CAMDEN & OWLS HEAD—Cinematic escape in the outdoors on cool September evenings is on the docket for The Maine Outdoor Film Festival, an international festival of adventure, conservation, and the arts. The annual festival is making its tour up to and through the Midcoast on 9/2 and 9/11 this year.

Out of 150 films, 66 short films were chosen for the various programs, which will be screened all over Maine in the coming weeks. Standout films in the eight-film Camden program according to MOFF director Nick Callanan include a heartwarming tale of a pet turtle called “Snowy.”

“You couldn’t have more of an outdoor film with this one,” he said. “The film is about an indoor turtle that has been instructed by the veterinarian to spend more time outside. It’s a character study of the family that raises the turtle.”

“The Long Game” is another compelling five-minute short about a man’s journey to recovery through the Maine wilderness.

“This is an inspirational story about a dude who took a bad wipeout and ended up having one of the most refreshing perspectives on the world,” said Callanan. “To see someone who took responsibility for his own outlook on life and became a model for others was really inspiring.”

“Free As Can Be” is the longest piece in the program at 31 minutes. 

“What we see with that one is a young man, who, unlike a lot of people of that age, is a student of history,” he said. “He sought out one of his rock-climbing heroes and kept asking the older man to be his mentor until the guy relented. The young man ended up helping the older man achieve his life’s goal of climbing El Capitan. It’s one of those buddy films that show persistent positivity.”

One of the best films in the Owls Head program according to Callahan is “Understory- A Journey Into The Tongass.”

“It’s the longest piece in the program and probably my favorite story in the festival this year,” he said. “It’s the story of a woman, a fisherman, who refurbished a sailboat and invited two of her badass female friends, a painter and a biologist, to sail with her to the Tongass National Forest in Alaska. They sailed around the Prince of Wales Island and examined the clear-cutting that was happening and then exposed what a sham it was. It’s a combination of drama, animation, a conservation story, and adventure.”

“All of the Maine stories are really strong,” he said. “It’s a great era for film-making in Maine right now; there’s so much talent.”

For more information about MOFF and where other programs are screening in Maine visit: maineoutdoorfilmfestival.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com