It’s no secret our Northern Wilds has a thriving year-round art scene. Visitors travel from around the world to experience our creative culture, from photography and physical artworks to music and theater.
Film is a powerful medium for storytelling that connects diverse audiences and shapes our society by reflecting shared experiences. The Ely Film Festival, held March 12-16, is a celebration of independent cinema that contributes to the local community in a big way.
Held annually at Ely’s Historic State Theater (EHST) in Ely, this unique event showcases a diverse selection of films, including thought-provoking documentaries and captivating narratives. The State Theater, with its vintage charm and intimate atmosphere, provides the perfect backdrop for the experience.
“It’s a great event for me because it brings together all my favorite people in one place: the Ely arts and cultural communities, the Indigenous communities, and the Minnesota film communities,” says Jacob White, the artistic director for EHST.
A classically trained filmmaker, White taught media production workshops with the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm, and the Zeitgeist Center for the Arts and Community in Duluth. Inspired by the Duluth-Superior Film Festival and Zeitgeist’s own spin-off, the Minnesota Film Festival, White decided to bring the regional film experience to Ely.
White began official work as artistic director for the State Theater last December, though he’s been active with the organization since 2020. During the following two years he wrote more than a dozen grants to bring the Ely Film Festival to life. He was invited to join the board of directors after the first festival in 2023, and last year they received an Operating Support Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board that allowed them to create several full-time positions.
Though he was raised in a small town in Tennessee, White is no stranger to the northwoods. He first experienced Ely via the Northern Tier High Adventure program run by the Boy Scouts of America, and quickly fell in love with the area. After guiding canoe trips in the Boundary Waters for five years, he made Ely his home base in 2018. “You can’t beat living in town and being walking distance from work, the grocery store, and friends’ houses while also being a five-minute drive from some of the most remote places in our country,” he says.
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The Ely Film Festival showcases both short films and longer features, including many Indigenous and Minnesotan films. “We have certain topics and types of films we are targeting, but we get all different types of film submissions,” White explains. “We have a team of volunteer screeners who collectively watch all the film submissions, rating them and discussing the value of each film with our programmers.”
“As programmers, we look to other festivals in the region and nation-wide to seek out talent that fits the vibe we’re looking to create,” he continues. This year the team considered 209 submissions and made 109 official selections.
Filmmakers are encouraged to attend the festival, and those whose films are selected are given a VIP festival pass. Travel and lodging accommodations or sometimes stipends are offered for higher profile feature films, and homestay hosts are coordinated for short filmmakers, though many choose to find their own places to stay. “It’s a huge benefit to our community vitality and the mid-winter economy to have hundreds of new visitors in town during the middle of March,” White explains, “so we do our best to help get people here.”
“The community is so excited to have filmmakers in attendance, and we treat them like honored guests,” White says. “We’re different than many other film festivals. Very un-pretentious, very community-minded.”
The State Theater has a storied history. The venue opened on October 11, 1936, with a showing of My American Wife, and it quickly became a popular venue. Located on Sheridan Street in the heart of town, it was one of over 200 theaters designed by architects Seeman Kaplan and Jack Liebenberg.
By the turn of the century the theater had fallen into disrepair. In 2014, Alley A Realty purchased the building and restored it with help from the State of Minnesota and U.S. Department of Interior, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. In 2019, it was renamed Ely’s Historic State Theater.
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The theater now features two connected screening spaces: the 234-seat State Theater for live events and films, and the 50-seat Greenstone Theater for smaller films. Both theaters have 4K projectors and high-quality lighting and audio systems, though White notes, “many of our regulars prefer watching movies in the Greenstone because of the big, cushy chairs and more intimate viewing experience.” A full concession area offers common theater favorites, as well as beer, wine, and signature drinks. “We are so grateful to have such fantastic facilities right here at the top of main street in Ely,” White says.
In addition to the film festival, EHST hosts a summer live music event, a Memorial Day program for veterans and the public, the Great Nordic BeardFest, many collaborative productions, community fundraisers, after school programming, educational classes, and private events.
“EHST is part of the Ely Cultural Alliance, a group of nonprofits in the arts/cultural sector,” White explains. “Our mission is to provide a supportive platform that empowers local artists, preserves cultural heritage, and encourages collaborative endeavors that contribute to our community’s identity and vitality.”
“There is a cultural and artistic renaissance happening in Ely right now, and I’m not the first person to acknowledge that,” White says. “I think creative people are realizing that we don’t need to live in big cities to access diverse entertainment and educational opportunities. We can create them right where we are.”
To see a list of films, purchase tickets, find volunteer opportunities, and learn more about the Ely Film Festival, visit: elyfilmfest.com.
