The Maine Film Office makes its soft sell to attendees of the creative economy conference.

LEWISTON – Standing before a row of posters for movies – all made in Maine – Lea Girardin handed out bags of freshly popped popcorn and samples of root beer.

And she watched people’s faces.

All day Thursday, they sauntered into the makeshift cinema in a corner of the Bates Mill.

They sat and munched, rested from walking tours and intense, jargon-filled conversations about “win-win situations” and “empowering” the state’s artists and businesspeople.

Here, they relaxed as they absorbed the soft sell from the Maine Film Office.

Sitting in nylon folding chairs, audiences watched antique images about boat building. And they saw a compilation of scenes from some feature films made here.

Clips included moments from the 1950s classics “Carousel” and “Peyton Place.” They were joined by more recent films such as Mel Gibson’s 1993 directorial debut, “Man Without a Face,” and 1999’s “Message in a Bottle,” which starred Kevin Costner and Paul Newman.

In part, Girardin’s aim was to remind people of the industry that’s been coming here for decades. But she wanted people to know that more could be done.

More movies could be made in Maine.

The agency is a hybrid offshoot of both the Maine Office of Tourism and the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development. It has only two employees: Girardin, the director, and Greg Gadberry, the assistant director.

Mostly, the Maine Film Office’s work consists of helping movie companies navigate local government requirements for filming. Gadberry and Girardin attend selectmen and town council meetings and help people acquire needed permits.

When a movie is being made, the effects ripple through an economy, said Gadberry. It’s true even for a small budget project.

“Right now, we’re seeing lots of micro-budget movies, meaning those that cost less than $250,000.”

Casts and crews need food and places to sleep. Often, construction work is needed.

Every project that comes helps a Mainer, he said.

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