A Celebration of Cinema & Friendship
Family & friends only
Elk Rapids Film Festival 2026
“Drama Is Easy. Comedy Is Hard.”
Voting: June 1–30, 2026 · Festival: July 4–11, 2026
This year's selections. Study them carefully — you get 5 votes.
Homeschooled teenager Cady Heron infiltrates the most exclusive clique at her new high school—The Plastics—only to discover that navigating the social hierarchy of teenage girls is more treacherous than anything she faced growing up in Africa. Written by Tina Fey, the film is a razor-sharp satire of high school politics and female friendship.
Why it fits: Written by Tina Fey and powered by career-defining performances from Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, and Lacey Chabert, this is the gold standard of female-led comedy and one of the most quotable films of the 21st century.
Annie’s life is a mess, and when her best friend Lillian gets engaged, she must serve as maid of honor alongside a cast of bridesmaids with wildly different personalities. What follows is a hilariously unhinged journey through bridal showers, dress fittings, and one unforgettable food poisoning incident at a luxury bridal shop.
Why it fits: Co-written by and starring Kristen Wiig, with a scene-stealing Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids proved that women could lead a raunchy, box-office-smashing comedy. It changed the conversation about women in comedy forever.
Overworked mom Amy has a seemingly perfect life—but she’s exhausted and stretched to her breaking point. When she finally snaps, she teams up with two other fed-up mothers to ditch their conventional responsibilities and go on a wild, long-overdue bender of freedom, fun, and self-indulgence.
Why it fits: Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn form a powerhouse trio in this celebration of imperfect motherhood. It’s a love letter to every woman who’s been told she has to be perfect—and chose to be real instead.
Aspiring journalist Andy Sachs lands a job as assistant to Miranda Priestly, the icy editor-in-chief of a prestigious fashion magazine. As Andy transforms from frumpy outsider to fashionable insider, she must decide how much of herself she’s willing to sacrifice for success in a world that demands perfection.
Why it fits: Meryl Streep delivers one of cinema’s most iconic performances as Miranda Priestly, alongside Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt. Three generations of brilliant actresses commanding every frame—that’s Women in Film at its finest.
Two unpopular queer high school students start a fight club as a sly way to get closer to the cheerleaders they have crushes on. Their scheme gains unexpected traction, and soon the most popular girls in school are beating each other up in the name of self-defense—with absurdly violent and hilarious results.
Why it fits: Written and directed by Emma Seligman, co-written by and starring Rachel Sennott alongside Ayo Edebiri, Bottoms is a fresh, fearless, female-driven comedy that proves the next generation of women in film is absolutely unhinged—in the best way.
Cher Horowitz is a popular, well-meaning but superficial Beverly Hills teen who uses her wit and social savvy to give a clueless new student a makeover. But when her own love life takes unexpected turns, Cher realizes she might be the most clueless one of all. A modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma.
Why it fits: Written and directed by Amy Heckerling, Clueless is a masterclass in female-led storytelling. Alicia Silverstone created a cultural icon in Cher Horowitz, and the film launched the careers of Brittany Murphy and helped define ’90s pop culture.
Four lifelong friends—known as the “Flossy Posse”—travel to New Orleans for the annual Essence Festival and reignite their sisterhood with an outrageous weekend of partying, truth-telling, and unforgettable adventures that remind them why they became friends in the first place.
Why it fits: Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, and a breakout Tiffany Haddish deliver comedy gold in a film about the unbreakable bonds of female friendship. It was the first comedy of 2017 to cross $100M domestically.
Think we missed something? Nominate a film that fits this year's theme.
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The people have spoken. Here's how the votes came in.
The final lineup will be announced soon. See you July 4th!