Free Best of the Fest films begins Friday, January 27

||| FROM FRIDAY HARBOR FILM FESTIVAL |||

Friday Harbor Film Festival’s FREE Best of the Fest series begins with showing The Long Rider at the San Juan Island Library on Friday, January 27 at 7 p.m. Sean Cisterna, director/producer, will appear by livestream to speak about the film and answer audience questions following the film. The library will provide popcorn and beverages. Details are available at fhff.org and at sjlib.org on the events calendar.

The Long Rider won the coveted Audience Choice Award at FHFF’s 2022 festival. Filipe Masetti Leite is a young Brazilian Canadian man who grew up with a love of riding horses. Inspired by Aimé Tschiffely’s 1925 equestrian journey from Argentina to New York, he acquires two horses, Frenchie and Bruiser, and sets out on his quest to ride on horseback from Calgary to his family’s home in Brazil. During his 8,000 mile trip he battles
intense heat, drought, speeding transport trucks, nature’s wrath, and corrupt border guards as he travels.

His focus, resiliency, and dedication help him achieve his goal. The film deals with chronic loneliness, as well as the insensitive, restrictive nature of international borders, but it is above all an inspirational and emotional story of daring of epic proportions. The Long Rider offers hope and inspiration, one hoof at a time.

Each month through September Best of the Fest will offer other award-winning documentaries along with livestream Q&As. Programs will begin at 7 p.m. Some are in collaboration with the San Juan Island Library; others are at the San Juan Island Grange. Since they’re on Fridays, they are a great “date night” activity. Here’s the schedule:

• Waterman – February 10 at the Grange
• Pasang: In the Shadow of Everest – March 10 at the Grange
• The Pollinators – April 14 at the Library
• Haida Modern – May date TBD at the Grange
• The Boys Who Said No! – June 23 at the Grange
• Award-winning Short Films – July 21 at the Library
• Let There Be Drums – August 11 at the Grange
• Alan Magee: art is not a solace – September 8 at the Library

Details about the films in the series are available on the fhff.org website. Mark your calendar and plan to view the exceptional Best of the Fest documentaries.