Beautiful places like the Outer Banks have a way of inspiring a love for the natural world. Whether it’s the water, the wild places or the wildlife, a personal connection to the environment often grows into a desire to protect it – from picking up litter and preserving trees to protecting wildlife and fighting for clean water.
That connection is at the heart of the Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival, returning to Roanoke Island for its fourth year from November 5 to 7. This year’s lineup features 27 films from around the world, including several from North Carolina and a couple related directly to the Outer Banks, exploring environmental challenges, conservation and the people working to make a difference. With a record 154 submissions to choose from, organizers say this year’s festival promises a particularly strong lineup.
Photo: From the Sound to the Sea, featuring the wild Banker horses of Corolla, will run on Saturday afternoon. Photo courtesy Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival Facebook
Michelle Lewis, founder and executive director of the Peace Garden Project, which organizes the Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival, says she is particularly excited about the lineup of films this year.
“Every year we get great film submissions, but these we year we had the most entries ever, and we really have chosen the best of those. There are movies from all over the world and from right here on the Outer Banks.”
The screeners choosing from among the submitted films come from a variety of backgrounds – filmmakers, environmentalists, environmental activists and regular citizens, ensuring that there is something for everyone.
Considering that in years past the festival typically got around 65 entries, this doubling of entries says a lot about the festival.
“Word has gotten out about the festival,” Lewis says. “Filmmakers who’ve attended in the past say it's one of the best.”
One of the best things about the Outer Banks Festival is that attendees have the opportunity to see as many films as they want to – and that includes seeing every film in the lineup.
“At so many festivals you can’t see them all because movie times run concurrently," Lewis says. "Here, you can see them all and participate in all the panel discussions.”
The festival also includes panel discussions, a keynote speaker and Q&A sessions with some of the filmmakers.
Photo: Roanoke Island native and resident Michelle Lewis is the director of the Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival and the founder and executive director of the Peace Garden Project. Photo from Peace Garden Project.
Peace Garden Project is a nonprofit organization focused on exploring spirituality through gardening, food justice, environmental justice and educating communities about the importance of their environment.
The film festival is sponsored by Island Bookstore, North Carolina Coastal Federation, National Parks Conservation Association, Don & Catharine Bryan Cultural Series, North Carolina Environmental Justice Network, Dare Arts, North Carolina Black Alliance, Outer Banks Voice, Meet Me In Manteo, Outer Banks Breaking News & Community Events.
Photo: Expedition Greenland follows NSU’s President and Chief Executive Officer Harry K. Moon, oceanographer John Englander, and their team on an unforgettable Arctic expedition to confront the impacts of rising seas and help prepare global communities for the future. Photo courtesy Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival Facebook
The Films
All movies are scheduled to be shown at the indoor theater at Roanoke Island Festival Park.
Thursday, November 5
4 p.m.
Introduction
4:15 p.m.
Keystone: The Prodigies of an Icon (1:13)
5:45 p.m.
Seeds of Peace (1:06)
Q&A after the film
7 p.m.
Mountain Biking Through Sacred Land (5:56)
Kin (5:19)
Becoming Wild: A Meditation on Beauty in the Natural World (47:15)
8 p.m.
VIP reception at Old Tom’s in Downtown Manteo
Friday, November 6
9 a.m. Returning Rapids (35:00)
9:45 a.m. Kingdom Fungi (1:37)
11:30 a.m.
Salabama (19:27)
The Elkhorn Slough & Carbon Sequestration (9:15)
1 p.m.
The Right Whale (53:59)
2 p.m.
Expedition Greenland (28:39)
2:35 p.m.
The Tree Economy (1:42)
Q&A after the film with filmmaker James Schraeder
5 p.m.
Broken Beak (1:37:15)
Break to attend First Friday (in Downtown Manteo)
8:15 p.m.
Sentinels of Engaruka (24:55)
Sanctuary of the Leatherback (9:35)
Photo: Kingdom Fungi delves into the extraordinary world of fungi, following four dedicated amateur and professional field mycologists whose work is driven by a shared mission to document, educate and protect this remarkable kingdom. Photo courtesy Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival Facebook
Saturday, November 7
9 a.m.
Iridescent (9:04)
The Farmer’s Daughter (12:50)
The Seashell (7:04)
Q&A after the films with the filmmakers of The Seashell
9:45 a.m.
Kelly Street Garden: Healing and Social Justice (14:05)
Q&A after the film with the filmmakers
10:15 a.m.
May the Water Not Freeze (16:26)
Forever Home (56:00)
11:30 a.m.
Young Fires (26:46)
Q&A after the film
Break
1:30 p.m.
The True Cost of Power (18:15)
Undermined (15:33)
Hyperscaled (19:28)
2:30 p.m.
Welcome and intro of Dean Dwane Jones, Actor Richard Gant and Theologian Elonda Clay for a Panel on AI
3:20 p.m.
Audience Q&A
3:40 p.m.
Beach Inna Bondage (29:59)
From the Sound to the Sea (17:00)
4:30 p.m.
Keynote by Dr. Nikki Hoskins
6 p.m.
Red wolf panel and film
8 p.m.
Awards ceremony at Dare Arts
Photo: Returning Rapids takes viewers on a journey along the Colorado River witnessing its dramatic transformation as the receding waters of Lake Powell unveil hidden rapids and forgotten landscapes. Photo courtesy Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival Facebook
Tickets
VIP Festival Pass: $100
Movies Only Festival Pass: $40
Single Day Pass: $25
Student Movies Only Festival Pass: $25
Thanks to an anonymous donor, a limited number of free tickets are available for those who want to attend but need help with the price of a ticket. To inquire, email at info@obxeff.com.
Buy tickets here: Tickets for Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival - FilmFreeway
Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival
November 5 to 7, 2026
Roanoke Island Festival Park, Manteo
About the Author Molly Harrison
Molly Harrison is managing editor at OneBoat, publisher of OuterBanksThisWeek.com. She moved to Nags Head in 1994 and since then has made her living writing articles and creating publications about the people, places and culture of the Outer Banks.
