Left to right: Gene and Loralee DiLorenzo (St. Croix River Tales Project Supporting Partners) present the prize check to first place winners Gil Gragert and Micah Davis. (Photo: Chad Mohler/Square Lake Film & Music)
Square Lake Film & Music celebrated the first year of St. Croix River Tales on Friday, September 25, awarding $2,600 to five films during its Floating Film Showcase aboard The Avalon riverboat in Stillwater.
The evening brought filmmakers and audiences onto the river that inspired their work, celebrating storytelling, creativity and stewardship of the St. Croix.
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.
St. Croix River Tales is a three-year initiative bringing together an engaging blend of professional, emerging and first-time filmmakers to explore the river and its communities through short film.
Square Lake Film & Music is seeking partners and screening venues throughout the St. Croix Valley to showcase Season I films and connect with prospective Season II participants. The films are not available online, making these community screenings a special opportunity to experience the collection and interact with the filmmakers. The organization particularly welcomes partners who can help build connections with communities at the northern and southern ends of the St. Croix.
St. Croix River Tales is a partnership between Square Lake Film & Music, St. Croix 360, Arrow Broken Poetry Collective, and the Pietro Hanka DiLorenzo St. Croix Conservancy Fund.
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