Enjoy a Camden International Film Festival First

Documentaries showing Maine residents' tenacity and action are among the winners of the 2007 Maine Documentary Film Competition. The Maine-made documentaries will play alongside national and international works during the Third Annual Camden International Film Festival, September 27-30 in  Camden, Rockport and Rockland.

Stories of a mother seeking tighter standards for the sale of guns to minors and two women from Damariscotta who rallied against big-box retail are among the winning documentaries that will be screened Saturday, September 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland. Following the final film there will be a reception in the Farnsworth Library for all attendees and filmmakers.

Several shorts — 10-minute films — will be shown throughout the Maine-specific viewing, including "Trap Day on Monhegan," a restored documentary from 1977. The remainder of the afternoon will consist of feature length documentaries shot in Maine and about Maine issues. All films will be followed by question-and-answer sessions with film directors and producers. Jurors for the Documentary Film Competition came from Maine's media production, distribution and exhibition industries.

The competition is organized by the Maine Film Office, Maine Film and Video Association, The Maine Film Commission and the Maine International Film Festival. The goal of the competition is to recognize excellence in filmmaking by Maine media producers and to provide screening opportunities for their works.

"Maine has a long tradition of creating excellent documentary films," said Greg Gadberry, assistant director of the Maine Film Office. "The 2007 Maine Documentary Film Competition demonstrated that this tradition continues. We received films from students, amateur filmmakers and professionals. Their films explored subjects as varied as the impact of big-box stores on small towns to the techniques of doing dishes. We are delighted that the Camden International Film Festival has provided viewers with a venue to enjoy these award-winning, Maine-made films."

Beyond Maine, CIFF is the brainchild of Maine native Ben Fowlie. The Camden man began the festival in 2004 with the goal of creating a Maine venue for national and international documentaries. Camden, Rockport and Rockland provide the backdrop of the weekend-long event. The Strand Theatre of Rockland — listed on the National Register of Historic Places — as well as the Camden Opera House and the Rockport Opera House are among the venues for the screenings and panel discussions that are a hallmark of CIFF.

"On behalf of the festival, I am proud to have such an outstanding slate of films from Maine documentary filmmakers. The knowledge that there is such emerging talent from local filmmakers makes it an exciting event each year," said Fowlie.

Viewing the winning documentaries is free for Camden International Film Festival pass holders or $10 per person, which includes the reception. For more information, visit www.camdenfilmfest.org or call 617-817-5376.