The press release below says all the venues for the Friday Harbor Film Festival are within walking distance of the ferry terminal, eliminating the need for a car. So, with the marina near said terminal, who needs a ferry?! It seems like attending a film festival is a great way to use a boat in November. If you’re a film buff, check out the trailers for each of the 43 films. The Barefoot Bandit about Colton Harris-Moore may be the headliner, but there are many intriguing films on the list. Check out the festival’s web site. My list would include The Return of the River, Shark Girl and Alaska’s Great Race. -KH
The second annual Friday Harbor Film Festival – Stories from the Pacific Rim, November 7, 8, 9, 2014 (www.fhff.org), will debut three powerful new films, The Barefoot Bandit documentary, Fragile Waters and Material of the Future. An additional 30 films and 13 shorts will also be screened. Tickets are on sale now at the San Juan Community Theatre 360-378-3210 www.sjctheatre.org/events/upcoming.asp
Wildly popular last year, the Filmmakers Forum is back. Over 30 filmmakers including Carly Bodmer, director of the Barefoot Bandit documentary, will participate with the audience in commentary and Q & A periods. A Young Filmmakers Project will screen and critique the work of young filmmakers who have worked with filmmaker Laszlo Pal and talented islanders to produce short films. The focus of the entire festival is on films that: “Entertain – Inspire – Enlighten” viewers about the cultures and environments of the Pacific Rim.
The Barefoot Bandit Documentary (directed by Carly Bodmer) tells the tale of Northwest native Colton Harris-Moore, following his legendary two-year international crime spree that captured the imagination of the nation’s public and press — much of the spree took place in the San Juan Islands. The film explores the dynamics of his family as well as his personal exploration and growth. Colton’s captor, lawyer, mother and the FBI team that hunted him for two years, tell the almost unbelievable story of “The Barefoot Bandit.”
Fragile Waters (directed by Rick Wood) makes a very strong case: There is only one time to save the Salish Sea’s Southern Resident killer whales from extinction — that time is now. The film explores the relationship between people, whales, water, and fish. Fragile Waters spotlights the people — orca experts, fishermen, hatchery scientists and Native leaders — who are currently working to save both the whales and the salmon.
The Material of the Future, inspired by the recent discovery of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, tells the troubling story of how plastic — the same miracle material that has enabled us to land on the moon, rebuild a human heart, curb epidemics, and alter the course of history — is now choking our oceans and poisoning our lives. The film offers solutions and challenges us rethink our role in the use of plastic.
A few of the other films and shorts include: Bidder 70 — The inspiring story of a Utah college student who derailed an illegal BLM oil and gas lease auction in 2008. Illustrating what one person can accomplish, the film motivated islander Lynn Danaher to create the Friday Harbor Film Festival. In Pirate for the Sea – Paul Watson and his organization Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, based in Friday Harbor, are highlighted. During Return of the Elwha – learn how an old, defunct dam on the Olympic Peninsula’s scenic Elwha River was removed; a major success story in environmental reclamation.
Four venues within easy walking distance of the ferry terminal and each other present the opportunity to discover Friday Harbor’s waterfront charm without needing a car. Awards will be presented for the best documentary, best short, best film representing “Tales of the Heart”, “Explorers and Adventures”, “Issues to Considers” and “Local Heroes.” Sign up for the festival newsletter at info@fhff.org.
