Feb 4, 2020
About the episode:
Ben Fowlie is the executive director of Points North Institute, and the founder of the Camden International Film Festival. He is a co-founder and co-programmer of The DocYard, an award-winning screening series in Cambridge, Massachusetts and has served on juries at the Silverdocs Film Festival, Hot Docs Festival, Dokufest Kosovo, IFFBoston and IFP’s Gotham Awards. Ben is currently the nominee’s chair for the Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking, and a member of their industry advisory board and nominating committee. He serves on the Maine Film Commission and is an adjunct instructor at Unity College’s Center for Environmental Arts and Humanities.
In the episode:
1:54 – When Stephen King’s film Thinner was shot in Camden, Ben had the chance to gain an understanding of what it takes to make a film from the crew members.
3:25 – Ben explains that while attending Emerson College, he was not as interested in moving out to Los Angeles and working in Hollywood because he had more of an interest in documentaries and a sense of community, which lead him to create the Camden International Film Festival.
8:28 – Ben shares that you need to have a deep understanding of what you are trying to do before trying to attract an audience or create a community.
13:11 – Ben talks about how the Camden International Film Festival has grown by focusing on the experience.
18:03 – Nancy and Ben talk about how Maine inspires creativity.
21:19 – Ben shares the story of how the Camden International Film Festival built their network as a form of promotion for the festival.
29:58 – Ben talks about Recovery in Maine, which is part of Points North Impact, which brings national conversations to communities with a Maine perspective.
38:36 – Ben shares how to connect with him or learn more about Points North Institute and the Camden International Film Festival.
Quote:
“It really comes down to a tangible experience you can have with somebody. I do believe that the social platforms that exist are great to share information, but to really engage with somebody, it has to be experiential. It has to be an interaction and cinema is magic in that sense.” – Ben Fowlie, Founder and Executive & Artistic Director at Points North Institute
Links:
Camden International Film Festival: www.camdenfilmfest.org
Points North Institute: https://pointsnorthinstitute.org/
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Looking to connect:
Email: ben@pointsnorthinstitute.org