LEWISTON — The 2015 Maine Short Film Festival is coming to Guthries Independent Theater at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15. Doors open at 7 p.m. It is presented by Craig Saddlemire and Colin Kelley of Maine Microcinema and sponsored by the Maine Film & Video Association. The event is free to the public and attendees can order food and drinks from Guthries up to 30 minutes before the screening begins. Donations for the artists are welcome.

Featuring nine short fiction and non-fiction films from eight Maine filmmakers, the 90-minute festival competition was juried by three of Maine’s top film reviewers: Daniel Kany, art critic with the Portland Press Herald, Ben Fowlie, founder and director of the Camden International Film Festival, and Louise Rosen, artistic and executive director of the Maine Jewish Film Festival.

The shorts are all new releases from 2013 and 2014 and made by several of Maine’s top filmmakers. It was first released in the summer of 2014 at the KahBang Film & Art Festival. The titles and filmmakers include:

“Liz” documents the profound personal journey for survival of a young woman. Homeless at 13, Liz lived a tragic life of despair, raging behavior and a brutal fight to survive on the streets. With raw grit and extraordinary conviction, she surrendered the struggle and found peace when she turned her fight to the boxing ring.

“In These Times” encourages all to support their local food pantry to help end hunger.

“The Schmee of Havilah Hawkins” offers a glimpse of the soul of a boat and the soul of her captain—both icons of trailing-edge technology.

“ARRT!” tells the story of a group of artists and their commitment to creating a low-tech solution to issue-based communication.

“Deux Ex Machina” is the story of a man building an incredibly beautiful, yet incredibly dangerous machine.

“A Story of Opportunities” reveals Ugandans who walk hours to reach basic life needs. Living in isolated communities, individuals are physically stuck in a world of poverty. But there is hope for a new future one where individuals can carry themselves and their families needs and dreams, on the back of a bicycle.

“Farm” is the simple story of a wandering spirit enjoying her time in nature. Combining precise sound effects with a lyrical voiceover, this non-fiction short is a calm retreat where the viewer can slow down and appreciate life on a farm.

“Handful of Romance” is about two men who cause their sock puppets to make out creating awkward tension between them.

“Ursula” is a film about a young girl wandering alone in the forest, When she meets a mysterious sunbather adrift on a lake, the stage is set for a rural, pedestrian road movie in which nothing turns out to be quite what it seems. “Ursula” glows with the warmth of summer, and the magic and confusion of childhood.

Confirmed venues on the tour include:

Jan. 15, at 7:30 p.m. Guthries, Lewiston

Jan. 29, at 7 p.m. Stonington Opera House

Feb. 4, at 7:30 p.m. Space Gallery, Portland

March 18, 7 p.m. Railroad Square Cinema, Waterville

March 29, at 3 p.m. The Strand, Rockland

April 9, at 7 p.m. The Alamo, Bucksport

April 10, at 7 p.m. Hammond Hall, Winter Harbor

April 17, at 7:30 p.m. Denmark Arts Center

For more information, email kanelewisproductions@gmail.com or craig@roundpointmovies.org, or call 207-359-2320 or 207-344-3028.

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