Ben Fowlie, opening night of The Fifth Annual Camden International Film Festival. (via Camden International Film Festival)
The Fifth Annual Camden International Film Festival is a wrap. CIFF 09 marked significant growth, nearly doubling the number of films being shown, adding the inaugural Points North Documentary Film Forum, and expanding the core festival crew from 10 people to about 25.
This year I received a promotion of sorts and took on the the job of Volunteer Coordinator. I worked with numerous people to solicit, organize and place over 40 awesome volunteers in over 10 different locations over the course of 5 days.
It was AWESOME.
It is an honor to work with my friends and CIFF Founders, Ben Fowlie and Leah Hurley, as well the rest of the CIFF crew. The residual adrenalin overflow of working to create an experience that is both valuable to our community and ridiculously fun to be a part of still has me buzzing.
Photos from the weekend can be seen hither.
And just because, a few glowing comments from the interwebs:
“This festival has a sharp young energy, strong programming, and seriously engaged audiences (so engaged that our Q&A got a bit intense – an awesome, if prickly situation.)” …more
-Donal Mosher, “October Country”
It’s hard to find a more enthusiastic CIFF supporter than AJ Shnack, whose film “Convention” opened the the Festival on Thursday night.
“But it’s truly hard to beat finding yourself in this small village on the coast of Maine, welcomed by a crew of staff and volunteers who seem to be taking a page from the old Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney days (let’s put on a show and let’s get all our friends to help out!), who clearly love docs and love their hometown.” …more
-AJ Schnack, “Convention”
Pamela Cohen, who moderated the inaugural Points North Film Documentary Forum lauded the program as well:
“It was informal and it was real and it was pertinent. But more than that, it was fun. I’m one of those who think the panel presentation format should be put out to pasture. I have come to loathe the words “paradigm shift” and other phrases of that ilk that have nothing to do with a filmmaker’s daily existence. There was an engaged, smart local audience and we let them into the conversation.” …more
-Pamela Cohen, PFunk Productions
