When We Became Folk Fest

Dir. Kevin Nikkel and Dave Barber
2025, Canada, 70 min

When We Became Folk Fest is a feature documentary about the founding and explosive growth of the Winnipeg Folk Festival. The driving force of the Festival’s start was the audacious and unflinching founder, Mitch Podolak. Using a cache of unseen Super 8 footage shot in 1975 by the Winnipeg Film Group, we see the Festival’s beginnings through incredible archival images and pristine sound recordings from the Folk Festival collection. Interviews with celebrated fest luminaries and live musical performances carry the story of how an underdog music festival grew out of the meadows of Birds Hill Park to become one of the most important folk festivals in North America. With Tom Jackson, Cathy Fink, Paul Mills, Bruce Cockburn, Ken Whiteley, Grit Laskin and many more.

Join us on June 13 for a Q&A with filmmaker Kevin Nikkel, moderated by John Einarson.

You may also like the following events from Winnipeg Cinematheque:

• Next month, 12th June, 07:00 pm, McDonald at The Movies: Raising Arizona in Winnipeg
• Next month, 18th June, 07:00 pm, Pavements in Winnipeg

Also check out other Festivals in Winnipeg, Entertainment events in Winnipeg.