Friday Harbor Film Festival presents
The 2023
ON-DEMAND DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
A collection of 50+ curated features and short documentary films available on-demand
2023 On-Demand Festival Winners!
Call of the Orcas
Directed by Jessica Plumb
Chronicling Ken Balcomb's dedication to saving Pacific Northwest orcas, the film questions human-orca coexistence.
Kabwe Ka Mukuba
Directed by
Audrey Colgin & Joshua Kalenga
PUPS
Directed by
Amy Herdy
Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On
Directed by Madison Thomas
Buffy Sainte-Marie: From folk sensation to tireless Indigenous rights advocate over six decades.
A Cedar is Life
Directed by
Leslie D. Bland & Harold C. Joe
You Just Can't See Them From The Road
Directed by Keely Brazil Covello, Michaela Brazil Gillies
FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY FILMS
A Cedar Is Life
Harold C. Joe explores cedar's deep ties to Indigenous culture, stressing its preservation.
Aitamaako tamisskapi Natosi - Before the Sun
Logan Red Crow challenges norms in Indian Relay, guided by family and legacy.
Covenant of the Salmon People
Nez Perce Tribe fights to save Chinook salmon, confronting dam threats to their ancient pact.
Keeper of the Bay
A Hawaiian woman battles to uphold her family's legacy of baykeeping and marine conservation.
Native Transformations in the Pacific Northwest
Explores Native Americans' trauma through their battles with substance abuse, seeking healing and reconnection.
Patrol
Uniting against Central America's illegal ranchers, revealing conflict beef's perils.
Tale of a Whale
Sooke volunteers salvage a whale, displaying its skeleton in a school, emphasizing respect for marine life.
Tzouhalem
From deformed boy to legendary leader, delve into Chief Tzouhalem's myths and truths.
A Life at Sea
Three fishermen face challenges as catches decline and seek freedom in the vast sea.
Bad Press
Journalist Angel Ellis confronts Muscogee Nation's censorship in a media freedom clash.
Cowboy Poets
Nevada's cowboys counter myths with poetry to conserve their vanishing world.
Killing Our Saline Lakes
Vital hypersaline lakes shrink from diversions and climate change, endangering Pacific Flyway birds.
Nuclear Now
Oliver Stone reveals nuclear energy's role against climate change, exposing fossil fuel deceit.
Right Over the Edge: The Search for the North Pacific Right Whale
Sailors journey to spotlight the endangered North Pacific right whale.
The Lost Salmon
Can a new genetic discovery save the king of salmon before it’s too late?
We Are Tenacious
Queer ranchers in Rockies combat nature, finance, and militias seeking freedom
Abled: The Blake Leeper Story
Blade sprinter Blake Leeper confronts Olympic bias against disabled athletes.
Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On
Buffy Sainte-Marie: From folk sensation to tireless Indigenous rights advocate over six decades.
In The Whale
Diver Michael Packard is swallowed by a whale, survives, and navigates unexpected worldwide fame.
Mama Bears
Conservative mothers champion LGBTQ+ rights, spotlighting three pivotal tales.
Patrick and the Whale
Patrick Dykstra's bond with a sperm whale showcases marine intelligence and devotion.
Space, Hope and Charity
Charity Woodrum overcomes loss, pursuing her astrophysics dream with the help of mentors and human connections.
The Space Race
Untold tales of Black astronauts confronting NASA's racial barriers, redefining 'the right stuff'.
You Just Can't See Them From The Road
West Coast ranchers face land loss and urbanization, striving to uphold traditions in a changing society.
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS
A Fiber Story
From shearing to crafting, dive into a year with Whidbey Island's guanacos and their prized fiber.
Call of the Orcas
Chronicling Ken Balcomb's dedication to saving Pacific Northwest orcas, the film questions human-orca coexistence.
Farming Our Future
Eastie Farms builds an innovative geothermal greenhouse in East Boston's urban setting.
Healy
HEALY's crew investigates the Arctic's fast-melting ice and its global impacts.
Kabwe Ka Mukuba
In Zambia's toxic town, Caleb fights against lead pollution affecting 100,000, while reconciling his home's future.
One River, Ethics Matter
Addressing dam injustices, the film urges a revamped Columbia River Treaty for sustainability.
Paddle Home
Post-wildfire in Maui, a paddle ceremony honors the lost, with dolphins symbolizing hope.
She Marches in Chinatown
Since 1952, Seattle's unique drill team symbolizes Asian American pride amidst change.
The Last Act
An actress in her 90s rethinks life, seeks retirement home after facing personal limits.
“reverence”
A contemplative dive into existence, 'Reverence' melds genre-fluid poetry and meditation.
Any Fool Knows
Ron Gregg's gear mishap sparks Outdoor Research. His legacy thrives despite tragic end.
Cù Lao Chàm
Islanders off Vietnam's coast embrace conservation for an eco-balanced future.
Finding Lillian
In a former Washington mental facility, patient tales fade. Two seek to revive lost stories.
Into the Stillaguamish
Exploring how Washington's Stillaguamish River unites communities in their quest for a healthier waterway.
Manta Watch
Manta Watch New Zealand and enthusiasts seek the elusive, endangered Oceanic Manta Ray.
Our Sacred Obligation
Yurok Tribe fights colonization, restoring Klamath River and its sacred salmon.
Quahoggers
Rhode Island’s Quahoggers face a fading craft in Narragansett Bay amid modern challenges and a waning youth interest.
Song of the Hermit
Post-fire, the fate of Big Basin's hermit thrush is studied to gauge its coastal distribution.
Wild Territory
Etienne photographs Australia's hidden wildlife, diving deep to advocate for nature's treasures.
Ashley Martin
Ashley Martin crafts mystical sculptures, embodying nature's essence through his woodworking artistry.
EVER GREEN
Island community unites to protect nature and preserve rural life.
From Sweden, With Love
Swedish Hanna's tent school in Lahore transforms lives of marginalized Pakhiwas.
Island Marble Butterfly
A deep dive into San Juan Island's unique butterfly conservation for the endangered island marble.
Meaningful Meals
A low-paid worker seeks meaning in their meals, embarking on a quest to understand their food's significance.
PUPS
Island center saves baby seals amid a government proposal for culling considerations.
Salted Earth
Mid-Atlantic faces sea rise and salt threats. Scientists and locals explore survival methods.
The Bench
Driftwood's voyage to a bench mirrors our life's unforeseen paths and transformations.
Your Water Can Be Safe
Film crew builds efficient water system for Ugandan orphanage in a day.