Submitted by the Friday Harbor Film Festival.

Join us for a powerful evening of documentary film and conversation! Friday Harbor Film Festival’s 2026 Best of the Fest Series kicks off with a free double feature screening of “Checkpoint Zoo,” winner of the 2025 FHFF Audience Choice Award for Best Overall Documentary, and “Lina,” winner of the 2025 FHFF Audience Choice Award for Best Overall Short Film, showing on both San Juan and Lopez islands.

Come to the SJI Library on Friday, Jan.30, at a special start time — 6 p.m. — for a meet-and-greet with “Lina” filmmaker Silke Johnstone. The films begin at 6:30 p.m. Immediately following the screening, “Checkpoint Zoo” director Joshua Zeman will lead an interactive Q&A. Don’t miss the chance to learn more about the filmmaking process, the real-life events that inspired the films and the situation in Ukraine. Details are available at fhff.org.

On Saturday, Jan. 31, join us at the Lopez Island Grange at 7 p.m. to view the films, followed by a pre-recorded interview with Zeman.

January’s Program: “Checkpoint Zoo” and “Lina”

“Checkpoint Zoo” documents a daring rescue, led by a heroic team of zookeepers and volunteers, who risked their lives to save thousands of animals trapped in a zoo behind enemy lines in the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. In the early days of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, was turned into a warzone. On one side of the battlefield was the invading Russian army, on the other side, the defending Ukrainians, and caught in between them was a zoo called Feldman Ecopark. More than just a zoo, Feldman Ecopark was an animal sanctuary that offered countless therapy programs to everyone from soldiers with PTSD to children with special needs. Drawing from first-hand footage, award-winning filmmaker Joshua Zeman’s “Checkpoint Zoo” showcases a story of human compassion, bravery and sacrifice during Ukraine’s darkest hours, shining a light on the best of humanity when it is all too easy to focus on the worst.

“Lina” — With a warm, strong and confident voice, 41-year-old mother Alyona tells the story of her beautiful youngest daughter Lina, who, together with her family, flees the brutal grip of Russian occupation in Kherson. With the help of courageous volunteers, the family travels thousands of miles through hostile Russian territory before finally finding refuge and the idea of peace in a charming village in Ukraine. Yet, the sense of normalcy is deceiving, and the audience witnesses the cruel scars that this war has left on Lina and the emotional breakdown of Alyona as she is confronted with the reality that Lina faces.

The Best of the Fest Series Schedule

Each month through September, Best of the Fest presents award-winning documentaries along with Q&As with the films’ directors and subjects. Programs begin at 7 p.m. All Friday Harbor programs will be at the San Juan Island Library. Lopez Island programs will be at the Lopez Island Grange, Lopez Center for Community and the Arts or at the Lopez Island Library. Since they’re on Fridays, they are a great “date night” activity. Here’s the schedule:

“Girl Climber” — Feb. 20 at the SJI Library and Feb. 21 at the Lopez Island Grange.

“The Ramba Effect” — March 27 at the SJI Library and the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts.

“Sitka’s Hidden Wonders” and “From Sea to Shining Sea” — April 24 at the SJI Library and the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts.

“The Last Dive” — May 22 at the SJI Library and the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts.

“Parrot Kindergarten” — June 26 at the SJI Library and the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts.

“The Snake and the Whale” — July 17 at the SJI Library and the Lopez Island Library.

“Champions of the Golden Valley” — Aug. 21 at the SJI Library and the Lopez Island Library.

“Rebel with a Clause” — Sept. 18 at the SJI Library and the Lopez Island Library.

Details about the films in the series are available on the fhff.org website. FHFF appreciates the sponsorship of The

Journal of the San Juan Islands! Mark your calendar and plan to view the exceptional Best of the Fest documentaries.