Fresh Coast Film Festival is a four-day documentary film festival in Marquette, Michigan celebrating the outdoor lifestyle and resilient spirit of the Great Lakes region. The festival has grown into a significant regional event, drawing 4,500+ attendees, 70+ filmmakers, and generating an estimated $150,000 in local economic impact annually.
Fresh Coast Film Festival
As a board member, I manage the festival's social presence, primarily Instagram. I handle content strategy, creation, and community engagement across the full annual cycle: off-season awareness, submission promotion, festival countdown, live event coverage, and post-festival recaps.
The Approach
Shift toward video: In 2025, I pushed significantly more reels and carousel content, which consistently outperformed static posts in reach and engagement
Real-time festival coverage: Daily recap content across the four-day event, capturing filmmaker Q&As, audience energy, and behind-the-scenes moments
Year-round community building: Balancing event promotion with film spotlights and Great Lakes lifestyle content to maintain engagement between festivals
Results
Consistent year-over-year attendance growth (6–8% annually), totaling 14.6% over three years
Grew engaged regional following by 20% through organic content alone, zero paid advertising
Festival recap content averaged 3,000–5,000+ views per reel with engagement rates of 2–6%
