Ready for a close-up: Maine movie-making steps into larger role
File photo
City Theater, at 205 Main St. in Biddeford, is the site of the Vacationland Film Festival, premiering Aug. 8-11. The theater originally opened as an opera house in 1860 and was rebuilt after a fire in 1896.
More Information
Hollywood is 3,000 miles from Maine, but seems to be getting a little closer.
The film and television industry is generating business across the state. And there are signs more is to come.
Consider the slew of Maine film festivals and special shows attracting cinephiles these days.
Among the events is a newcomer — the Vacationland Film Festival, which makes its premiere Aug. 8-11 at City Theater in Biddeford.
Another recent addition is the Maine Silent Film Festival. After debuting last year, the festival runs Wednesday and Thursday at the Alamo Theatre in Bucksport. Also at the Alamo, the International Maritime Film Festival is scheduled for Sept. 26-28.
Then there are Maine movie celebrations that have been drawing crowds, including visitors to the state, for decades.
- The 27th annual Maine International Film Festival wrapped up in Waterville on Sunday, after a 10-day marathon that featured 100 independent and international shows, 22 of which were made at least partly in Maine.
- The Maine Outdoor Film Festival, now in its 12th year, starts Thursday and goes through Sunday in Portland.
- The 20th edition of the Camden International Film Festival runs from Sept. 12 to Sep. 15 in Camden and Rockland.
- And the Maine Jewish Film Festival, which began in 1998, takes place in early November in Portland.
Besides the festivals, other types of movie screenings are generating buzz. For example, more than 100 members of the National Black Brewers Association gathered in Portland last weekend for a symposium and the Maine premiere of "One Pint at a Time," an award-winning documentary about the Black experience in the craft beer industry.
Another documentary addresses the topic of climate change in an unusual way.
Jim Merkel, maker of "Saving Walden's World," is bringing his film to festivals and a series of public screenings in the U.S. and Canada — without the use of fossil-fuel transportation. Instead, he relies on a sailboat and an electric vehicle. The movie will screen at the Maine Outdoor Film Festival and the Vacationland Film Festival, as well as five other Maine locations before Labor Day.
The director of the state-run Maine Film Office, Steve Lyons, explained the impact of such events.
“Maine film festivals showcase an industry that contributes an estimated $64 million to the state economy,” he told Mainebiz. “Film, television and other audio and video productions often hire local cast and crew, and purchase lodging, meals and equipment while on location.”
The economic picture
Lyons cited a 2022 study conducted by the Maine Film Association and University of Maine economics professor Todd Gabe.
The study showed that the Maine film and video production industry has a direct economic impact of $29.25 million in annual revenue, supports 312 full- and part-time jobs, and generates $16.1 million in direct labor income.
When you add in multiplier effects from the economic activity, the impact totals $64.3 million in annual revenue, 609 full- and part-time jobs, and $28.7 million in labor income. The analysis was based on 2019 data from 128 Maine-based businesses and freelancers that work in the industry.
Perhaps it's not surprising that Maine is a backdrop for all that movie magic.
With its picturesque landscape, the state has provided settings for feature films like "Blood and Money" (2020), "Dark Harbor" (2019) and "Shutter Island" (2010). Movies adapted from the novels of Maine native Stephen King often include scenes that take place in the Pine Tree State. And it's a location for the small screen, including the Magnolia Network's reality series "Maine Cabin Masters."
The state also offers financial incentives for producing films in Maine. The lures include wage reimbursements of up to 12% and a production tax credit of 5%.
But drawn by larger incentives in other states, filmmakers often take their work elsewhere — even when depicting Maine itself. Last year, fewer than 10 productions received the state's incentives, totaling $220,000, according to the Maine Film Office.
In 2023, Maine legislators considered a bill that would have boosted the incentives, which have been in place since 2006.
An advocacy group, Picture Maine, said on its website: "The current incentives offered by Maine do not do enough to recruit new film investment. Productions looking to either film in Maine and/or use Maine as the location their film is set will detour to competing states, which offer much more competitive options."
While the initial proposal stalled, the Maine Legislature and Gov. Janet Mills in March enacted a measure calling for the Department of Economic and Community Development to study the incentives. A report including possible recommendations for changing them is due by the end of the year.
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments