A hybrid festival means we’ll be exhibiting our program online and in person at the Showtime Cinema at the Shotwell Drive-In Theater, located 40 West Street in Rockport, Maine. 

The Showtime at the Shotwell will be our homebase for the 2020 festival. We will be hosting live stream Q&As with filmmakers, musical acts, and panel discussions, all while maintaining a safe distance. Many audience members will be participating online–via chats, Community, etc.–while others participate on-site in their cars.

A limited number of drive-in passes will be sold. Drive-in Passholders must pre-register for a spot for each screening they would like to attend. The pass includes access to all the drive-in screenings. The Passholder must be in attendance 15 minutes before the show starts and empty spots will be sold to those waiting in line.

Individual tickets to the Showtime Cinema at the Shotwell Drive-In screenings will be sold only in advance online.

If you will be joining us from out of state, please follow the State of Maine’s quarantine rules. (Either have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of your arrival or plan to quarantine for 14 days. FMI click here.) We will be following all current safety guidelines: Wear a mask when outside your car or interacting with on-site CIFF staff. Stay 6’ away. Use hand sanitizer regularly.

We named the new theater in honor of longtime supporter of CIFF, Bob Shotwell, who passed away just before the festival in 2018. Check out this video about this extraordinary person.

Purchase your pass. If you want to head to the front of the line, buy a Patron Pass. This group will have an extended window to pre-select and register before everyone else. All Access passholders will be able to register for virtual screenings beginning on September 28. Individual tickets to screenings and events will go on sale October 1.

Most films will be available for the entire 12-day festival, anywhere in the world. A few films will have limited access: for example, it could only allow 500 total viewers, or, only folks living in one geographic area, or, maybe, only people who can tune in at one specific time. The restrictions will be clearly explained and the film will be marked as Limited Screening.

Let’s keep the energy going online. We know we are going to miss seeing all your beautiful faces here in the Midcoast! Share your #CIFFExperience online with all of us, tagging us on Instagram and Facebook. We can’t wait to see where you are watching from!