MIDCOAST — It’s the 15th anniversary of Camden International Film Festival, and the small-town festival which debuted in 2005 has morphed into more than just a venue for documentaries; it has launched into Points North Institute —“a launching pad for the next generation of nonfiction storytellers.”

This year’s theme is all about power. Who controls it. Who suffers from the imbalance of it and all of the micro stories of our humanity in the throes of it.

It’s really about how we see other people through film and how do we understand the full story,” said Samara Chadwick, Senior Programmer, Points North Institute. 

This year’s “Shorts” a historically free (and low-cost) series of short films held in multiple venues over the five-day fest all have a theme as well.

“We got so many amazing short films and as we watched them, we began to group them around certain feelings, which naturally lent itself to the metaphor of the Tarot Deck, so each block of films has its own Tarot theme,” said Chadwick.  “For example, in the Strength block, these are films all about courage. But different forms; there’s quiet courage and courage that’s intuitive, feminine as well as really dangerous situations, but they all have this quality about being calm in the face of difficulty.”

The Dirigo Short Films are particularly attuned to Maine audiences. Dirigo is Maine’s state motto meaning “I direct” or “I lead.” It’s probably no small coincidence that “I direct” pertains to all of the Maine directors who have submitted their short films to CIFF. One film screening in particular, is hyper local.  Shoulder Season, a nine-minute film by director Halle Johns, looks as though it was shot at the Rockland Rec Center (whose adult teams were previously covered by Pen Bay Pilot)  The plot: “A recreational dodgeball league in Rockland pulls community members through Maine’s drawn-out winter.”

Chadwick notes that while many of the Shorts films revolve around difficult topics, she said, “The films themselves are not difficult to watch. There’s some really gorgeous images and some really funny moments; there’s a lot of lightness, and love and joy. What documentary can do is go beyond the headlines and show you the human connection.”

“Most of the filmmakers of the Shorts will also be in attendance after each block for Q & A,” she added.

The ticketed events usually sell out fast, so people might want to get their tickets as early as possible.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com