Come to Maine Studio Works, 170 Anderson St., Portland on Friday, April 26 for this 11th annual celebration of Earth Day. Doors open at Maine Studio Works at 6 p.m. and films begin at 7 p.m. ending at approximately 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $15/advance at https://maineoutdoorfilmfestival.com/earth-day-2024 and $18 at the door. Group discounted tickets available.

Come early and enjoy a local beer and learn how Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT,) the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust, and other organizations are teaming up to protect important natural resources, secure public access, and support healthy human and natural communities in Maine’s High Peaks region. The NFCT is a 740-mile trail that follows historic waterways from Old Forge, New York, to Fort Kent, Maine.

Food for purchase available through On A Roll Food Truck. All proceeds from beer and wine sales (ID required) from this event will go to benefit the High Peaks Initiative. 

Film program is subject to change, but here’s what’s planned for screening: 

“Paddling Across the Adirondacks” - 19.3 minutes – by Ryan Symancek – Short synopsis: Cam and Mike set out at midnight on a massive paddling adventure—canoeing the 90-mile Adirondack Canoe Classic route in a calendar day. The Adirondack Canoe Classic is a three-day race across the Adirondack Park in northern New York that’s been raced each September since 1983. When the 2020 event was canceled due to Covid-19, Cam and Mike decided it was time to take on the event’s less official offshoot — the Cannonball 90, sometimes called the Outlaw 90, where paddlers attempt the full 90-mile route in a day. This is the story of that day.

“White River Land Collaborative - Seed For The Future” - 14.85 minutes – by Lisa Zimble of Vermont – Short synopsis: A story about the White River Land Collaborative — a women-led vision for community-based collaborative farming in Tunbridge, Vermont.

”Life Downstream” - 1.5 minutes – by Nolan Sawatsky – Short synopsis: Drawn to its whitewater, a group of kayakers never thought to ask about the Wabigoon’s history. And then, one day, they did. Life Downstream offers a powerful look at the intersection of recreation and livelihood and the reminder that to truly know a river requires questions most paddlers never think to ask.

“Driving Sweep”– 9.42 minutes – by Greg Cairns – from MT – Short synopsis: Few river guides ever get the chance to drive Idaho’s Iconic sweep boat. Driving Sweep follows Katie Veteto as she learns how to “drive sweep” down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. She’s learned the rapids and the river, but can she stand on a 4,000lbs raft and drive it safely down steep rocky rapids?

“Wild and Still”  – 13.35 minutes – by hugo clouzeau – from France – Short synopsis: Wild And Still, a short film with kayaking.

“Light Beam For Helena” - 9.9 minutes – by Kirk Horton, Executive Producer: Ashley Peel – Short synopsis: Light Beams for Helena is a stunning visual representation of Helena Bourdillon’s mental health journey that takes viewers to the depths of her depression and how freediving set her free.

“The Understory” - 15.5 minutes – by Hannah Irvine – from Maine – Short synopsis: The Understory refers to the younger generation of trees that live below the forest canopy, growing in the bursts of light. Set on an off-grid homestead in Temple, Maine, this film follows an ecological immersion program for young adults. With guidance from Director Chris Knapp, participants learn homesteading and hand crafting skills, and reflect on their motivations to live in a conscious and connected way with the living world around them.

“No Other Lake” - 40 minutes – by Jordan Rowell, Duane Peterson III – from Vermont – Short synopsis: Motivated by a desire to better understand his home watershed, Jordan Rowell embarks on a two week kayaking trip along the 120-mile length of Lake Champlain, stopping to talk to a wide range of characters about the future of their shared basin. Set 50 years after the passage of the Clean Water Act, No Other Lake is both a celebration of the unique beauty of Lake Champlain and a confrontation with its greatest challenges.