Posted on by charlene.selbee

Oneota Film Festival: The First Sign of Spring

Introduction

Oneota Film Festival, locally known as OFF, is unofficially recognized by the residents of Decorah, Iowa, as the first sign of spring.

It is time to make plans to attend the 2025 film festival. OFF will be held March 6 through March 9 in the picturesque town of Decorah.

If you are anxiously waiting for spring, plan to attend the documentaries offered by OFF throughout the winter months in the surrounding communities of Spring Grove, Lansing, Cresco, Waukon, and Calmar. Visit oneotafilmfestival.org for up-to-date information on the films that will be shown, when they will be shown, what time they will be shown, and where they will be shown. Pre-festival screenings are open to the public and are free to attend, so there is no excuse not to attend.

The 2025 festival will introduce film enthusiasts to 60 documentaries that will be shown in seven unique venues throughout Decorah.

What Is A Documentary?

Wikipedia defines a documentary film as “a non-fictional motion picture intended to “document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record”.

Documentaries are thought-provoking long and short films that force viewers to think outside the box. Documentaries may be about subject matters that you are familiar with or new topics you have never thought about.

They generate a range of emotions – sadness, laughter, surprise, excitement, relief, panic, anger, grief, shock, and others that leave viewers in a world of awe.

Documentaries force you to ask questions and encourage you to learn more.

Free Admission

Thanks to generous sponsors and donors, OFF has been a free event since its inception 15 years ago and continues to be a free event, making the event available to everyone.

There are costs to putting on a four-day event, so please consider becoming a member to support the festival. A bonus of becoming a member is that members are invited to VIP events throughout the year, plus members get to vote on their favorite film in the People’s Choice category.

Leadership

The year 2025 is the fifteenth year of the Oneota Film Festival. President Nancy Sojka leads a board of directors comprised of nine hard-working volunteers. The directors work year-round planning the next year’s festival.

The festival employs a part-time creative director, Elise Skelenger, the organization’s only paid employee.

You will see the directors and Elise throughout the film festival. Stop and thank them for all their hard work.

Volunteers

OFF also recruits an army of volunteers who help throughout the event. One of the many benefits of volunteering is you get to see the films in addition to helping your community. If you are interested in volunteering, visit oneotafilmfestival.org/volunteer to sign up. Volunteer positions needed are room managers, room hosts, doorkeepers, people movers for set-up and take-down, and greeters at the festival headquarters.

OFF volunteer, Deborah Bishop, introduces a film..

The Judges

The wide section of films will not disappoint as there is something for everyone, thanks to knowledgeable judges. The selection of films shown each year at film festivals demonstrates the quality of festival’s judges. They know their audience, and they understand what makes a good documentary. Imagine watching 100 or more films from September to December and having to select the films that will be shown. Judges are an important component of a successful film festival.

Reading the descriptions of the films will help attendees decide which films they want to watch. The films are normally shown more than once, so attendees have a chance to watch all the films. If you want to watch all the films you must have a schedule.

Venues

The films are shown at seven of Decorah’s popular historic venues that have all been given a new lease on life. Every location is unique and offers a different flavor, which adds to the enjoyment of the film festival.

This year’s venues include: Impact Coffee, Drift: Strength and Yoga Center, Hotel Winneshiek, T-Bocks Upstairs, Pulpit Rock Brewery, Vesterheim The Norwegian-American Museum, and ArtHaus.

Attendees may have a favorite venue and only attend the films at that venue, or they might want to watch a film at each venue to watch their favorite documentaries. What a great opportunity to get to experience Decorah, NE Iowa’s gem.

Make sure to arrive early if you want to get a front-row seat. A film festival is not like attending church where everyone wants to sit in the back.

ArtHaus
T-Bock’s Upstairs
Drift: Strength and Yoga Center
All Vet’s Club, Post 1977
Hotel Winneshiek

Headquarters

If you have any questions, make sure to stop at the festival’s headquarters, located in the lobby of Hotel Winneshiek, 104 E. Water Street. There will be eager volunteers ready to answer your questions arnd direct you to your favorite film.

Hotel Winneshiek

Friends and Family

OFF is the perfect time to hang out with old friends, meet new friends, or spend time with family.

