Submitted by the Friday Harbor Film Festival.
Friday Harbor Film Festival’s Best of the Fest Series continues with another powerful, audience-selected documentary. “Girl Climber,” that will be shown Friday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. at the San Juan Island Library and Saturday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. at the Lopez Island Grange. Events on both islands will include a prerecorded interview with Director Jon Glassberg, offering additional insight into the making of the film and the story behind the climb.
Free and open to the public, no ticket or RSVP is required. Details are available at fhff.org.
“Girl Climber”
Winner of the 2025 FHFF Audience Choice Award for Best “Explorers & Adventures” Feature Film, “Girl Climber” follows professional climber Emily Harrington as she pursues a career-defining goal: a free ascent of the Golden Gate route on El Capitan in under 24 hours. Already renowned for summiting Everest, climbing 8,000-meter peaks and dominating the competition circuit, Harrington turns her focus to Yosemite’s big walls — terrain long associated with a tight, male-dominated inner circle of elite climbers.
The film traces Harrington’s multiyear commitment to this objective, balancing meticulous preparation with the psychological weight of expectation, identity and time. Midway through the journey, a near-fatal fall during a pre-dawn attempt forces a reckoning — introducing injury, recovery and renewed doubt into an already exacting pursuit.
“She was willing to be vulnerable and emotional on screen, which I think is really hard for a lot of people,” said Glassberg. Rather than framing the story as a simple record chase, “Girl Climber” becomes an intimate portrait of resilience, vulnerability and persistence, asking what it truly costs to pursue a once-in-a-lifetime goal.
“Girl Climber” reflects a filmmaker’s eye shaped by deep roots in the climbing world. Glassberg, himself a professional climber, has built his career capturing authentic adventure narratives in extreme environments through his production company, Louder Than Eleven. His access, trust and lived understanding of the sport allow the film to move seamlessly between sweeping big-wall imagery and quiet, personal moments — revealing not just the scale of El Capitan, but the interior landscape of a climber navigating risk, scrutiny and self-definition.
The Best of the Fest Series
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 the Lopez Island Library. Since they’re on Fridays, they are a great “date night” activity. Mark your calendar for “The Ramba Effect” March 27 at the SJI Library and the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts. Check the rest of the schedule at fhff.org.
“Girl Climber” is presented as part of the 2026 Best of the Fest Series, with support from film sponsor: The Rec SJI, Best of the Fest in-kind sponsor: The Journal of the San Juan Islands and 2026 Best of the Fest Series presenting media sponsor: CascadePBS.
