blue skies

A feature-length documentary by Joel Kaswan Meilijson and Amira Stone

In Northern Wisconsin lies a small town home to two Native American reservations, 350,000 acres of national forest, unlimited fish fry, and not a single traffic light. “Blue Skies” follows the people, engines, and cultures of Forest County over the course of one summer, observing how land and tradition are shared and safeguarded across age, race, and class. 

Logging trucks zoom across highway 55; kids and vets eat ham and biscuits at the local diner; the Crandon Ski Team entertains families and boyfriends with 24-person, multi-generational water pyramids; elders and their grandkids compete at Mole Lake and Potawatomi powwows; a 107-year-old steam train hauls locals and tourists to a frontier-town-turned petting zoo; girl cliques flip burgers, blend flurries, and spill tea at Eats N’ Treats drive-in; Anishinaabe lay tobacco before harvesting supplies to build a community teaching lodge. Come Labor Day, the World Cup of offroad racing turns the town of Crandon on its head. Local businesses struggle to keep up as the population jumps from 2,000 to 50,000. Some residents flee town while others join fans at the racetrack for a big three day party full of booze, fireworks, and trucks.

The end of the Brush Run signals the end of the summer. The Crandon Raceway quickly empties out––RVs and campers funneling through Highway 8––bars recuperate, drive-ins close for the season, and kids start another year of school.

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Donations of any scale are greatly appreciated! please send $$$ to Forest County Film LLC via venmo or zelle, or see info below to make a tax deductible contribution.

Venmo: @Amira-Stone

Zelle: forestcountyfilm@gmail.com

Blue Skies is fiscally sponsored by Milwaukee Film, a non-profit arts organization.

To make a tax-deductible donation of 1k or more, please make checks payable to:
Milwaukee Film attn: Finance
1037 W McKinley Ave,
Suite 200
Milwaukee, WI 53205

If you work for a corporation, please inquire about corporate gift matching at forestcountyfilm@gmail.com.