New Friends
Old Friends
Old Friends
Old Friends

Snacks and Drinks

If popcorn is served at a film festival, that is a plus. Over the years, OFF has served flavored popcorn from Decorah’s own Pinter’s Gardens and Pumpkins. Some venues sell food and drinks for your enjoyment, thus, saving precious time while introducing you to the variety of tastes that are found in Winneshiek County. At Hotel Winneshiek, festival attendees can purchase adult beverages and take them upstairs to the Steyer Opera House. Tip: The margaritas are made just the way a margarita should be with orange juice and a salted rim.

Orange juice is key to any good margarita.

Meet the Film Director(s)

Make sure to hang around after the films to talk with the film director(s), whether they are onsite or attending the festival virtually. OFF offers time where attendees can chat one-on-one with the directors, providing opportunities to ask questions, get the film’s backstory, and sometimes there will even be members of the cast available to talk to.

2024 Director
Student film director, Noah Potvin. He was an 8th grade student in Decorah, Iowa when he created the short, Star Trek: Frontier in Diversity, that was shown at the 2024 festival.
Drake student and film director, Michael Veninga.
Directors at the 2024 OFF.

Create Your Own Itinerary

It is recommended that you plan your itinerary before the start of the festival. In 2025, there are over 60 films being shown over four days. It is a sure bet that if you do not lay out your schedule you will be disappointed. Some of them are shown more than once and in different locations, so plan out your schedule and carry your itinerary with you.

The 2025 schedule is available online at oneotafilmfestival.org or pick up a schedule at the festival’s headquarters, Hotel Winneshiek.

OFF History

OFF History on Exhibit

2025 Walter Ordway Best Of The Fest Award Winners

Not sure which documentaries to watch? Keep an eye out for the judges’ awards. Awards are generally announced a week or two before the festival.

Presenting this year’s 2025 Walter Ordway Best of the Fest OFF award winners are:

  • Best of the Fest – Animation: Brambletown, directed by Eric Power.
  • Best of the Fest – Honorable Mention – Animation: Swimming with Wings, directed by Daphna Awadish Golan.
  • Best of the Fest – Narrative Short: Statistical Probabilities, directed by Ryan O’Leary.
  • Best of the Fest – Narrative Feature: Loren and Rose, directed by Russell Brown.
  • Best of the Fest – Narrative Feature: No Way Home, directed by Yousaf Ali Khan.
  • Best of the Fest – Honorable Mention – Narrative Feature: Home Free, directed by Avi Ronn Federgreen.
  • Best of the Fest – Honorable Mention – Narrative Short: Dignity directed by Pat Battistini
  • Best of the Fest – Honorable Mention – Narrative Short: What We Don’t Say (Lo Que No Nos Decimos, directed by Josep M. Perez Ballano.
  • Best of the Fest – Documentary Feature: Climbing Into Life: The Dierdre Wolownick Story, directed by Melissa J. Davey.
  • Best of the Fest – Honorable Mention – Documentary Feature: Pink Belt, directed by John McCrite.
  • Best of the Fest – Documentary Short: Moved by Waters, directed by Kelly Rundle.
  • Best of the Fest – Documentary Short: Light Painter, directed by Eric Schmidt.
  • Best of the Fest – Honorable Mention – Documentary Short: The Dolphin Dilemma, directed by Olivia Andrus-Drennan.
  • Best of the Fest – Experimental: Odyssea, directed by Mariah Steele.
  • Best of the Fest – Honorable Mention – Student Film: Spectrum of Consumption: A Conservation Story, directed by Colleen Kelley.
  • Best of the Fest Student Film: Black Balloons, directed Gal Attia.
  • Best of the Fest – Honorable Mention Student Film: Where the Heart Lies, directed by Brianna Chapman.

Up-To-Date Information

Facebook is the perfect resource for keeping up-to-date on all things related to the OFF film festival. Follow along on the OFF festival’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/oneotafilmfest.

Future Dates of the Oneota Film Festival

OFF makes it easy to plan for future festivals by posting the dates in advance.

  • March 5-8, 2026
  • March 4-7, 2027
  • March 2-5, 2028
  • March 1-4, 2029

Midwest Film Festivals

Now that you are hooked on film festivals, below is a list of film festivals that are recommended by myself and fellow travel bloggers. Follow the suggestions described in this article for any festival you attend, and you are guaranteed to enjoy your experience.

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