, and surprising social lives of one of nature’s most fascinating birds.
🪆The Little Ancestor by Alexa
Tremblay-Francoeur, a beautifully crafted reflection on family, ancestry, and the stories that shape who we are.

08/21/2026

Thanks for the write up Winona post! Find out about our new leadership!

The Frozen River Film Festival (FRFF), Minnesota’s only all-documentary film festival, is pleased to announce the appointment of Natalia Rocafuerte as festival director, Kris Hipps as screening coordinator, and Mike

08/18/2026

Artist Marlena Myles Art & Design (who designed our programs and posters) has some exciting news!

08/18/2026

Kris Hipps Joins as Screening Coordinator! Help us welcome Kris (who is a longtime FRFF supporter) into her new role!

Kris Hipps brings more than 25 years of experience in independent filmmaking, documentary production, and arts administration to her role as Screening Coordinator. She is the Artistic Director of Paper Cat Films and has produced features, shorts, and documentaries screened at festivals throughout the United States and Canada. Her documentary Lenny C Rocks the Mic received both the Audience Award and Best Short Documentary Award at the Intendence Film Festival in 2017.

A longtime supporter of Frozen River Film Festival, Hipps also serves as Finance Associate for Great River Shakespeare Festival. She brings her deep knowledge of independent film and passion for storytelling to support FRFF’s submission process, filmmaker relationships, and programming efforts.

04/22/2026

We'd like to reach out and thank those who attended our screening of 'Four Souls of Coyote' this past Friday at the Winona Arts Center. It was a pleasure to collaborate with the Winona Film Society and the Arts Center to bring a wonderful film to the community!

04/22/2026

Hi all! On behalf of the FRFF board, we'd like to reach out and let everyone know that our Operations Director, Kara Eggers, has departed the organization for a new opportunity. We'd like to thank Kara for their time and dedication to the organization. Kara worked for FRFF for several years, wearing hats of Venue Manager, Production Manager, Operations Director, and Co-Managing Director. We are thankful for their expertise and ability to organize, which has helped us manage a leadership change and also deliver the 2026 festival. All the best for your new opportunity, Kara!