Film Festival Fun - CIFF & Newburyport

I was super honored to screen my film, Diver (co-produced w/ Christoph Gelfand) at the Camden International Film Festival and the Newburyport Documentary Film Festival this weekend! Keeping Maine films in Maine is always super nice and CIFF, Ben Fowlie, Sean Flynn and the entire CIFF gang always do a super job with the Festival. This year was no exception!

At CIFF, I attended many of the Points North workshops, pitch sessions, and masterclasses along with so many talented filmmakers and industry folks. I attended a sweet live recording of (my favorite podcast) She Does Podcast, hosted by the amazing Elaine Sheldon (HOLLOW) and Sarah Ginsburg. Elaine and Sarah were joined by Shayla Harris (FRONTLINE), Sabaah Jordan (Co-Director, WHOSE STREETS) and Alex Hannibal (Tribeca Film Institute) to lead a roundtable conversation exploring the critically important topic of race and the media. I look forward to listening to the episode.

Some other favorites at CIFF’s Points North were workshops with industry heroes like Andrea Meditch, David Teague, and Alex Gibney. The Points North live Pitch was incredible. So were the parties and mingling. We were also lucky enough to have our underwater cinematographer Heeth Grantham on hand at our screening on Sunday as part of the DIRIGO SHORTS program at the Farnsworth in Rockland, as well as our subject (and friend!) James Sewell and members of his family! It means a lot to have our friends and people in the movie at our screenings and Q&As. Our show had an overflow crowd so CIFF added another screening for 7pm at the STRAND in Rockland!

Christoph headed to Newburyport on Saturday, while I held down the fort at Camden. We had a great screening and Q&A, and we are excited that DIVER won a Special Jury Commendation from Newburyport Documentary Film Festival! Thanks so much! We're honored. We hope to be at CIFF and Newburyport again next year!




*Some of the Q&A and post-Q&A photos from CIFF are courtesy of the talented Alexandra Morrow.