COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

Having grown since 2005 from a small-town, weekend film festival to a year-round organization with programs reaching communities across Maine during twelve months of the year, community is central to what we do. Our community-oriented programs fall into three categories: Points North Impact, CIFF Selects, and Points North Campus. 

We explore new models for using documentary film and other forms of creative nonfiction media to advance public dialogue and strengthen movements for social change, reaching diverse audiences in small towns and cities across Maine. Since 2013, we’ve helped organize more than 80 documentary screenings in dozens of communities across the state. Points North Impact engages audiences using documentary films that address issues such as aging, sustainability, parental leave, and opioid addiction to provide a platform for community conversation. Our current program is called Recovery in Maine.

CIFF Selects brings the midcoast Maine community together for monthly screenings of the most exciting documentary films of our day. 

Points North Campus connects college students with filmmakers and industry professionals throughout the CIFF weekend, allowing them to participate in discussions about the craft and business of documentary film and media.