The inaugural International Maritime Film Festival is pleased to announce the weekend schedule for the upcoming festival. Tickets are currently on sale at maritimefilmfestival.com. The festival will take place Sept. 30 through Oct. 2 at the Alamo Theatre 85 Main Street, Bucksport. The opening reception will be held on Sept. 30 at 4 p.m. in the theater lobby.

Friday, Sept. 30: “Into The Gyre,” runner up in the feature film category at 5:30 p.m. “Into the Gyre” documents a groundbreaking expedition to study the location, extent, and effect of plastic pollution in the North Atlantic Gyre. Thirty-four volunteer researchers, scientists, and sailors participated in this five-week-long journey in a 135-foot tall ship to the Sargasso Sea, east of Bermuda. 44 minutes. A Q&A with the director, Scott Elliot at 6:15 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 1

9 a.m. followed by “Raw Faith” at 9:30 a.m. In this incredibly rich story of one family's relationship with a mission, a ship, and each other, we meet the McKaysand their ship, RawFaith - the 88-foot home-built galleon they construct on the shores of the Pleasant River in Down East Maine. The construction project begins as a family-focused endeavor, but it ultimately tests the family’s unity and challenges their individual and collective notions of commitment and obligations to themselves and each other. 1 hr 37 minutes. Q&A with director Gregory Roscoe at 11:15 a.m.

11:45 a.m. “The Long Haul” - Grand Prize winner in short film category. The film follows one woman as she heads to sea in a fishing boat. In the eerie night or under the still-bright sun, it's not always clear where or when this is. It appears as a dream removed from the particulars of the woman's circumstances and so in her melancholy narration she might not just be describing her own life alone, but also ours. 10 minutes

 “The Weekend Sailor” screens at 1:30. This film is the grand prize winner of the feature film category. In 1973, the United Kingdom organized the first head to head sailing race around the world, inviting expert crews from Europe and other countries against each other. The Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race, which today is called the Volvo Ocean Race, took the sport to its limits. The British Royal Navy purchased six yachts to train 800 men and chose the best four 10-man crews for each of the four legs of the race. An inexperienced Mexican man, Ramon Carlin, also signed up; he was in his fifties, and had a crew that included his wife, son, family, and friends. Although he was a weekend sailor, and although he became the laughing stock of the race and faced racism from the British press, he beat every competing nation. 1 hour, 14 minutes.

At 3 p.m., it's “Looking For a Hero.” The producer of this film states, “My father always said he wasn't a hero. But a newspaper article tucked away in a family album told a different story. I set out to uncover the details of a rescue he was involved in almost 60 years ago. Who did he rescue? Where are they now?” This short documentary brings some of the details to light in an attempt to find the true story surrounding the rescuers and the teenage crew that was almost taken away too soon on an August day in 1958. 20 minutes Q&A follows at 3:30 p.m. with director Russ Lane.

At 4:15 p.m.: “In Our Wake” - From lobster pots and four-masted schooners to whitewater canoeing and seine fishing, step back in time to 1901 and travel through the decades as we explore Maine’s nautical past. Through home movies, travelogues, silents, and talkies we look at Maine’s boats, fresh waters, harbors, and people. These moving-image clips are focused on Maine’s history and multi-dimensional relationship with the waters in and around the State—a relationship ranging from working boa tbuilders and lobstermen to tourists water skiing on our lakes, and yachtsmen racing off the coast of Mount Desert Island. 1 hour, 10 minutes

The Spotlight Series Selection plays at 5:45 p.m.“The Restorer's Journey,” is a cinematic portrait of the man who took on a monumental task to change the course of wooden boat history. Jon Wilson’s passion for preserving wooden boats has inspired generations of boat builders, boat owners, and boat dreamers. When he launched the first issue of WoodenBoat magazine in 1974, he had no idea how the effect would ripple out into the hearts and minds of hundreds of thousands of readers on every continent. Self-taught and self-made—guided by mentors who “appeared” just as he needed them—Jon Wilson will leave an indelible mark on the boating world and beyond. Q&A with Jon Wilson at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, October 2

“Vixen's Voyage,” the runner up in short film category, screens at 9 a.m. Eleven years ago, Bruce and Tiffany Halabisky decided to abandon the conventional life and set sail around the world in a small wooden boat. They had two children along the way. “Vixen's Voyage” is a glimpse into their life at sea, and of the places they visited. 14 minutes

The Spotlight Series Selection, “Vanishing Sail,” 9:30 a.m. There is a small group of islands in the Lesser Antilles where the traditions of boatbuilding were once crucial to the survival of local communities skimming a living from the sea. Alwyn Enoe is one of the last boatbuilders practicing a trade passed down the generations from Scottish settlers who arrived in Carriacou in the 18th century. Approaching his 70s and with no more orders coming in, he decided to build one last sailing sloops in his area, with the hope that his sons would continue the trade. The film follows Alwyn’s progress and despair over three years—from hauling trees out of the forest to a final traditional launching ceremony on the bayside. 1 hour 28 minutes

The Audience Favorite vote and festival wrap up begins at 11 a.m.

For complete descriptions of the films, visit http://maritimefilmfestival.com.