Duluth Superior Film Festival: Bridging the Arts Communities of Duluth and Superior

The Duluth Superior Film Festival is proud to announce that its closing-day screenings and ceremonies will take place on September 25th, in the City of Superior at the Douglas County Historical Society. The screening will feature films by Wisconsin filmmakers or with settings or stories taking place in Wisconsin. Closing night ceremonies and a closing night party will follow the screenings.

“It has always been our intention to be a bridge between the arts communities of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin,” stated Festival Founder Richard Hansen. “Superior is a gem and it’s only getting brighter. We see the arts community in Superior growing before our eyes and we want to not only be a part of it, but to facilitate the growth.”

The Duluth Superior Film Festival is a program of the nonprofit Northern Film Alliance and is in its thirteenth year operating in the Duluth Superior Region. Its stated mission is to “foster a greater appreciation of cinema, to bridge cultures, create and expand community, provide cultural exchange, networking opportunities, and educational outreach through regular interaction with great films, filmmakers, musicians, and artists.” Pointing out the mission statement, Hansen told members of the City of Superior Rotary Club that, “we’d be violating our own stated vision if we didn’t aggressively pursue this collaboration.”

This year, DSFF has teamed with the Duluth-based Catalyst Content Festival and fellow Northern Film Alliance festival Minnesota Web Fest to form a ten-day super-festival: the North Star Story Summit. Spanning ten days, the three festival event will present hundreds of stories, panels, educational events, parties, and screenings centered around film, web, and television.

Hansen pointed out that events like the Duluth Superior Film Festival and the North Star Story Summit bring economic activity to the region. “We’re talking increased commerce for restaurants and bars, screening venues, and other entertainment centers.” He said, “It’s our vision for the future that the Duluth Superior Film Festival represents both communities equally with events taking place simultaneously in both cities. That kind of festival growth only means more economic activity for both Duluth and the City of Superior.”

The Duluth Superior Film Festival runs from Thursday, Sept 22nd through Sunday, September 25th. In addition to the activities slated for the City of Superior, there will be screenings and events at the West Theatre, the Zeitgeist Cinema, and the Hostel du Nord Annex in Duluth.