About this Event
Maine is not just the gathering place for CIFF, but a living, breathing landscape shaped by the storytellers who tend to its memories. Across this year’s selection of locally made short films, stewardship comes alive as a daily practice. From tending to a wooden boat and caring for farm animals to forging Muslim foodways and preserving Passamaquoddy traditions, these stories explore what it means to inherit and sustain this place—and its histories—with intention.
Films
Steward Ship
dir. Luke Kaneb • 8 min.
A young man new to the water tends a wooden boat through every Maine season, learning from an old boatbuilder how a coast is kept.
Sweetgrass
dir. Mike Sockabasin, Emily Karlik • 14 min.
Guided by a tribal historian, a Passamaquoddy elder honors her mother as she introduces the cultural practice of picking sweetgrass to her granddaughter.
Oxbow
dir. Greg Kohs • 23 mins.
From Maine's quiet trout streams to Tokyo's neon currents, brewer Tim Adams traces the oxbows of his journey, where life's longest detours become beautiful confluences.
For a Moment the Clouds Parted and I Felt the Sun
dir. Jared Lank • 8 min.
A visceral and intimate reflection on a Mi'kmaq family's multigenerational experience of assimilation, told through a collage of archival footage and sonic exploration.
Fish Film
dir. Emma Baiada • 10 min.
Fish Film dives into the impact of salmon aquaculture on Downeast Maine's wild fish, and is a clarion call to help restore Maine's local watersheds.
Claws for Concern
dir. Julia Forsyth • 10 min.
As an invasive species threatens Maine's iconic ecosystems, a waterman, a chef, a science educator—and plenty of advertisers—share their plans to fight back.
May the Water Not Freeze
dir. Zahira Chaudhry • 16 min.
A farming cooperative in Western Maine prepares for their first winter while stewarding community with other Black farmers & cultivating Muslim foodways.
Children & Animals
dir. Walker Kalan • 12 min.
A 12-year old farmer brings his favorite goat to compete at a country fair in Maine – and experiences an existential awakening.
Event venue & nearby stays
SPACE, 538 Congress St, Portland, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.