CAMDEN, Maine and LOS ANGELES, California — TV5MONDE USA and the Camden International Film Festival (CIFF) announce the return of the TV5MONDE Maine Heritage Film Grant for 2022.

The TV5MONDE Maine Heritage Film Grant, launched for the first time last year, supports the production of a deserving film shot in Maine and honored by having its world premiere at the CIFF in 2022. The 2021 grant-winning film, Le Carrefour (The Intersection), premiered this past week as a part of CIFF 2021 at the Strand Theatre in Rockland. Le Carrefour was co-directed by first-time grant recipients Jessamine Irwin and Daniel Quintanilla.  

TV5MONDE USA is a French-language network with a strong presence in Maine, carried on basic cable throughout the state via the Spectrum system on Channel 71 and in Bangor on Channel 64. CIFF has enjoyed a close relationship with the documentary filmmaking community and, in turn, has long been supported by the media industry.

In 2022, the TV5MONDE Maine Heritage Film Grant will again provide a Maine filmmaker with a $15,000 prize, allowing them to create a film right in their local community. Submissions will open on November 1, 2021 and remain open through December 31, 2021. The winning recipient will be announced by January 31, 2022.  Preference will be given to projects highlighting Francophone culture in Maine and/or French-speaking populations – whether from communities who have existed in Maine for hundreds of years or recent immigrant communities, but all Maine heritage-focused projects will be considered.  

Maine culture is a product of many, a multi-faceted kaleidoscope made up of voices from across the globe who have found their way to the state’s rocky coasts, sandy beaches, rolling hills, and majestic mountains, according to a news release. One such voice has been heard in Maine for centuries – a voice speaking the French language – and that voice has endured. 

Joining these French voices is a new wave of French-speaking immigrants, who came to Maine from countries around the world, including Burundi, Rwanda, Congo, and Angola. People speaking the French language at home continue to be a part of the Maine cultural experience to this day. 

About the Points North Institute

​Established in 2016, the Points North Institute is the launching pad for the next generation of nonfiction storytellers. Building on the success of the Camden International Film Festival, the Points North Institute programs include a year-round calendar of artist development initiatives that nurture the careers of diverse nonfiction storytellers and help them develop a stronger artistic voice. 

CIFF was founded in 2005 and is now recognized as one of the top documentary film festivals in the world. The 2020 Camden International Film Festival will take place October 1 - 12. Major support provided by SHOWTIME® Documentary Films, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Ford Foundation, with additional support from CNN Films, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, XTR, Doha Debates, MSNBC Films, National Geographic Documentary Films, LEF Foundation, Participant Media,  A&E IndieFilms, ESPN, Netflix, and Kickstarter.

For more information visit: ​http://pointsnorthinstitute.org/

About TV5MONDE

TV5MONDE is the global French language entertainment network, broadcasting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without commercial interruptions. TV5MONDE USA is a premium pay-tv channel reaching 1.5 million viewers in the U.S.  American viewers enjoy a wealth of high quality French language programming, subtitled in English, including up to 300 classic, recent and never-before-seen in the U.S. French language films, around-the-clock newscasts live from Paris, the latest series and TV dramas, premium documentaries, cultural programs and international sports coverage.

In addition to TV5MONDE USA, the company offers four premium theme services in the USA, including TV5MONDE Cinema On Demand, TV5MONDE Style and TiVi5MONDE, 24/7 children's network.

To find channel information and more programming about TV5MONDE USA and its other services, please visit:

www.tv5mondeusa.com

www.tv5mondecinemausa.com

www.tivi5mondeusa.com