In The News

In a statement, the unions said that such a contract would benefit “every worker” in the industry.

“A fair contract for directors does not benefit just a select few; it uplifts every worker in the film and television industry and acknowledges the interconnected nature of our work,” said the statement issued by the WGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE and the Hollywood Basic Crafts. “We call on the AMPTP to immediately negotiate a fair agreement that addresses the Directors Guild of America’s unique priorities in good faith.”

In Lucas McNelly’s thriller feature “Up Country,” three young men set out for a hike in the Northern Maine woods. Their taciturn, clearly unimpressed guide winds up stranding them there, leading to an increasingly intense fight for survival in an environment they don’t understand – and that seemingly has it in for people “from away.”

For Waldoboro native and Damariscotta resident McNelly, this crisp and nasty indie drama is a love letter to his hometown, even if “Up Country” suggests that unwary visitors to his home turf need to watch themselves. “I’ve always had this idealized dream of continuing to make movies of this size in Midcoast and various other Maine places and straight-up premiere them in my hometown theater,” says McNelly.

A school capstone project inspired a student to dig deep into his hometown. ”It had to be a narrative, a documentary or a how-to,” said Shawn Packard, a Cinematography student at Full Sail University. “I live here, I have lived here my whole life. It has been home for me. It kind of means a lot with family and the traditions and the community that we have built here,” Packard said. As a graduating senior, he says it was important to him to leave and spread the legacy of Maine through film.

You think filmmaking is glamorous?  “It’s really hard to do everything at seven degrees,” Director Alessandro Chille said. “You’ve got people operating cameras with metal buttons and gears that are going to freeze their fingers … It was rough. We kept hopping in the car, turning the heat up between takes just so we could keep going.”

At least two of the people involved in “Father Figures” didn’t expect Hollywood palm trees and golden sunshine during the shoot. Chille lives in Auburn and actor Matt Delamater—seen recently in “The Tender Bar” directed by George Clooney—lives in Bridgton.

Kandahar brings viewers on a heart-racing journey of an operator and his interpreter in the midst of a never-ending war and the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. It’s a real-life experience suddenly lighting up the big screen but every moment was lived by the military community, including the writer behind the movie. 

Mitchell LaFortune, a Maine native, came from a long line of service. “My grandfather is a World War II veteran and served in the Pacific theater. He was one of those guys who joined before legally being able to. He was 15 or 16 and lied about his age to serve his country,” he shared. “His story was definitely a motivator for me but I also grew up watching 9/11 unfold.”