This year’s Maine International Film Festival is a feast for movie lovers
The 29th annual Maine International Film Festival returns to Waterville from July 10 through 19, bringing ten days of screenings, special events, and guest appearances to venues including the Paul J. Schupf Art Center on Main Street and the Waterville Opera House on Common Street.
Among the hundreds of films on offer, here are some of the titles generating early buzz heading into opening night.
"Choose Me" — July 14
Writer-director Alan Rudolph, the 82-year-old former protégé of Robert Altman, will receive the festival's Midlife Achievement Award. Five of Rudolph's films will screen in tribute, including 1984's "Choose Me," a woozy Los Angeles-set tale of love and chance encounters starring Lesley Ann Warren, Keith Carradine, Geneviève Bujold, Rae Dawn Chong, and Patrick Bauchau.
"Black Zombie" — July 10
Maya Annik Bedward's documentary traces the history of the zombie archetype from its origins in colonial Haiti through its evolution into a staple of modern horror cinema.
"Their Town" — July 10
Maine native Katie Aselton directs this family collaboration with her husband Mark Duplass, who wrote the screenplay. Their real-life daughter Ora stars alongside Chosen Jacobs in a story about two teenagers who spend a long night getting to know each other while rehearsing a high school production of "Our Town."
"The Dads" — July 12 and 15
A documentary following fathers from various backgrounds who gather at retreats in Maine and Minnesota to support one another and their transgender children at a time when the filmmakers say anti-trans legislation and rhetoric are on the rise.
"The Bulldogs" — July 14 and 15
Directors Noah Dixon and Ori Segev examine the aftermath of a 2023 train derailment in Palestine, Ohio, that released millions of gallons of chemicals into the local watershed, and the ongoing fight by residents against the corporate entities they hold responsible.
"Yalla Parkour" — July 16 and 17
Palestinian filmmaker Areeb Zuaiter documents a young man named Ahmed and his friends performing parkour stunts amid the ruins of Gaza, using the improbable footage as a way to explore life during wartime.
"Mallory's Ghost" — July 17 and 18
Arabella Oz wrote and directed this dark romance, filmed in and around Portland, about a couple whose new life in a coastal mansion is disrupted by the appearance of the boyfriend's late former partner.
"In Transit" — July 16 and 18
Jennifer Ehle stars as a frustrated painter in this Maine-shot drama directed by Jaclyn Bethany. She forms an unlikely bond with an aimless bartender, played by screenwriter Alex Sarrigeorgiou, who agrees to sit for a portrait. Filming took place in Waldoboro and Damariscotta.
"F***toys" — July 17 and 18
Annapurna Sriram wrote, directed, and stars in this genre-bending debut about a sex worker who sets out on a journey across the American landscape after learning she has been cursed.
A 10-film pass is available for $125, and a full festival pass costs $250. The complete schedule of films, events, speakers, and award recipients is available at miff.org.
