June 13, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mary Ellms, [email protected]
25th Maine International Film Festival Releases Program and Schedule
WATERVILLE, Maine – The Maine Film Center (MFC) announces the release of the program and schedule for the 25th annual Maine International Film Festival (MIFF), which will be held July 8-17 at Railroad Square Cinema and the Waterville Opera House in Waterville, the Skowhegan Drive-In Theatre in Skowhegan, and online. The complete lineup of nearly 100 films, festival passes, and tickets for individual screenings are now available at MIFF.org.
Opening Night, July 8, features the New England premiere of “Casablanca Beats.” Director Nabil Ayouch drew upon his own experience opening a youth center in Morocco for this story of a former rapper named Anas who takes a job teaching hip-hop in an underprivileged neighborhood. Despite their differences in identity, religion, and politics, Anas encourages his students to bond and break free from restrictive traditions in order to follow their passions and express themselves through the arts. Mixing intimate yet high-stakes drama with infectious musical sequences, the film transports audiences to a lively and contemporary Casablanca.
This year’s Maine-based features include “Elizabeth Bishop and the Art of Losing,” highlighting one of America’s greatest poets as she overcomes profound grief and writes some of her best work; “Hopeful: The Story of MaineWorks,” showcasing a company that employs ex-cons and people in recovery, built by a single mother; and “Sunner,” following two young artists who attempt to create a memorial for their hometown and their generation’s experience before there’s no one left who remembers. The Maine Narrative Shorts and Maine Documentary Shorts programs highlight fourteen more made-in-Maine works.
Another noteworthy program in this year’s festival is the Centerpiece film, “32 Sounds,” a live presentation directed by Sam Green. Both an immersive film and a profound sensory experience, “32 Sounds” is performed on stage with live narration by Green and original music by JD Samson (of the bands Le Tigre and MEN). The film weaves together 32 sound explorations into a cinematic meditation on the power of sound to bend time, cross borders, and profoundly shape our perception of the world around us.
MIFF is a project of the Maine Film Center and is made possible by presenting sponsors Waterville Creates, Colby College, and the Lawry Family Foundation.
About the Maine Film Center
The Maine Film Center (MFC) brings world-class independent film to Central Maine through Railroad Square Cinema, the only Sundance Art House Project cinema in Maine; the annual Maine International Film Festival, a 10-day celebration that attracts filmmakers and film aficionados from around the world; and by delivering impactful, accessible film exhibition and education programs. MFC believes that art and culture have the power to enrich lives, strengthen community bonds, and serve as an economic engine. MFC is a division of Waterville Creates. For more information, visit MaineFilmCenter.org.