CASTINE — Following the success of the 2025 event, the Castine Film Festival returns to the Delano Theatre on the campus of Maine Maritime Academy on Saturday, Sept. 12. The common thread of this year’s festival program: Stories of connection, community and JOY. The day is designed for attendees to delight in coming together to experience the universal nature of storytelling.
The festival jury received hundreds of submissions for consideration and conducted outreach to filmmakers creating stories of specific interest to the area. The final selection of eight films is divided into four programs, with short breaks between each program. The event opens with the latest documentary from the filmmakers of the 2025 festival crowd favorite. Other films include the beautiful and visceral story of a trans-Atlantic voyage by three women in a 50-year-old catamaran; a film from this year’s collection of Academy Award nominees; and stories about the importance of water, why JFK still captures our imagination, and the power of perception. The festival concludes with the hilarious Maine-set Canoe Dig It?
Tickets and details are available on the festival website, www.CastineFilmFestival.com. The All Day Festival Pass is $20. The All Day Festival Pass + Lunch is $30. The first program begins at 11 a.m. and the final film is expected to conclude at 5:30 p.m.. The team thanks the festival host and lead sponsor, Maine Maritime Academy. All proceeds of the festival benefit the Castine Arts Association.
FESTIVAL WINNERS
• Best Documentary: A Town Like Diss. Blending real recollection with fantastical re-creation, the film unfolds like a folk tale told by many voices at once. (Award: $750)
• Best Short: A Friend of Dorothy. The Oscar-nominated British film tells the unlikely story of a transformative friendship between a widow living a solitary routine and a teenager who happens to hit his soccer ball into her yard. (Award: $750)
• Best Animated: Something Greater Than You. A tale of feuding raccoons who receive an unexpected guest, from Maine filmmaker Gordon LePage. (Award: $250)
• Best Mini Short: Bubble Gum. Set entirely inside a New York City subway car, the film asks you to pause and consider our own sense of perception and the possibility of life when we are open to a positive view. (Award: $250) • Best Student Film, college: The Eyes Of All People. A film that explores the question, “Why are we still talking about JFK?”, weaving rare archival footage with exclusive interviews of prominent figures. (Award: $250) • Best Student Film, under 18: Paani. A young filmmaker brings us a story of resilience, community, and hope, through the story of water for a community. (Award: $250)
AUDIENCE AWARD
All films, including the festival’s two features, Women & the Wind and Canoe Dig It?, are eligible for the 2026 Audience Award, voted on by the attendees. The filmmaker with the highest total votes will receive an award of $500.