Maine-made productions take center stage at MIFF29
WATERVILLE, Maine—The 29th Maine International Film Festival (MIFF) closed Sunday, July 19, in Waterville, Maine with the annual presentation of the juried Tourmaline Prizes, recognizing the best Maine-made feature-length and short film productions of the year. The jury this year selected Arabella Oz’s feature film Mallory’s Ghost and the short drama Cloudbound Eagle, directed by Hal Nathan
Filmed in and around Portland, Mallory’s Ghost traces the intricacies, jealousies, and obsessions of a couple’s relationship when the specter of an ex-girlfriend comes back to haunt them.
“Winning the Tourmaline Award is so incredibly special for me and the whole Mallory’s Ghost team,” said Oz, who wrote, directed, and starred in the Tourmaline-winning feature. “Maine is a beloved character in our film. From the saturated summer hues and dramatic snowy blizzards, to the magical light at any time of day—this film only exists in relation to the beauty of this place and the extremely talented people here who helped make it. Receiving this recognition from the Maine International Film Festival feels like a meaningful homecoming, and we’re so proud to be a small part of Maine’s filmmaking legacy.”
From the 16 shorts in competition, the jury selected Cloudbound Eagle, citing its “awesome performances, realistic reflections on grief and acceptance, and overall excellence.” The film follows four childhood friends who return to their old boys’ camp in Maine to memorialize a lost companion.
Gavin G. Shaub and Eddy Maday, who produced, wrote, and costarred in the film, accepted the Tourmaline on behalf of the entire crew.
“In 2022, my friend Daniel Perelman passed away in a tragic jet accident, and this film is dedicated to him,” Shaub said. “Making this movie in Maine was so important to me because a month after he passed away I spent my entire summer in Maine. I spent that entire time grieving in nature and that helped me so much. I found through sharing this with people who grew up in Maine that that is a communal experience, going out into nature and processing grief. It means the world to me that people resonated with that story.”
The awards, sponsored this year by the Maine Film Office and Larry and Kim Sterrs, grant $5,000 to the best Maine-made feature-length film and $2,500 to the best Maine-made short.
Three films—In Transit and Downeast Hardcore: Stories from The Kave, in addition to Mallory’s Ghost—contested the feature category, and a total of 16 short films competed for the best short Tourmaline. Over the course of the festival, each film was screened twice, with audiences for the made-in-Maine programs totaling over a thousand.
This year’s jury consisted of Julie Bradet, executive and artistic director of Québec’s Festival du Film de Knowlton; Julia Dunlavey, founder and publisher of The Maine Playweek; and Trésor Senga, founder and CEO of the Mashariki African Film Festival in Kigali, Rwanda.
Throughout the festival, audiences were also able to vote for their favorite films, selecting Child of Dust for the Audience Favorite Award, with The Swallows of Kabul and Still Ohio (making its world premiere) ranking as close runners-up.
Before presenting the awards, in a heartfelt thanks to the thousands who attended MIFF this year, festival director Mike Perreault said, “At a time when humanity is seemingly not always valued or even considered, the people who come together to support and experience this festival demonstrate the importance and the power of the arts. I hope your experience in some way has helped you gain an understanding of other lives and other stories, and that you’ve built connections that you’ll carry with you.”
The full MIFF29 program included 112 films across 10 days, including Maine-made productions, international movies from more than 40 countries, rediscoveries of beloved classics, world premieres, and a selection of films by MIFF Achievement Award honorees Christine Vachon, Alan Rudolph, and Mike Kaplan. Audiences and filmmakers alike can now mark their calendars for July 9–18, 2027 when MIFF returns to Waterville for its 30th anniversary.
Learn more and stay up to date at miff.org.
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About the Maine Film Center
The Maine Film Center (MFC) brings world-class independent film to Maine through the only Sundance Art House Project cinema in the state; the annual Maine International Film Festival, a 10- day celebration that attracts filmmakers and film lovers from around the world; and by delivering impactful, accessible exhibitions and education programs. MFC is a division of Waterville Creates. For more information visit MaineFilmCenter.org.
About MIFF
Founded in 1998, the Maine International Film Festival (MIFF) is a project of the Maine Film Center. The 10 days of the festival showcase around 100 films, representing the best of American independent and international cinema, and spotlight some of Maine and New England’s most exciting and innovative filmmakers. Learn more at miff.org.