Midcoast Youth Center to hold its first-ever film festival
Youth Voices Film Festival Brings Skateboarding Culture to Midcoast Maine
BATH — The Bath Armory transformed into a celebration of youth expression and athletic creativity earlier this month, as the Youth Voices Film Festival premiered a collection of short films exploring skateboarding culture and adventure sports across Maine and beyond.
The festival, now in its third year, serves as a platform for young filmmakers and athletes to share their perspectives on the skateboarding community and outdoor adventure lifestyle. Organizers said the event drew participants from across the Midcoast region and several neighboring counties.
"We've seen incredible growth in the skateboarding community here in Maine over the past few years," said festival coordinator Sarah Mitchell. "This festival gives these kids a chance to show their world through their own lens."
The program featured documentaries, action shorts, and narrative films ranging from two to fifteen minutes in length. Themes included urban skating in Portland, BMX trails in the Belgrade Lakes region, and surf culture along the Downeast coastline. Several films also explored the challenges and rewards of building skatepark infrastructure in rural communities.
Local skater and first-time filmmaker Jamie Pelletier, 17, debuted a short documenting the construction of a new skate spot behind the Brunswick recreation center. The project, filmed over eight months, captured the collaborative effort of dozens of young people who fundraised and built the space themselves.
"I wanted to show that we can create things for ourselves if we work together," Pelletier said. "It's not just about tricks — it's about community."
The festival also included a panel discussion featuring professional photographers and skateboard industry representatives who offered advice on breaking into sports media careers. Vendors lined the armory's perimeter, offering handmade boards, apparel, and artwork from local creators.
Attendance for the two-day event exceeded 400 visitors, according to organizers, who called this year's turnout the largest in festival history.
Next year's Youth Voices Film Festival is already in the planning stages, with organizers announcing they will expand the adventure sports category to include rock climbing and mountain biking disciplines. Applications for youth filmmakers will open in February.
