Canoe Dig It?

dir. Samuel Dunning
78 min.
Screened with an in-person Q&A with director Samuel Dunning

Canoe Dig It? is a mockumentary comedy about a fictional canoeing competition in Northern Maine for the nonfictional sport of “Freestyle Canoeing,” a form of performative canoeing best described as “canoe dancing.” Competitors paddle out and spin, dip, and “dance” in circles in perfect synchronization with the music of their choice.

The film tracks a handful of quirky and curiously relatable competitors vying for the blue ribbon at the Moosehead Regional Finals. We follow our cadre of diverse canoeists’- a cutthroat perfectionist, a backwoods natural, an aging underdog, a squabbling couple of summer camp owners, and a hard rocking bartender- as they prepare for the big stage (lake), seeing glimpses into their personal lives, their eclectic preparation methods, and learning what it takes to make it to the top of the Freestyling world.

What does it take to bring home the “Top Paddler” ribbon? Athleticism? Technique? Core Strength? Song choice? These and all your other burning questions will be answered!