Shipwreck Showtime Series
Join us for Egan’s 2026 Shipwreck Showtimes, a free series of maritime films for the community. Egan is hosting Sunday afternoon screenings of three critically acclaimed movies: a fantasy drama (at the Lifesaving Museum), an animated adventure tale (at the Dreamland), and a documentary (location to be announced). Each film features an island as a place of refuge and wonder. Plus, enjoy complementary snacks and a short post-screening discussion.
See a description of each film below.
The Secret of Roan Inish
Date/Time: January 25, 4 PM
Location: Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum, 158 Polpis Rd.
Registration: No registration required
This year’s series launches with a screening of the heartwarming drama The Secret of Roan Inish (103 minutes, rated PG) at the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum. Directed by John Sayles, this 1994 film is told from the perspective of 10-year-old Fiona (Jeni Courtney), who goes to live with her grandparents on Ireland’s coast after her mother’s death. She explores nearby Roan Inish (Seal Island) where her family once lived — and where she thinks she glimpses her long missing baby brother. Beloved by adults and children alike, this movie blends realism and myth to tell a powerful story of loss and discovery.
Kensuke’s Kingdom
Date/Time: February 1, 4 PM
Location: The Nantucket Dreamland, 17 S Water St.
Registration: Registration required via Dreamland Theatre website (link coming soon!)
Our film series continues with a free screening of the animated movie Kensuke’s Kingdom (85 minutes, rated PG) at the Dreamland Theatre. Eleven-year-old Michael is on a family sailing expedition when he and his dog get swept overboard and wash ashore on a seemingly uninhabited island in the Pacific. The pair try to fend for themselves until they encounter Kensuke, a Japanese man who has lived alone on the island for decades. At first reluctant to trust each other, when danger approaches, Michael and Kensuke must work together to protect their island home. This adaptation of the popular children’s novel by Michael Morpurgo was a grand prize winner at the 2024 New York International Children’s Film Festival and features the voices of Sally Hawkins, Cillian Murphy and Ken Watanabe.
Geographies of Solitude
Date/Time: February 8, 4 PM
Location: To Be Announced
Registration: No registration required.
Our Shipwreck Showtimes film series concludes with a free screening of the 2022 documentary Geographies of Solitude (103 minutes, not rated). Canadian filmmaker Jacquelyn Mills follows ecologist Zoe Lucas, who has made Nova Scotia’s remote Sable Island her home for more than four decades. As the island’s only full-time human resident, Lucas chronicles its varied wildlife— including wild horses and the world’s largest colony of grey seals — along with marine debris that washes ashore. Alive to its unique setting, the documentary has garnered top awards at film festivals and was named a New York Times Critics Pick in 2023.
