International Maritime Film Festival: A Watershed Moment

“A Watershed Moment” was awarded an Honorable Mention at the 2023 International Maritime Film Festival! Come see it as one of six films from around the world featured in this year’s Festival.

The Festival

Main Street Bucksport and World Ocean Observatory are pleased to announce the return of the International Maritime Film Festival. This will be the festival’s 7th year. IMFF is an annual juried contest of films celebrating the heritage, spirit of adventure, and ingenuity of boats and waterborne pursuits. It is the premier event for maritime-themed filmmaking.

The festival will take place on Saturday, September 30, 2023, at the Alamo Theatre in historic downtown Bucksport, Maine.

Sessions are 9:30 am, 2:30 pm, and 6:30 pm.

Tickets are $10.00 per session or all 3 sessions for $25.00

Screenings of six films from around the world will be shown at the historic Alamo Theatre in downtown Bucksport. During our scheduled intermissions, festival-goers will be able to explore downtown Bucksport and its eateries, shops, and a scenic waterfront walk on the Penobscot Bay with views of Fort Knox and the Penobscot Narrows Bridge.

“A Watershed Moment”

“A Watershed Moment” is a short film about people, fish, and the water that connects them—and what it takes to keep that connection alive and strong. The film was produced by Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries in partnership with Maine Coast Heritage Trust.

The 45-minute short film tells the inspiring story of a diverse group of partners who came together over five years to restore fish passage throughout the entire Bagaduce River Watershed on the Blue Hill peninsula in Maine.

Three coastal Maine communities, numerous nonprofits, fishermen, school children, engineering and construction companies, and state and federal management agencies worked together to restore historic fish passage on their rivers and  steward the historic alewife runs in their communities.

Rooted in collaboration, this story acts as a beacon of hope for other communities involved in fish passage restoration and community-driven stewardship.

Awards

“A Watershed Moment” won the Conservation Award at the 2022 Maine Outdoor Film Festival.

MCHT Senior Project Manager Ciona Ulbrich, who appears in the film, was awarded the 2022 Dr. Nancy Foster Habitat Award and recognized as an Outstanding Habitat Champion by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and  American Fisheries Society.

The national award distinguishes Ciona for demonstrating exceptional achievement and dedication to habitat conservation and for bringing together countless partners, including landowners, local communities, and conservation groups, to restore fish passage to waterways in coastal Maine.

Watch the trailer:

Read more: Why alewives matter to MCHT.