Three Islands, One Story: Join Us for Free Film Screenings Honoring Our National Parks
- FHFF
- Apr 4
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 hours ago
One unforgettable road trip. One hundred years of natural wonder. Countless reasons to protect what we love.
This month, Friday Harbor Film Festival invites you to reconnect with the breathtaking beauty of our public lands through the inspiring documentary Out There: A National Parks Story, screening across three islands as part of our free Best of the Fest series.
📍 Orcas Island – Thursday, April 17 at 6:30 PM at Orcas Center’s Center Stage Theater (as part of Earth Day Orcas Month)
📍 San Juan Island – Friday, April 18 at 7:00 PM at the San Juan Island Grange
📍 Lopez Island – Friday, April 18 at 7:00 PM at the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts
These special free screenings celebrate both Earth Day and the enduring legacy of our National Parks, with post-screening Q&As to deepen your connection with the film's message.
A Stunning Journey Through America's National Parks
In Out There: A National Parks Story, filmmaker Brendan Hall and his childhood best friend embark on a 10,000-mile journey through the U.S. National Parks during the Park Service’s centennial year. As they crisscross the country, they capture not only the awe-inspiring landscapes—from misty forests and towering cliffs to sun-scorched deserts—but also the deeply personal stories of people drawn to these wild places.
The film is a heartfelt tribute to the parks’ quiet power to heal, inspire, and connect. Alongside captivating footage and historical nods to vintage travelogues and maps, the duo interviews rangers, veterans, immigrants, indigenous peoples, and families who share why these lands matter. The result is a poetic meditation on the role of parks in our collective imagination and a call to protect them for future generations.
Meet the Director: Brendan Hall
Brendan Hall is a filmmaker, cinematographer, and editor whose work bridges the boundary between earth and cosmos. He brings a passionate storytelling style to subjects rooted in the natural world, always with the aim of sparking care and curiosity. His unique perspective combines grounded earthly exploration with a view to the stars, and it shines brightly in Out There.
After graduating from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, he began his career assisting with development at the National Geographic Channel. He has since traveled the world directing projects for global non-profits and brands including National Geographic, Google, Adobe, and The Nature Conservancy.
🌲 Be Part of the Experience
Whether you’re a lifelong hiker or someone simply seeking a moment of reflection, this film is an invitation to get “out there” and rediscover the spirit of our parks.
👉 Join us Friday, April 18 at 7:00 PM on San Juan Island at the Grange or on Lopez Island at the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts. These screenings include a special pre-recorded Q&A with director Brendan Hall.
Learn more HERE.
🌍 Live on Orcas? Celebrate Earth Day Early!
If you’re on Orcas Island, don’t miss the April 17 screening at 6:30 PM at Orcas Center, presented in collaboration with the San Juan Islands Makers Guild as part of the Earth Day Orcas Month celebrations. This special event includes guest speakers, including a San Juan Islands National Monument Ranger, for an in-person Q&A following the film.
🌍 Don't Live in the San Juan Islands?
If you can't make it to one of the live screenings of Out There: A National Parks Story, you can catch this film and other documentary features and shorts FREE online April 19 - 28 as part of the Earth Day Film Festival!
Presented by Earth Day Orcas and the San Juan Islands Makers Guild, in collaboration with the Friday Harbor Film Festival, this online documentary film festival invites you to explore both the wonders and the challenges facing our natural world.
Check out the line up and register for your free viewing code by clicking the button below.
Let the parks inspire you again—see you at the movies!
FHFF appreciates the 2025 Best of the Fest Series sponsor The Journal of the San Juan Islands!
Thank you to Island Trail Riders for their sponsorship of the film, Out There: A National Parks Story.
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