Last week the doc community gathered in NYC for the annual Cinema Eye Honors to recognize yet another great year in documentary film. The Camden International Film Festival was there as a proud sponsor of the Awards show for the 2nd straight year. The Cinema Eye Honors have quickly become an extremely important event that [...]
Festival founder and programmer Ben Fowlie will be in NYC on a panel organized by Union Docs with fellow documentary programmers from Silverdocs, Sundance and RIDM in Montreal. The panel, "Why festivals? Doc film fest programmers discuss" will take place on Sunday, January 16th at the Union Docs head quarters in Brooklyn. The organization presents [...]
Passes to the 2010 Camden International Film Festival and Points North Forum are now on sale! Purchase before August 25th and save big through our Early Bird Discount! Individual tickets and day passes to Points North will be available day of at the appropriate venues. Passes are the best way to experience the festival in [...]
Are you a filmmaker working in New England? Got a documentary in develop? Looking for feedback? CIFF has got an outlet for you. This year the Points North Forum, a 2 day networking event running concurrently with CIFF, will introduce the inaugural Points North Pitch. 6 projects from New England will have the opportunity to [...]
On Monday, July 19th legendary documentary film director Frederick Wiseman delighted a packed house, answering questions after a screening of one of his classics, HOSPITAL. The film was part of the bi-weekly screening series called The DocYard which takes place at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, MA. The series is sponsored in part by the [...]
The Camden International Film Festival is proud to be teaming up with local filmmaker, Dana Rae Warren to premiere her latest work ALLELUIA JUNCTION at the Strand Theatre on July 3rd, 2010. The film follows 80 people ages 10 to 85 sing their way across 15 time zones in 2 weeks. By the time they [...]
Before I get into a much delayed recap of CIFF's first experience at North America's largest documentary film festival, I must apologize on the radio silence over the past month and a half. There's been much going on here this spring including a new website (which is nearly ready to launch) and of course, lots [...]
So if you don't know already, we're BIG fans of the Space Gallery in Portland, ME. Like us, they're determined to provide local Maine audiences with fresh, cutting-edge documentary films that might otherwise be inaccessible to the public, or at least in the way films SHOULD be seen....on the big screen. Spearheaded by co-founder Jon [...]
It's become somewhat of an annual thing for a group of Mainer's to attend the True / False Film Festival. Spearheaded by Space co-founder, Jon Courtney, this motley crew consists of filmmakers, journalists, programmers and lovers of film. Of course CIFF (Director, Ben Fowlie and Points North Producer, Dominic Musacchio) were there to check up [...]
Following the heels of the 2010 CINEMA EYE HONORS, Toronto IFF and Stranger Than Fiction's Thom Powers put together a list of 20 industry leaders worth keeping an eye on. Listed among the talented and hard-working leaders of the non-fiction frontier is Camden International Film Festival's Founder and Director, Ben Fowlie. Put simply by Power's, [...]
A sincere apology for the radio silence this past month. We've been extremely busy this New Year (Happy belated 2010!), holding events in association with the 2010 Cinema Eye Honors in NYC, as well as gearing up for what some are already saying is going to be a very dynamic year for docs! Although CIFF [...]
AJ Schnack recently posted the second listing of the top 25 film festivals for documentary films and filmmakers. His first edition was one of the most trafficked posts on his extremely busy blog and an international resource for filmmakers looking for worthy outlets for their film. This time AJ enlisted the help of several filmmakers [...]
Over on the west coast nominations for the 2010 SPIRIT AWARDS were announced earlier today. Several of these films we've been following for quite some time so it's a real joy to see them making it to the finals in the awards season. Congrats to all nominated doc films. Michael Palmieri's and Donal Mosher's OCTOBER [...]
CIFF is over and snow has already fallen so that must mean its time for the award season to begin (despite it only being mid-October). We expect lots of this years films to be among the many nominated in some form or another for one award or another. IFP announced the nominations for their GOTHAM [...]
The Camden International Film Festival announced its award winning films at the Closing Night Ceremony on Sunday, October 4th at the Camden Opera House in Camden. The Closing Reception ended 09 festival activities that included screening 45 films representing numerous countries, the inaugural edition of the POINTS NORTH Documentary Film Forum, live musical performances and [...]
Its official - CIFF 09 will present POINTS NORTH Documentary Film Forum as part of its 5th Anniversary Celebration! This event has been in the works for quite some time and all of us at CIFF are very proud to be able to provide New England based doc filmmakers a chance to connect with and [...]
The 09 list is here and we're VERY happy to see some familiar faces...and several emerging voices in the nonfiction world. A big congrats to everyone selected, especially to Jessica Oreck, Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher. We were lucky enough to catch Oreck's first feature, The Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo last March at SXSW and [...]
This industry panel brings New England filmmakers together to discuss the how-tos of getting work into film festivals, onto the theatrical and video distribution circuit, or released in the worldwide television market. Moderated by Workshops Film Program Director, Mimi Edmunds, the panel includes Louise Rosen, a media executive with over 25 years experience in the [...]
Silverdocs officially begins today with a screening of the new Lebron James doc, More then a Game (after last night, shouldn't this film be about Kobe?). Besides being the biggest and best programmed documentary film festival in the US, Silverdocs also boasts more panels, workshops and other industry events then just about any other other [...]
