Winona's Frozen River Film Fest features nearly 50 films in zero degrees
Feb. 6—WINONA — The 2023 Frozen River Film Festival is underway and picks up speed this weekend.
The annual festival features film screenings, discussion panels, workshops and other events.
The lineup includes a film commissioned by the Rochester Art Center. "Homecoming Queen" is a short documentary that features Ethan Mundt, who performs in drag as Utica and starred in Season 13 of "RuPual's Drag Race." Mundt is a native of the small Southeast Minnesota town of Utica. The art center commissioned the film to run along with a show of Mundt's work. The piece was made by Tatyana Kurepina, formerly of Rochester.
Overall, the festival features nearly 50 films.
The frozen part — that comes with multiple outdoor events.
With dozens of films screening this weekend, some are being offered outdoors. If that's not enough frozen, fresh air, the festival also features snowshoeing, ice climbing sessions and mountain biking.
This year's film lineup includes full-length features "The Balcony Movie," "Catching Air," "Hating Peter Tatchell," "Finding Her Beat," "Hold Me Right," "Las Abogadas: Attorneys on the Front Lines of the Migrant Crisis," "Mama Bears," "Musher," "Ranger," and "Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West."
Some of the filmmakers will be present at the festival for screenings and discussions. People involved in making "Finding Her Beat," "Alfredo's Island," "Mama Has a Mustache," "Las Abogadas," will be attending the festival.
Dozens of short films and documentaries round out the nearly 50 different films being screened during the festival over more than a week. The short films run from three minutes to nearly an hour in length.
Tickets for individual film viewings and full festival passes are available on the festival's website,
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The festival also features free workshops on the Winona State University campus. A panel discussion on art, equity and identity is being held at the performing arts black box on the WSU campus at 4 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 11. A workshop "How to Make a Documentary Film: From Soup to Nuts" will be held at 11 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 12 in Stark Hall, room 106. The workshops are free but space is limited so people interested in attending should RSVP on the FRFF website.
Film fans can meet the filmmakers at the film screenings as well as at the wrap party and awards ceremony at 8:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 11, at No Name Bar.
