Stories of Minnesota's vibrant and varied outdoors scene will be told on screen this month, and throughout the year, at a new film festival that opens March 21 in Minneapolis.
Adventure Minnesota Films director Brenda Piekarski said her hope is that the event builds a sense of camaraderie.
"My goal is to create a place for creatives and adventurers alike to come together to connect, share ideas and get inspired," she said. "It's my hope that this film festival will grow in the coming years to become a multiday event that will continue to feature filmmakers and photographers from Minnesota and the Midwest, while showcasing all our region has to offer."
The #AdventureMN Film Festival opens with six short films, on screen at Lakes & Legends Brewing Co. in Minneapolis. The festival will continue on different dates through 2019, with different films and presenters.
The films March 21 cover topics from ultrarunning to environmental activism. Piekarski's Adventure Minnesota Films entry focuses on Jay Gustafson, aka Waterway Jay, who in 2017 launched a project to paddle all 34 of Minnesota's state water trails to draw attention to their grandeur — but also the existing threats to the resource. His Paddle for Progress dovetailed with then-Gov. Mark Dayton's "25 by 25" initiative to improve the state's water quality by 25 percent by 2025.
There is also a film about several paddleboarders who took on Lake Superior, and one centered on the Big Lake's active surfing community.
Adventure Minnesota Films' first production chronicled the Arrowhead 135 ultramarathon (cyclists, runners and skiers) from International Falls, Minn., to Tower, in 2013.
Doors open to the festival at 5 p.m.; screenings begin at 7 p.m.
Find details and ticket information here.
