Submitted by the Friday Harbor Film Festival.

Friday Harbor Film Festival’s FREE Best of the Fest series will show “The Boys Who Said NO!” at the San Juan Island Library on Friday, July 21 at 7 p.m. Following the film, Director Judith Ehrlich will appear by livestream to speak about the film and answer audience questions.

FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T ATTEND IN PERSON, THE ENTIRE PROGRAM WILL BE LIVESTREAMED FREE BEGINNING AT 7 P.M. ON THE WEBSITE: FHFF.ORG.

“The Boys Who Said No!” was runner-up in the Tales From the Heart category at the 2022 Friday Harbor Film Festival and Winner of the Audience Award at 2021 San Luis Obispo International Film Festival. It is the first documentary film to profile the young men and women who actively opposed the military draft to end the Vietnam War. Their personal and collective acts of nonviolent resistance, risking arrest and imprisonment for up to five years, were a critical part of the antiwar movement, intensifying opposition to the war and eventually forcing an end to both conscription and the war. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, resistance to the American war in Vietnam grew substantially. Hundreds of thousands of draft-age men refused to cooperate with the draft.

Tens of thousands emigrated to Canada and other countries. American soldiers in Vietnam increasingly refused to follow orders, risking court martial and prison for organizing inside the military. Claims for conscientious objector status soared to unprecedented levels. Millions marched against the war. This account of nonviolent resistance an important example for today’s movements for social justice and peace.

Each month through September Best of the Fest will offer an award-winning documentary along with a livestream or in-person Q&A. Programs begin at 7 p.m. Some are in collaboration with the San Juan Island Library; others are at the San Juan Island Grange. Since they’re on Fridays, they are a great “date night” activity. Here’s the schedule:

* “Let There Be Drums” – Aug. 11 – Grange

* “Alan Magee: Art is not a solace” – Sept. 8 – Library

Details about the films in the series are available on the fhff.org website. Mark those calendars and plan to view the exceptional Best of the Fest documentaries.