FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Connie Pacillo
Phone: 207.712.6543
Email: connie.pacillo@creativecontentpartners.com
PORTLAND, Maine (July 24, 2013) – Seven experts drawn from a wide cross section of outdoor aficionados and filmmaking professionals have been selected as the jury for the 2013 Maine Outdoor Film Festival (MOFF). The event will take place August 24 at one of Maine’s most pristine wilderness areas, The Forks, Maine.
“We are extremely fortunate and incredibly psyched to have such a talented panel of judges for this year’s film festival,” said Nick Callanan, partner at No Umbrella Media, LLC, and MOFF co-founder, “They will have their work cut out for them as the film submissions are quite spectacular.”
The jury members are:
Tom Gerencer
A Waterville, Maine native, Gerencer is a three-time winner of the Gauley River Videoboater’s Challenge and the National Paddling Film Festival. His short videos include: “Exploring the Boat Midget Phenomenon,” “Wet Dream Result Trailer,” “National Sucking at Kayaking Team Trials,” “Ode to the Club Boater” and “Hat on, Jacket Off.” His latest work is the full-length film “Foamboater: The Movie.”
Ryan Brod
Brod is from Smithfield, Maine and co-produced “Hardwater,” a 2012 Maine ice-fishing documentary featured on MPBN and selected for entry by six film festivals on the East Coast. He’s a registered Maine fishing guide, fly-tying enthusiast and tarpon junkie. His most recent work is the article “Big Fish Beware,” for The Drake magazine.
Kate Imp
Katherine (Kate) Imp is a lawyer, filmmaker, and former Outward Bound Instructor living in Chicago, Illinois. Intrigued by nature’s ability to transform people, Kate documented her own Appalachian Trail thru-hike in 2010. Her film, “Beauty Beneath the Dirt,” was shown at last year’s MOFF.
Carter Davidson
President of Gray Ghost Productions, Davidson is a professional photographer and an award-winning producer of TV shows and documentaries. He has ice-climbed Mount Washington, fly-fished the Rapid River, alpine ski raced for Plymouth State College and continues to row whitewater in his wooden drift boat.
Joe Christopher
A native of Brunswick, Maine, Christopher is a co-founder of MOFF. He has always had a passion for being active outside. Today, along with being president of Three Rivers Whitewater, LLC, Jump and Raft Skydiving, LLC, and Inn By the River, LLC, he is also a SCUBA diver, ski patrolperson, rafting guide and a PADI dive master. Early in 2013, Christopher expanded his outdoor adventure business internationally and now consults for the prestigious Utila Lodge, Utila, Honduras.
Jane Koopman
Koopman is a Wilderness Trip Leader and Camp Counselor at Chewonki. She has worked with the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust and trained with the National Outdoor Leadership School. She is a ski patroller at Sugarloaf and a former Bowdoin College Outing Club leader. Her interests include environmental conservation, backpacking, working with animals, sailing, snowboarding and whitewater kayaking.
Adam Swett
For over 20 years, Swett has kayaked and guided whitewater outings and is an institution among Maine’s whitewater boaters. He has witnessed the kayaking film evolution as it transitioned from grainy VHS to the clarity of HD. His favorite director is Wes Anderson.
Interested filmmakers have until August 1 to submit their work in one or more of the following categories:
•Feature (19 minutes or more)
•Short Feature (maximum length – 19 minutes)
•Short (8 minutes or less)
•Super Short (120 seconds or less)
Awards will also be given to the best work in each of the following categories: Maine Film, Film From Away, Winter Film, River Film, Trip Report/Film About a Single Adventure, Young Filmmaker (18 or under), Inspiring Athlete and World Premiere.
Since its inception, MOFF has donated a portion of its proceeds to a worthy non-profit. This year’s beneficiary is Teens to Trails, (T3) a 501c3 group that works with high school outing clubs to help teenagers appreciate outdoor activities. After the festival ends, MOFF will continue to raise funds for T3 by taking the award winning films on tour. The MOFF Selects Tour will travel throughout the year to designated Maine theaters, as well as area colleges and high school amphitheaters.
“Nick and I started MOFF because we love the outdoors and the creative process of filmmaking,” said Christopher, “What makes MOFF great is that it is the only Maine event of its kind where filmmakers dedicated to capturing outdoor adventures, can screen their films for like-minded people, under the stars in one of the most beautiful places in the world: The Forks, Maine.”
For more information about MOFF, to submit a film, purchase tickets or to find upcoming tour dates, go to: http://maineoutdoorfilm.com. To become a 2013 corporate sponsor email: dawn.doiron@crativecontentpartners.com.
###