WATERVILLE — The Maine International Film Festival in Waterville will kick off its 18th year with the Maine premiere of “Tumbledown,” a feature-length film set in western Maine.

Portland-based filmmakers Desi Van Til (a Mt. Blue High School alumna) and Sean Mewshaw debuted their film at the Tribeca Film Festival in April and now look forward to presenting it to a Maine audience. The opening night screening of “Tumbledown” will be held at 6:30 p.m., Friday, July 10 at the Waterville Opera House.

“Sean and I are thrilled that “Tumbledown” will have its Maine premiere at the Maine International Film Festival. This script was written in a spirit of celebration of the community of western Maine that raised me, and after years of striving to make this hometown movie, we cannot wait to share it with the people who inspired it,” said Van Til.

In “Tumbledown,” a young widow (Rebecca Hall), falls for a brash New York writer (Jason Sudeikis) who barrels into her rural Maine town investigating the death of her husband, folk-music hero Hunter Miles (voiced by Damien Jurado). Hannah is scraping her life back together in a cabin at the foot of Tumbledown mountain, attempting to seal every shred of her husband’s life into a biography. When Andrew, an academic who has a different take on Hunter’s life and death, shows up looking for the truth of this mysterious musician, the pair clash. But gradually they find themselves collaborating to craft Hunter’s story, and beginning to write the next chapter of their lives together. The film also stars Blythe Danner, Griffin Dunne, Joe Manganiello and Diana Agron.

While the full line-up of this year’s MIFF has yet to be announced, organizers say that Tumbledown is one of several feature films made in or about Maine. “Inspired by Maine and created by young, Maine-based filmmakers, this is a smart, warm, funny film that our audience is going to love,” said Festival Director Shannon Haines. “We really couldn’t ask for more in an opening night film.”

Having received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike following its Tribeca premiere,  “Tumbledown” was purchased for distribution by Starz and will have nationwide release on Valentine’s Day 2016.

Tickets for the opening night screening of “Tumbledown” are $12 and are available online at www.miff.org.