June 12, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jackie Ferlito, [email protected]
26th Maine International Film Festival celebrates cinematic excellence and Maine talent
WATERVILLE, Maine — The Maine International Film Festival (MIFF) proudly announces the full schedule and program for its 26th edition, set to captivate audiences from July 7–16. This year’s Festival showcases an exceptional lineup of Maine-made shorts and features alongside renowned international and classic films. Individual tickets and festival passes are on sale at MIFF.org, and printed program guides will soon be available around Central Maine.
The festival welcomes back Ildikó Enyedi, a visionary director and artist known for her remarkable contributions to world cinema, who had her first career retrospective at MIFF in 1999. Enyedi’s distinctive storytelling and captivating visuals have garnered critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including the Caméra d’Or for Best First Feature at Cannes for “My Twentieth Century.” She will be presented with the MIFF Mid-Life Achievement Award at a screening of “On Body and Soul” and a reception at Front & Main on Sunday, July 9.
MIFF is thrilled to showcase the work of Bill Morrison, acclaimed for his unique blending of archival and found film footage with evocative soundscapes to create mesmerizing cinematic experiences. Following the screening of his film “Dawson City: Frozen Time,” a reception at OPA will celebrate his contributions to film history. His exhibition “Bill Morrison: Cycles and Loops” will show at the Joan Dignam Schmaltz Gallery of Art at the Paul J. Schupf Art Center from Aug. 18–Dec. 31, 2023.
MIFF will present the annual Tourmaline Prizes, awards celebrating the finest Maine-made short and feature films with prizes of $2,500 and $5,000 respectively. These prizes aim to foster Maine’s filmmaking industry, from thought-provoking documentaries to captivating narratives.
“We’re honored to showcase a fantastic slate of films from Maine and around the globe. With 7 feature-length and 16 shorts made in Maine, we are proud to celebrate a bumper crop of production happening in our state,” said Mike Perreault, executive director of the Maine Film Center. “Venerated guests Ildikó Enyedi and Bill Morrison will join us in-person, as will the colleagues of dozens of the nearly 100 films we have programmed for audiences this year.”
The 26th Maine International Film Festival takes place July 7–16 at the Maine Film Center and Waterville Opera House, both accessed via the Paul J. Schupf Art Center at 93 Main Street, Waterville, Maine. For further information, including the festival schedule, ticketing details, and updates, please visit MIFF.org.
About the Maine Film Center
Maine Film Center (MFC) educates, entertains, and builds community through film. Founded in 2009 to unite Railroad Square Cinema, Maine’s first independent art house cinema, and the annual Maine International Film Festival, MFC serves as an important cultural anchor by showing the best of American independent, international, and repertory film, and offering the best popcorn in the known universe. For more information visit MaineFilmCenter.org.