Want to direct? An evening with Ken Kwapis, director

||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY |||

Orcas Island Public Library will host a special evening with award-winning film and television director Ken Kwapis on Thursday, May 14, at 6:00 p.m. The program will feature a Q&A-style conversation about Kwapis’s career in film and television, his work adapting books for the screen, and his book, What I Really Want To Do Is Direct.

Kwapis, who lives part-time on Orcas Island, has directed eleven feature films, including ‘A Walk in the Woods’, based on Bill Bryson’s acclaimed comedic memoir; ‘He’s Just Not That Into You ‘, inspired by the New York Times bestselling advice book; and ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’, adapted from the beloved young adult novel. His other films include the rescue adventure ‘Big Miracle’, the romantic comedies ‘License to Wed’ and ‘He Said, She Said’—co-directed with his wife, author Marisa Silver—and his feature debut, ‘Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird’, starring Jim Henson’s Muppets. Kwapis’ first documentary, ‘We Are The Shaggs’, about the provocative 1960s girl group, had its world premiere at the 2026 SXSW Festival.

For television, Kwapis helped launch nine series, including the groundbreaking HBO comedy ‘The Larry Sanders Show’, Fox’s Emmy Award-winning ‘The Bernie Mac Show’, and NBC’s ‘The Office’. Kwapis directed both the pilot and the series finale of ‘The Office’, as well as many memorable episodes, and earned an Emmy nomination for directing the episode “Gay Witch Hunt.”

Kwapis also received an Emmy nomination for his work as a producer-director on Fox’s ‘Malcolm in the Middle’, and recently directed the four-episode revival of the series. His additional television credits include ‘Freaks and Geeks’, ‘One Mississippi’, ‘Santa Clarita Diet’, ‘Outsourced’, ‘Happyish’, and ‘Space Force’.

Darvill’s Bookstore will be on hand selling copies of Kwapis’s book, What I Really Want To Do Is Direct.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the Orcas Island Public Library.