NOVEMBER FILMS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 12, 2020

"Jimmy Carter: Rock and Roll President" opens the

Friday Harbor Film Festival's "Best of the Fest" Series

Jimmy Carter, Rock & Roll President will screen on-demand from Sunday, November 15 through Monday, November 30. It opens the “Best of the Fest” series, offering films during each of the coming months.

JIMMY CARTER: ROCK AND ROLL PRESIDENT

Mary Wharton, Director

96 minutes

If it hadn’t been for a bottle of scotch and a late-night visit from musician Gregg Allman, Jimmy Carter might never have been elected the 39th President of the United States.

JIMMY CARTER, ROCK & ROLL PRESIDENT charts the mostly forgotten story of how Carter, a lover of all types of music, forged a tight bond with musicians Willie Nelson, the Allman Brothers, Bob Dylan and others. Low on campaign funds and lacking in name recognition, Carter relied on support from these artists to give him a crucial boost in the Democratic primaries. Once Carter was elected, the musicians became frequent guests in the White House. The surprisingly significant role that music played throughout Carter’s life and in his work becomes a thread in this engaging portrait of one of the most enigmatic Presidents in American history.

Jimmy Carter, Rock & Roll President is filled with illuminating new interviews with BOB DYLAN, BONO, WILLIE NELSON, PAUL SIMON, GREGG ALLMAN, GARTH BROOKS, and others, as well as with former President and Nobel Peace Prize winner JIMMY CARTER. 

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It was conceived by producer Chris Farrell and directed by Mary Wharton. Wharton stated, “We wanted to make something fun that could appeal to a broad audience. This is a hybrid: A straight-up music documentary about an important politician."

Since leaving office, Carter’s work with The Carter Center and collaboration with Habitat for Humanity (through the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project) have been instrumental in alleviating homelessness; treating preventable diseases including Guinea Worm and malaria; and promoting equality and diplomacy. In the film, we see his involvement with these causes and others sparking the same kind of excitement and enthusiasm that hanging out with music superstars did in the years he was elected president.

Friday Harbor Film Festival wishes to  congratulate our 2020 Local Hero Award Recipient:

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James Longley

Film:

Angels are Made of Light

James Longley, Director | 117 minutes

THE LASZLO PAL

EMERGING FILMMAKER AWARD,

recognizing emerging young talent in filmmaking, is presented this year to the creators of the Festival’s best student short films in two age categories.  

The winning films have been chosen by votes of people viewing the Student Film Showcase during the Festival. Each awardee will receive a Lewis and Clark Compass. 

The Student Film Showcase is made possible through a generous donation by

Suzy Mygatt Wakefield and Jay Wakefield

Audience Choice Awards

Our Virtual Balloting System has been keeping track of all viewer ratings since we began streaming on October 15th.  We ended voting at midnight on the October 24th and ran the tabulation algorithm to determine our audience favorites.  Results were close.  Real close.

The scoring algorithm  generates a rating from 1-100 with our films scoring from the mid-70's to the mid-90's.  The top two films in each category scored a few points higher than other films in the same category, but differed only by a few one-hundredths of a point. We  therefore effectively have a tie for Best Feature and for Best Short.  Check out the winners below!

Each awardee received a personalized metal salmon sculpture made by Chuck Moen of Sandy, Oregon. 

Audience Choice Award goes to:

Vertical:  The Future of Farming

Directors

Scott Morris,

Jay Windland

Vertical: The Future of Farming follows a new generation of urban, indoor farmers, whose approach to food production offers the potential to combat climate change while feeding hundreds of millions.

Audience Choice Award goes to:

Through Her Eyes: The Science and Beauty of Inter-tidal Life in the Salish Sea

Director

Michael Noonan, PhD

Set in the Pacific Northwest (Washington State, USA), the world-renown marine biologist, Dr Drew Harvell, conducts an exploration of the invertebrate biodiversity at False Bay in the beautiful San Juan Island archipelago.

Audience Choice Award goes to:

Love is the Way

Directors

Jeremy Là Zelle,

Kristin Gates

Love is the Way brings together voices speaking in defense of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, highlighting the generations of stewardship by Gwich’in and Iñupiaq people. Inspired in part by footage of the late photographer Michio Hoshino, this film explores the friendships, values, and stories shaped by the place, and the strong commitments to its protection.

Audience Choice Award goes to:

Our Gorongosa

Director

 James Byrne

Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique has become one of Africa’s most celebrated wildlife restoration stories. After a decade of renewed protection, Gorongosa’s large mammal population has increased 10-fold to over 100,000 animals. But the Park must also find a way to co-exist with the 200,000 people living in surrounding communities.

Browse our recorded livestream filmmaker Q&A's from our 2020 festival!