If you're a visitor of this blog you probably already know how much we love everyone involved with Wicked Delicate. Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis are two of the hardest working folks in the biz, and chances are you've seen King Corn or The Greening of Southie by now. But there's another reason why we [...]
Good friend and fellow doc programmer, Jon Courtney has managed to scoop up one of the most anticipated docs of the year thus far. FOOD, INC. will be playing at the SPACE GALLERY in Portland, ME for one night only as part of its FOOD & FARM Series that kicks off this Thursday and continues [...]
Aside from having the sickest posters around, the Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFB) continues to bring some serious titles to nearly every corner of Boston. Now in its 7th year the festival continues to provide a wonderful outlet for documentary filmmakers. This year will be no exception. Adam Roffman has once again delivered a [...]
Big ups to Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis for their 2008 Peabody Award. Their film, King Corn continues to garner serious attention two years after completion. For all aspiring filmmakers out there...the path they've forged is a serious model to study and learn from, and for those of you wondering what the Peabody is, its [...]
Last week P.O.V. Executive Director, Simon Kilmurry announced the 2009 lineup for the renowned PBS documentary series. The diverse and award winning slew of films will surely satisfy the hunger of all nonfiction fans. Among the award-winning films and festival favorites we had to mention the addition of two of CIFF 08 favorites, Eric Daniel [...]
Here are a few more documentary films premiering next week at SXSW in Texas. Unfortunately, most of the SX Global films only screen once at the fest. Films below come from the SX Global and Lone Star State Categories. Over the Hills and Far Away (missed this one at True / False and have regretted [...]
As promised, more info on some films that will be premiering at SXSW next week that we are VERY excited about catching. Films below come from the Feature Documentary Showcase where our good friends Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly will be premiering their film, THE WAY WE GET BY. All films are up for some [...]
Waking up this morning to new snow and more cold weather confirmed my readiness to head to the Lone Star State for SXSW. Besides dozens of films, musical acts and friends I'm looking to see, 80 degree weather is also a perk that tops on my list. Trying to see everything is going to be [...]
Check out these great little messages from CIFF alums Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis. Their film King Corn made you think, these will make you laugh! Great stuff and lets all hope there's more in the works. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRicUInkYQM] [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYk4o_flKPk]
More of the award wining, Oscar nominated 2009 documentary film THE GARDEN? Well you got it. Oscilloscope Pictures just negotiated a deal with Scott Kennedy and his film. The company, founded by Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys will have the film out in theatres this spring and on dvd this summer. Here's what the [...]
One of the hippest and best programmed documentary film festivals just unleashed their 09 Program (last Tuesday actually). And once again the folks over at True / False don't disappoint. They've managed to secure several films fresh from Sundance and last years IDFA, as well as a slew of other very enticing pieces of nonfiction [...]
With all that's happened this week in Washington D.C. Official Oscar Nominations may have gone under the radar for some. But at 8:38 ET Forest Whitaker and the Academy announced their top picks for the 2009 Academy Awards. Chances are whatever brief bit you hear or see on television will only talk about Brad Pitt [...]
Premiering at Sundance this week, Eric Daniel Metzgar's new film is attracting quite a bit of attention in Park City and online. Already acquired by HBO, it could be because at this point with two acclaimed works under his belt, Metzgars work is highly anticipated. As a filmmaker he continues to push the boundaries of [...]
As the year winds down, critics ramp up their "best of the year" film lists. This can be one of the most outrageously frustrating times of year for anyone dedicated to independent filmmaking. Year after year some of the best films get overlooked by critics and journalists alike who decide that Hollywood blockbusters are STILL [...]
Big up's to CIFF alum Eric Metzgar (CIFF '06 - Chances of the World Changing / CIFF '08 - Life.Support.Music.) for his acceptance to the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Eric's films are both truly beautiful and groundbreaking and we look forward to screening his latest work next Fall. Here's the films description direct from Sundance... [...]
On December 1st, the 2009 nominees for the CINEMA EYE HONORS Awards were announced and we're happy to say that several CIFF '08 films made the cut! Created last year in response to the abysmal Oscar nominations for documentary film by Indiepix and a whose who from the independent documentary community, including blogger extraordinaire, AJ [...]
Check out this sweet review here for The Way We Get By. We were lucky enough to hold the very first work-in-progress screening as our official Opening Night Screening at CIFF '08. The review is from the Bostonist and was written after the films second screening as part of the Rough Cut Screening Series that [...]
Yes folks, it's that time of year again. Whether you love 'em or hate 'em we have now officially entered the 2009 Oscar Season. The documentary shortlist came out yesterday, and despite a few surprises the list seems to be a pretty solid representation of this years achievements in nonfiction filmmaking. Former SXSW programmer and [...]
It's official, our good friends and documentary aficionado's at Shadow Distribution have signed on to theatrically release Under Our Skin starting in March of '09. In case you don't know, Shadow Distribution is a small film distribution company located in Waterville, Maine, dedicated to releasing unusual, specialized films. The company is run by exhibitors, the [...]
Welcome to the official Camden International Film Festival blog. Here you can keep up with all things documentary, discuss themes and issues from former CIFF alums or just rant about how you're going to fill that void in your heart now that CIFF 08 has passed. You can also check here for info about off-season [...]