“Out There: A National Parks Story" at St. Ambrose University -- January 18.
Sunday, January 18, 3 p.m.
St. Ambrose University's Galvin Fine Arts Center, 2101 North Gaines Street, Davenport IA
Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2023 Florida Film Festival, as well as the Rising Star Awards at the Naples Film Festival, director/editor/cinematographer Brendan Hall's Out There: A National Parks Story serves as the first presentation in 2026 QC Environmental Film Series hosted by River Action. Screening at St. Ambrose University's Galvin Fine Arts Center on January 18, this 75-minute documentary for all ages inspired The Nocturnal to rave, "Out There will have even the most city-bound of viewers rearing to pack up a camper and take in the great outdoors themselves.”
In the centennial year of the U.S. National Park Service, a young filmmaker and his childhood friend set off on a 10,000-mile journey through America’s national parks, leaving home with little more than a camera and a desire to understand what connects people to these wild places. What begins as a summer road trip, however, becomes a seven-year odyssey, capturing untold stories of those who protect, visit, and find healing in the parks. Through intimate interviews, breathtaking cinematography, and a profound original music score, Out There: A National Parks Story uncovers a deeply human portrait of the parks - revealing them as places of reflection, resilience, and connection across generations and cultures. A stunning visual tribute and grassroots love letter, this captivating documentary reimagines what it means to find belonging in the natural world, as well as the power of public lands to bring us back to ourselves.
Jon Jarvis, the 18th director of the U.S. National Parks Service, said of the film: "Our national parks are places of discovery about nature, history, our nation and ourselves. Out There: A National Parks Story beautifully captures and shares the emotions friends, family and visitors feel watching a Grand Canyon sunset, a walk amongst the Redwood giants, or a cold dip in a mountain stream. Through their eyes and voices, and superb visuals, you will share their sense of awe. It reminds us that these national park experiences are there for us all.”
Out There's director Brendan Hall is a documentary filmmaker telling stories in the natural world and beyond. His projects have brought viewers on adventures that explore the frontiers of our human spirit. In his work, Hall is committed to sharing the wonders of our planet in hopes that we may be inspired to care for it. In 2022, Hall was globally announced as a crew member of the dearMoon lunar mission led by Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa, selected from more than 1 million artists and creatives around the world. In addition to his work as a filmmaker, Hall is also a night-sky photographer, scuba diver, and amateur juggler.
Out There: A National Parks Story will be shown in Davenport at St. Ambrose University's Galvin Fine Arts Center on January 18, admission to the 3 p.m. screening is $10 with students admitted free with ID, and a seven-movie season pass for the 2026 QC Environmental Film Series is available for $40-45. For more information and tickets, call River Action at (563)322-2926 and visit QCEnvironmentalFilmSeries.org.
