Donn Fendler Event Coming To Bangor This November

It's been a little over two years since one of Maine's most famous rescue stories, one many middle school students in the state have read in book form, debuted on the big screen.

Lost On A Mountain In Maine Donn Fendler, Ryan Cook

The effort to bring the story of Donn Fendler's plight when he got "Lost On A Mountain In Maine" to a film form was spearheaded by Waterville native, Ryan Cook, who like many had read the book in school, and was captivated by the story.

Cook befriended Fendler and his family, and through his time with them, got even more of the story which he felt needed to be told, so in 2011, he put together a documentary called documentary about Fendler called “Finding Donn Fendler: Lost on a Mountain in Maine 72 Years Later" which he screened at the Waterville Opera House at the Maine International Film Festival.

Fendler passed away a few years later, in 2016.

Almost a decade later, Cook's efforts to make a full-fledged movie based on the book came to fruition. With the backing of Sylvester Stallone's production company, Balboa Productions, and with the addition of producers Braden Aftergood and Dick Boyce the motion picture version of Lost On A Mountain In Maine debuted in 2024. It landed at #5 on the Netflix Global charts.
Read More: Check It Out: Trailer For New 'Lost On A Mountain In Maine' Movie

Next month, Cook will come to Bangor, bringing the documentary he made, which inspired the film, and behind-the-scenes footage of Fendler himself when he hosts a talk about his experience with the story at the Gracie Theatre on the campus of Husson University.

According to the Lost On A Mountain In Maine Facebook page, the special event will take place next month, with opportunities for the audience to ask questions of the man who made the movie. The talk is entitled "The Legacy of Donn Fendler; Perseverance Against All Odds.

Get our free mobile app

"Friday, November 20th, at the Gracie Theater in Bangor. Join producer and Maine native Ryan Cook for a special evening celebrating the legacy of Donn Fendler. Hear and see documentary footage of Donn Fendler telling the story in his own words, followed by a discussion with Ryan about the years he spent working with Donn to make the feature film 'Lost on a Mountain in Maine'."

Doors will open at 5PM, with general admission opening at 5:30. The talk is scheduled to go from 6 PM to 7:30, with a question and answer portion available till 8 PM.

The event is free and appropriate for all ages. The first 150 participants who register will get a complimentary copy of the book that started it all, Lost On A Mountain In Maine.

The Galen Cole Family Foundation is sponsoring this special event.