22nd Maine International Film Festival
July 12–21, 2019
10 Days 100 Films miff.org
Submit your film via FilmFreeway using promo code
MMMIFF2019 for a $5 discount22nd Maine International Film Festival
July 12–21, 2019
10 Days 100 Films miff.org
Submit your film via FilmFreeway using promo code
MMMIFF2019 for a $5 discountMOVIEMAKER.COM WINTER 2019 79
FESTIVAL BEAT
ment to supporting new
and local moviemakers.
The Song of Sway Lake (starring
Rory Culkin and Elizabeth Peña
in her final performance) stood
out with its mix of drama and
nostalgia as it followed a young
man in search of a legendary
music record hidden in his
grandmother’s summer home.
Also of note was the block of in-
ternational shorts that included
the remarkable and timely
Dutch short “Tagged,” directed
by Martijn Winkler, which effec-
tively explores the destructive
depths of social media from the
POV of a smartphone.
Among MINT’s first-year
award-winners were
Human Affairs director
Charlie Birns (Best Narrative),
Sarah Kerruish and Matt Maude’s
smartphone origin story
General Magic (Best Documen-
tary), and Amrita Pradhan’s
We Were Íslands (Best Female
Director), a festival favorite. The
honor of the closing ceremony,
the MINT Spirit Award, was
bestowed upon the harrowing
doc feature American Relapse—
co-directors Pat McGee and
Adam Linkenhelt’s visceral dig
into the U.S. heroin epidemic and
the corrupt underground rehab
industry that’s sprung up around
it in Southern Florida.
As the energized crowd
migrated from the theater to a
nearby bar to toast MINT’s suc-
cess, Executive Director
Brian Murnion stood out on the
street under the marquee, sur-
veying the hard work that he and
his incredible team had brought
to fruition. He looked tired, but
happy—and ready for whatever
comes next. Pulling off your first
film festival is no small order. It
takes organization, sponsorship,
commitment and a singular driveto bend the timbers into shape.
MINT is off to an admirable
start and shows every indication
that it’ll make a name for itself,
and give Montana another great
festival to call its own.
—Greg HamiltonEVOLUTION!
MALLORCA
INTERNATIONALFILM FESTIVAL 2018
Honored acting icons share
spotlight, tapas, and red wine
with Balearian independents
at immersive European hubThe 2018 Evolution! Mallorca
International Film Festival was
an all-inclusive immersion in,
and education on, the ever-
evolving culture and love of
independent movies set amongst
the historical and architectural
beauty of a city that has
been passed through by the
Roman Empire and the Moors.
Evolution is in its blood.
Set in Palma, the lovely capital
city of Mallorca, an island in the
Balearic Sea, EMIFF is a small,
yet extremely well-organized
festival that is poised to cement
itself as a must-attend spot on
the European festival circuit.
EMIFF’s opening night gala,
held at the CaixaForum in down-
town Palma, was a lively gather-
ing of well-dressed moviemakers,
attendees, and event organizers
that got the festival started off
on solid footing. The event then
moved across the street to the
historic and breathtaking
Teatre Principal, where the
Evolution Vision Award was
given to Danish actor
Mads Mikkelsen, celebrating
him as a figure who’s inspired
audiences, bridged cultures, and
broken boundaries. Mikkelsen,
who considers Mallorca his
second home, was genuinely
touched: “It’s always pleasant to
hear nice things about yourself,MOVIEMAKER WEST COAST EDITOR-
AT-LARGE GREG HAMILTON, (L) OXFORD
FILM FESTIVAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MELANIE ADDINGTON, (C) AND
HAMMER TO NAIL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
DON LEWIS (R) PULL JURY DUTY FOR
MINT’S INAUGURAL RUN