Film

Annual Film, Music Festival Bigger Than Ever

Trevor Kupfer |

When The Square Lake Festival began, it was a small independent happening. Now, seven years in, it’s an annual event that draws hundreds of people in a celebration of music and experimental/animated films from the Twin Cities and western Wisconsin. On an intimate 25-acre hobby farm eight miles north of Stillwater, Minn., bands perform on an outdoor stage, while films roll in a rustic barn. This year looks to be the biggest yet, with at least 10 musical performers including Happy Apple, The Owls, Black Blondie, Spaghetti Western String Company, and a film score by Fort Wilson Riot. The cinema side of things has no less than 35 submissions, with participants vying for $250, 12 pounds of coffee, or an Independent Feature Project membership, decided by a jury comprised of local aficionados including Jeff Stonehouse and Trace Belieau of Mystery Science Theater 3000. The event, which costs $20, begins at 1pm and continues all the way to midnight.