2026 Thunder Bay International Film Festival – More Than a Decade of Highlighting Ocean & Great Lakes Films

For the past 14 years, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS) has brought the wonders of the ocean and Great Lakes to northeast Michigan through the annual Thunder Bay International Film Festival.

Held each January, the five-day event has become a welcome highlight during the short, cold days of winter in northern Michigan. Featuring films about marine life, Great Lakes surfing, shark conservation, coral restoration, and underwater exploration, the festival helps audiences connect with the vast stories and ecosystems of the entire National Marine Sanctuary System.

The traveling festival stops in three cities along the sanctuary shoreline and includes special “sneak peek” screenings for local students. Over the years, it has grown into one of the region’s most anticipated winter cultural events and has inspired similar film festivals in Lake Ontario and Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast national marine sanctuaries.

For a behind-the-scenes look at filmmaker Q&As, panels, competitions, and more festival highlights, get connected to Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuaries social media channels on Facebook and Instagram.
👉 View Film Festival Photos on Facebook

Ocean and Great Lakes Filmmakers Share Their StoriesA group of filmmakers sits at the front of a theater with an audience in the adjacent seats.

One of the most exciting aspects of the Thunder Bay International Film Festival is the opportunity for audiences to meet filmmakers and hear the stories behind their work.

This year, more than a dozen filmmakers attended the event to introduce their films and answer audience questions.

One standout screening was Saltfree Stoke, a documentary about Great Lakes surfing on Lake Huron. The film highlights a local surfer and founder of the Thunder Bay Surf Club, a community group dedicated to growing surfing opportunities in northeast Michigan.

The club encourages people to experience Lake Huron in a new way and is working to make the sport more accessible by acquiring boards, wetsuits, and booties for affordable youth surf lessons.

Sustainable Fisheries Panel & Great Lakes Fish Cooking DemonstrationA woman seasons pieces of fish on a cutting board in front of her.

A new addition to the 2026 festival was a fisheries panel and cooking demonstration in partnership with Michigan Sea Grant.

Four aquaculture experts presented the “Four Fs of Fish: Food, Finances, Fun, and Function,” offering insight into sustainable fisheries, the importance of local seafood, and the role Great Lakes fish play in regional culture and economies.

Following the panel, the experts prepared fresh Great Lakes whitefish and walleye while sharing tips for seasoning, cooking, and serving the fish at home. Audience members sampled the dishes—including a popular whitefish dip—and learned new ways to enjoy locally sourced Great Lakes seafood.

Student Film Competition Highlights Young Great Lakes FilmmakersA photo taken from a booth at the back of a theater, showing a control station, the back of the audience, and a screen that says Student Shorts with a few people standing next to it presenting.

Another highlight of the festival is the Student Shorts Film Competition, which has been inspiring young filmmakers for nearly a decade.

Open to middle and high school students, the competition invites participants to create short films about the Great Lakes, encouraging creativity while building awareness about freshwater ecosystems.

What began primarily as a local contest has expanded into a regional event. This year’s first-place winner came from New Jersey. Inspired by a family trip to Niagara Falls, student filmmaker Kathy Yang created a film called Freeing the Falls about the iconic landmark that earned top honors from the judging panel.

Selected films are screened during the festival, giving young filmmakers the chance to see their work on the big screen.

International Ocean Films Expand the Festival Experience

While many films featured in the festival highlight stories from the Great Lakes region, the event also includes ocean-focused documentaries through a partnership with the International Ocean Film Festival.

This collaboration allows TBNMS audiences to experience stories from ocean communities and marine ecosystems around the world, creating a diverse lineup of aquatic storytelling.

Although many festival films are only available during the event, several selections from this year’s lineup are available online, including:

2026 Thunder Bay International Film Festival by the Numbers

The Thunder Bay International Film Festival continues to grow each year, attracting filmmakers, students, and audiences interested in ocean and Great Lakes storytelling.

🎬 500+ attendees across five days
🎥 12 filmmakers in attendance
🎞 78 films showcasing the Great Lakes and ocean
🏆 66 student films submitted to the Student Shorts Film Competition
🌎 4 world premieres, including Stories from the Blue: Saving Koholā
♻️ 0 waste event initiative
🎓 200 students reached through sneak-peek screenings
🌊 10,000+ people reached since the festival began 14 years ago

Celebrating 15 Years of the Thunder Bay International Film Festival

Since its launch, the Thunder Bay International Film Festival has grown into a signature winter event in northeast Michigan, connecting people to the ocean and Great Lakes through film, storytelling, and community engagement.

Next year marks an exciting milestone—the 15th annual festival—promising another celebration of marine conservation, exploration, and aquatic adventure.