WATERVILLE -Auburn filmmaker and performing artist Leland Faulkner will premiere a new documentary on the life of his mentor, Tony Montanaro, July 16 and 20, at the Maine International Film Festival.

Titled “Theatre & Inspiration,” the film was developed over a period of two years and was made in partnership with Richard Searls and Huey.

Tony Montanaro (1927-2002) was one of the great mime artists of the 20th century, and created an amazing legacy and life in Maine. “Theatre & Inspiration” celebrates his life and contributions to the world of theater as well as the joy he brought to audiences across America and Europe.

In the film, rare archival footage of Montanaro is interwoven with interviews and performances.

Featured in these scenes are Montanaro’s wife and performing partner, Karen Montanaro, and legendary mime Marcel Marceau.

In 1956, Montanaro traveled to Paris to study with Marceau and Marceau’s teacher, Etienne Decroux. After performing and teaching around the world, Montanaro journeyed to another Paris – South Paris, Maine. There, in 1972, he established the Celebration Barn Theater, a mecca for performers who came from around the world to study with this man who was redefining mime and theater. Out of Maine, and specifically from Celebration Barn, generations of mimes, storyteller and actors, guided by Montanaro’s genius, have gone on to careers in television, film and theater. Puppeteers with “Sesame Street” and “The Muppet Show,” writers for “Between the Lions,” the host of “Hollywood Squares” and performers in Cirque du Soleil are just a few of the Celebration alumni seen in the film.

In 2004, a total of 38 performers, all past students, came together for a series of tribute concerts in a fun-filled homage to their teacher.

“Theatre & Inspiration” shows this master’s ability to reach beyond the footlights and into the hearts of audience members. It is the legacy of Tony Montanaro, a master of mime who influenced numerous artists in American theater.