WATERVILLE—If you’re one of those people who longs for fall in the midst of summer, the Maine International Film Festival has you covered. Now in full swing this week (July 7 to 16), MIFF has a special category for “Mostly-Maine Horror” shorts.

Coming up Thursday, July 13, at the Waterville Opera House for a matinee at 4 p.m., as well as Saturday, July 1,5 for a 9 p.m. screening at the Maine Film Center are four spooky, moody, fictional narratives.

While several of the stories involve the sinister side of Breton and Scandinavian folklore, several stories plumb personal family tragedies for inspiration. One hits very close to home—filmed on location in Stephen King's dorm room at the University of Maine.

Let’s take a look:

The DoubleWalker

(21 minutes)

An aimless 20-something returns to her childhood home to find closure over a family tragedy, and instead discovers she may have inherited a sinister curse in this film shot entirely in Sedgwick, Maine, and inspired by Breton folklore.

According to the crowdfunding campaign indigogo set up by filmmakers to finance the film: “On the surface, ‘The DoubleWalker’ is a psychological thriller that follows one family’s tragedy...With the feature, it's our intention to slowly and organically build relationships with more Indigenous filmmakers, actors, and artists, on our journey to completion, especially the Penobscot people. They've been protecting this land (known today as Maine) for over 11,000 years. They are the true stewards. It's long overdue that the film industry shines light on Indigenous cultures both past and present, while making concerted efforts to hire Indigenous people in front of and behind the camera. That is our big, big dream for ‘The DoubleWalker’: to tell a compelling story while using our privilege to open as many doors for others as possible.”  FMI: indiegogo.com

The Huldra

(13 minutes)

I Know What You Need

(45 minutes)

Based on the short story from Stephen King's 1978 Night Shift collection, I Know What You Need is an after-school special that dissolves into terror. It's a love story, but a Stephen King love story, so things aren't always what they seem. 

According to L.A.-based director/screenwriter Julia Marchese in an indiegogo campaign story, she participated in Stephen King's Dollar Baby Program which allows the rights of certain of his stories to be bought for one dollar. The contract states that the rights are good for one year, and the resulting film must be 45 minutes or under, plus the film must be non-profit, non-broadcast - which means the film cannot be sold, but it can be shown at film festivals and in private screenings. Marchese acquired the rights to turn the short story, “I Know What You Need” (from 1978’s book “Night Shift”) into a short film. She filmed in the exact locations mentioned in the book. King requests that all finished Dollar Baby films be sent to him to view and the film will premiere at the Maine International Film Festival. FMI: indiegogo.com

Nash

(12 minutes)

Nine-year-old Nash is determined to find the monster that killed his mother; his father George is equally determined to stop him. 

Director Tim Warren, based in Miami, is behind the film, “Nash,” which has played around the world in competition festivals including Foyle, Florida Film Festival, USA Film Festival, and Calgary Underground. According to Warren’s bio, “...he inhabits the dichotomy between the ochre dawn and solemn dusk...”

To learn more about Maine Film Festival’s films and programs visit: https://miff.org/

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com