'Out There: A National Parks Story' – Film Screening and Director Discussion
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 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" 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, "Out There" reimagines what it means to find belonging in the natural world, and the power of public lands to bring us back to ourselves.
Following the screening, filmmaker Brendan Hall will discuss the film.
This event, which is in partnership with the TREC Foundation, is part of the JES's USA 250 Event Series.
Location: Tom Ridge Environmental Center, 301 Peninsula Drive Erie, PA 16505
Date/Time: Monday, April 20, 7-8:30PM
Admission: FREE
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Brendan Hall is a documentary filmmaker sharing stories in the natural world and beyond. He is a director, cinematographer, editor and speaker whose work has connected with audiences across generations. His visual style is known for balancing sweeping landscapes with intimate portraiture of human experiences - on land, in the air, and below the sea.Since graduating from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, he has traveled the world directing projects for global non-profits and brands including National Geographic, Google, Adobe and The Nature Conservancy. He has also contributed cinematography to feature-length documentaries including PBS’s Bill Nye: Science Guy and Apple TV’s Red Heaven, and is a member of the Explorers Club in New York City. As a speaker, he has been featured on platforms including the TODAY Show, Global Exploration Summit, and Texas Eclipse. In his work, Brendan is committed to sharing awe and empathy on our planet in hopes that we may be inspired to preserve it for future generations. It’s a spirit he brought to his debut feature-length documentary, Out There: A National Parks Story. The film follows Hall and a childhood friend road tripping across 10,000 miles of the U.S. national parks to share profound stories of the people they meet along the way. Out There has screened at festivals across the country winning a number of awards, headlining events at venues including the Public Lands Alliance, Explorers Club, and Pixar Animation Studios.In 2022, Brendan was selected from over 1 million artists and creatives around the world to be a crew member of the dearMoon lunar mission, led by Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa. Although the mission is no longer moving forward as planned, the experience of being chosen for such a groundbreaking journey underscores Brendan’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration and storytelling.Between film projects, he is also a night sky photographer, scuba diver and amateur juggler.
