The Door County Film Festival got its start in a conversation between Chris Opper and Joel Kersebet in 2009. Joel is the owner of Base Camp Coffee Shop in Sister Bay. They had just had a film screening at the coffee shop. The films that night were supplied by Kay McKinley, then Gallery Director of The Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek and The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Film Program. Kersebet and Opper enjoyed the night so much that they decided they wanted to do it again. Opper, a filmmaker himself, set out to gather films for another night. They decided to call the event “Door County Mini Movie Night”.

Thirty or so people gathered in the small space and enjoyed the films. They repeated the event the following year and quickly realized they needed a bigger space. They reached out to the Sister Bay Advancement Association for help. The name was changed to Door County Short Film Festival, and a new logo was designed by Kay McKinley.

At that time finding good quality feature length films was such a challenge that they insisted films could not exceed 20 minutes. A guideline that has been broken every year since its inception.

Following the 2022 festival, they once again felt they had outgrown the 97-capacity space the Sister Bay Village Hall provided. So, after 11 wonderful years, in 2023, The Door County Short Film Festival moved out of the Village Hall and found a home at Northern Sky’s Gould Theater. In 2025 the now named Door County Film Fest continues to expand and improve. We’ve added an extra night to the programming. Feature films are being included in our programming. We are starting to add extra events such as a pre-show mixer and an after-show concert. With the help of The Sister Bay Advancement Association, Door County North, Door Guide Publishing, our newest member Kurt Krauss and the invaluable help from our sponsors, the Door County Film Fest is continuing its dedication to entertaining the general public through the world of film. We thank everyone for their continued support.