Maine International Film Festival
The Maine International Film Festival, or MIFF, is a 10-day film festival held annually in Waterville, Maine. The festival usually runs in the third week of July at Railroad Square Cinema and the Waterville Opera House, with occasional satellite venues in Bangor, Maine. Founded in 1998, the festival showcases independent and international films, with a special focus on Maine and New England themed productions. MIFF presents an eclectic selection of feature-length dramas, documentaries, shorts, and films for children, showing nearly 100 films every summer and bringing state, regional, and international visitors to Waterville. The festival offers a friendly and intimate setting for visitors and guests, and affords an opportunity for audiences to interact closely with filmmakers and VIPs.
The MIFF Midlife Achievement Award is given annually to an actor or filmmaker whose contributions to independent cinema merit recognition. Past honorees include directors Jonathan Demme, Terrence Malick, and Walter Hill, and actors Ed Harris, Peter Fonda, Lili Taylor and Sissy Spacek. Highlights of the honorees' work are incorporated into the festival programming. The festival does not give awards to individual films and performances, though an audience favorite is determined each year by a balloting process. Past favorites include George Washington (2000) and The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (2005).