St. Croix River Tales Season I overview

We received over 20 submissions during the inaugural season of St. Croix River Tales.  

The 2026 award recipients are:

• First Place — $1,000: The Untold Adventures of Stephan Stray Sock, by Gil Gragert and Micah Davis.

• Second Place — $500 each: Embodiment, by Rachel Quast, and This River of Birds, by Brian Michael Collins.

• Third Place — $250: Jubilee One, by Joel Erle Orff.

• Emerging Filmmaker — $350: Downstream, by Ben Brown.

We premiered the above films, and nine other select films from the project on 9/25.  Photos of the “Floating Film” showcase are available on this page.