Camden International Film Festival and newportFILM collaborate on virtual documentary summer screening series

Camden, Maine [April 28, 2020]​ –

The Camden International Film Festival and newportFILM have recently announced their partnership on a new virtual documentary screening and conversation series to begin in May and continue monthly through summer 2020. The curated series will include a number of new and soon-to-be-released titles from award-winning and emerging directors. Each month, audiences will have access to a curated film online, followed by an opportunity to participate in a conversation with the director and other special guests. The conversation each month will be moderated by leading film critics and industry professionals.

The series will kick off with the acclaimed Sundance title, ​Spaceship Earth,​ directed and produced by award-winning filmmaker, Matt Wolf. The film is the true, stranger-than-fiction, adventure of eight visionaries who in 1991 spent two years quarantined inside of a self-engineered replica of Earth’s ecosystem called BIOSPHERE 2. The experiment was a worldwide phenomenon, chronicling daily existence in the face of life threatening ecological disaster and a growing criticism that it was nothing more than a cult. The bizarre story is both a cautionary tale and a hopeful lesson of how a small group of dreamers can potentially reimagine a new world.

Spaceship Earth​ is scheduled to be released by NEON (whose recent releases include Parasite​, ​Apollo 11​ and ​Three Identical Strangers)​ on May 8th through a new, innovative virtual theatrical strategy. From May 8th through May 13th, 50% of the box office proceeds from tickets purchased on either CIFF or newportFILM’s websites will directly support these nonprofit organizations. Ticket purchases will also include access to the online discussion with the filmmaker and other guests on May 13th. The conversation will be moderated by Variety’s Executive Editor for Film & Media, Brent Lang.

“​During these unique times in film exhibition, collaborations between organizations who believe in building community through storytelling will be paramount,” said Ben Fowlie, Executive and Artistic Director of the Points North Institute and Founder of CIFF. “To that end, we could not think of a better partner to collaborate with, or a better film to share with our collective audiences. newportFILM understands the value of film as a collective experience and Spaceship Earth​ opens the doors to possibilities as we reimagine what our world could look like post quarantine.”

“We have always been inspired by Camden’s documentary program and by the industry stronghold Points North Institute” said Andrea van Beuren, co-founder and Artistic Director of newportFILM. “When COVD-19 hit and we started to think about how to reshape our own events, we wanted to consider how collaboration with another documentary festival might work. Camden came to mind immediately because of the alignment in our programming and audiences.”

Additional titles for the summer will be announced shortly. For more information on the screening, schedule or how to buy tickets online, visit ​www.pointsnorthinstitute.org​ or www.newportFILM.com​. In addition to this new series, newportFILM and the Camden International Film Festival are actively planning and programming their summer and fall schedules.

newportFILM was established in 2010 and is currently in its 10th year of programming year-round documentary film screening events.

The Camden International Film Festival was established in 2005, and will celebrate its 16th edition this October. The festival is a program of the Points North Institute, a year-round media arts organization dedicated to discovering and nurturing the next generation of non-fiction storytellers. Each year the organization supports over 65 filmmakers through several retreats, residencies, fellowships and meetings.

Given the uncertainties around public gatherings, both CIFF and newportFILM will be making announcements in June regarding the way in which this year’s festival and upcoming screenings will be presented.

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About the Points North Institute:

Established in 2016, the Points North Institute is a launching pad for the next generation of nonfiction storytellers. Building on the success of the Camden International Film Festival, which is now entering its 15th season, the Points North Institute’s mission is to bring together a unique, interdisciplinary community of filmmakers, artists, journalists, industry leaders and local audiences, forming a creative hub on the coast of Maine where new stories and talent are discovered, collaborations are born, and the future of nonfiction media is shaped. Programs include the annual Camden International Film Festival and Points North Forum, as well as a year-round calendar​ ​of artist development initiatives that nurture the careers of diverse nonfiction storytellers and help them develop a stronger artistic voice.

Founded in 2005 and recognized as one of the top documentary film festivals in the world, the Camden International Film Festival (CIFF) brings the finest non-fiction cinema to the coast of Maine, showcasing nearly 80 documentary films from around the globe each fall. Running concurrently with CIFF, the Points North Forum provides filmmakers and media artists with opportunities for professional development and creative inspiration. Past industry participants include representatives from HBO, A&E, BBC,CNN, Discovery, PBS, Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Tribeca Film Institute, Sundance Institute, Vimeo and Kickstarter.

The 2020 Camden International Film Festival and Points North Forum will take place October 1 – 4 in Camden, Rockport and Rockland, Maine. For more information please visit our website at http://www.pointsnorthinstitute.org​.

About newportFILM:

newportFILM is a year-round, non-profit documentary film series in Newport, Rhode Island that inspires, educates and entertains by presenting current and impactful documentaries that build community and propel change. newportFILM’s most popular program is the Outdoors summer series, which brings the film experience outdoors to Aquidneck Island’s scenic open-air spaces. Thriving nature preserves, sprawling ocean-front lawns, elegant mansion gardens, public parks and working farms are just a sampling of the picturesque venues used. Each film screening includes a post-film discussion with filmmakers and members of industry press including representatives from Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, IndieWire and Vanity Fair.

newportFILM is supported by year-round sponsors WIMCO Villas, The Park South Hotel NYC, Kirby Perkins Construction, Lexington Partners and Triton Insurance. newportFILM Outdoors is presented by Lila Delman Real Estate, Rhode Island’s Exclusive Affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, and supported by 41 North. newportFILM receives grant support from 11th Hour Racing, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and Rhode Island State Council for the Humanities. For more information on newportFILM, visit newportFILM.com.