Friday Harbor Film Festival tells LTAC it brings shoulder‑season visitors, seeks continued support

Susan Waters, a board member of the Friday Harbor Film Festival, told the committee LTAC funding helps sustain the festival’s regional marketing and visitor-draw work that supports restaurants, lodging and shops during shoulder seasons. She said organizers track ticket ZIP codes and that a majority of filmmakers and attendees travel from outside San Juan County.

“Each year between 5565% of our attendees travel from outside San Juan County,” Waters said, noting the festival rents room nights for visiting filmmakers and uses donated room nights in trade to bring guests to the island. She described LTAC funds as supporting marketing that reaches Seattle, Bellingham and British Columbia and argued that the festival’s outreach helps convert first‑time visitors into repeat guests.

Committee members praised the festival’s regional reach and discussed expanding promotional packages and data collection. Waters said the festival uses ticketing ZIP-code collection and anecdotal evidence to estimate heads‑in‑beds and that LTAC support allows the festival to continue strengthening off‑island outreach and community programming.