Fungi Film Festival: A Convergence of Arts, Science, and Community

BY NETANYA SADOFF, BS ‘26, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, POLICY, AND MANAGEMENT 

It doesn’t take a mycology degree to see that mushrooms are having quite the cultural moment. Since the pandemic began in 2020, these spunky little denizens of the forest have snuck their way quietly into every corner of popular culture. From coffee alternatives and supplements to childrens’ clothing and home décor, mushrooms (and by extension, fungi) are everywhere— now including the silver screen. 

In mid March, students, staff, and community members gathered together to attend a showing of the 2024 edition of Fungi Film Fest. Fungi Film Fest is an annual international celebration of all things fungi, consisting of award-winning short films from around the world featuring fungi in some shape or form. Some highlights include an animated educational film about the fungal life cycle and a “mockumentary” comedy about the secret songs fungi sing out in the forest. 

The event was hosted by the College of Design’s Kusske Design Initiative (KDI), an organization dedicated to promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and dialogue combining design and natural science. Far from being limited to only CDES members, the integrative research interests of KDI lends a unique diversity to their event attendees. In this case, the event drew fungi enthusiasts across the broader university community: young families, university alums, retirees, and of course, students and staff of several disciplines of study showed up to enjoy the splendor of fungi together.

Naturally, a healthy portion of the audience consisted of CFANS faces, interested in engaging with the artistic side of the kingdom of life many of our community research scientifically. Several CFANS students attended the event as members of the UMN Mycology Club. Others decided to join in after seeing posters for the event show up around the St. Paul Campus. Regardless of affiliation, everyone at the showing was united by their enthusiasm for all things mycological. 

 Guests watched the fungi film collection dressed in their finest mushroom motif clothes, munching on handfuls of porcini-seasoned popcorn. A few of the films shown that day touched on mycorrhiza: Essentially, symbiotic relationships between fungi and plants that  enrich the health of both individual organisms and the wider ecological community. As the last short film concluded and the credits began to roll, it dawned upon me that as mycorrhizal fungi enrich the lives of their individual and the collective in ecology, here too fungi have served to connect us to one another and enhance our own community and lives. 

Mushrooms are having quite the cultural moment. But if you ask me, they’ve earned it— These champion champignons are the glue that keep our ecosystems alive and thriving. By showing their beauty and benefits to the community, events like the Fungi Film Fest help us keep them around— and keep our planet healthy.