Directors Risk Jail to Film in National Park

The National Park Service’s unconstitutional permit-and-fee scheme threatens heavy fines or even jail time for filming in a national park, so FIRE filed a lawsuit on behalf of filmmakers Alexander Rienzie and Connor Burkesmith and the National Press Photographers Association to overturn this rule.

These restrictions threaten Alex and Connor’s livelihood as sport and nature videographers. They wanted to film in Grand Teton National Park in September to document an attempt by an athlete to break a climbing record for the fastest climb up the Grand Teton.

Under federal law, “commercial” filmmakers have to apply for permits that are under the complete discretion of NPS employees. Alex and Connor planned to use less gear than the average hiker, but NPS denied the permit… and kept the $350 application fee.

Alex and Connor filmed anyway. Now they are at risk of criminal charges if they use the footage they shot, without disturbing anyone, in a public park that all Americans have a right to be in.

FIRE is standing up for Alex and Connor because the government shouldn’t impose heavy fees and arbitrary permit rejections on independent filmmakers simply for exercising their First Amendment right to film in a nondisruptive way.

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About FIRE: The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression's mission is to defend and sustain the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought — the most essential qualities of liberty. FIRE educates Americans about the importance of these inalienable rights, promotes a culture of respect for these rights, and provides the means to preserve them.

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