Points North Institute Awarded Grants from Maine Office of Tourism and National Endowment for the Arts

Maine Office of Tourism
The Maine Office of Tourism has awarded the Points North Institute/Camden International Film Festival with a 2017 Special Event Grant of $50,000 as part of eight tourism marketing grants awarded in the most recent round of funding. Points North Institute/Camden International Film Festival, an internationally recognized film festival, has set goals to achieve growth in non-resident ticket sales and overall growth in attendance.

“These grants are a way we can respond to the growing needs of the tourism industry in Maine as the industry grows, and get the word out about the impressive range of experiences Maine offers,” said Phil Savignano, senior tourism officer and grant administrator for the Maine Office of Tourism.

National Endowment for the Arts
The Points North Institute has received a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for the 13th edition of the Camden International Film Festival, which will be held September 14 – 17, 2017 in Camden, Rockport and Rockland, Maine. The support, which marks the 4th consecutive year of funding for CIFF from the National Endowment for the Arts’ Art Works program, will be used to support programming for the 2017 Camden International Film Festival and Points North Forum, including the exhibition of over seventy documentary films, and three days of intensive workshops, panels, pitching sessions and mentorship opportunities focused on the art, business and future of nonfiction storytelling.

The Art Works category focuses on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening of communities through the arts. “The arts are for all of us, and by supporting organizations such as the Points North Institute, the National Endowment for the Arts is providing more opportunities for the public to engage with the arts,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Whether in a theater, a town square, a museum, or a hospital, the arts are everywhere and make our lives richer.”

Supported programs will provide audiences intimate access to filmmakers, and an opportunity to experience the world’s best documentary cinema, while building an extended community and a supportive environment for emerging filmmakers to focus on creative and professional development.

“We are extremely honored to receive recognition from such a prestigious establishment” said Ben Fowlie, Executive Director of the Points North Institute. “Support from the National Endowment for the Arts has been critical to the development of our organizations programs, and we’re looking forward to enhancing and expanding opportunities for the public to engage with nonfiction storytellers, and the important stories they’re telling through their artistic efforts.”