Author Archives: Joel Crabtree

Longtime actor takes a stab at directing with Damnationland debut

Jenny Anastasoff has been working in the film industry for roughly 20 years now. She’s been an actor, production assistant, an extra countless times, and ultimately a strong advocate for the Maine film scene. But, now there’s a new title … Continue reading

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Maine filmmaker hopes to leave audiences ‘Tickled’ with latest horror flick

Corey Norman, a Portland filmmaker who found success earlier this year with his first feature “The Hanover House,” is returning to the director’s chair for a short titled “Tickle.” The film, which just reached its funding goal on Kickstarter, will … Continue reading

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Glenn Close receives Maine Film Fest’s Mid-Life Achievement Award

For renowned actress Glenn Close, who was honored for her contributions to independent cinema at the Waterville Opera House on Sunday with the Maine International Film Festival’s Mid-Life Achievement Award, bringing “Albert Nobbs” to the screen was a labor of love. … Continue reading

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Pittsfield-native filmmaker reaches funding goal for sci-fi short ‘Frontier’

Last we checked in with Stephen Parkhurst, the Pittsfield-native filmmaker currently living in Astoria, NY, he had just completed his first feature film “Roommate Wanted,” a low-budget oddball thriller hybrid filmed in Bangor. As “Roommate Wanted” found funding success through Kickstarter, … Continue reading

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Maine-raised filmmaker, NYU grad tackles new project

In recent years, television networks have begun to push the boundaries of the medium, not only in the quality and depth of stories and characters, but also in the gritty and provocative presentation found in shows such as HBO’s “True … Continue reading

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Maine International Film Festival: Glenn Close to receive Mid-Life Achievement, ‘Boyhood’ to open festival

The Maine International Film Festival recently announced that it will present actress-writer-director Glenn Close with its annual Mid-Life Achievement Award on Sunday, July 13, after a screening of Close’s film “Albert Nobbs.” Throughout her career, Close has earned three Emmy … Continue reading

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Maine-made ‘How to Kill a Zombie’ premieres May 9 in Saco

There are some people in the world who are just natural-born storytellers. Take Bill McLean, for example, a Monmouth-based actor and screenwriter who has plenty of tales to tell. From his experiences filming with Mel Gibson and Ray Winstone in … Continue reading

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Portland filmmaker’s first feature to screen at Sanford, Emerge film festivals

Sure, pizza and marijuana may go hand-in-hand, but it’s when you add amateur detective work to the mix that things get interesting. Those are the themes of Portland-based filmmaker Jonathan Blood’s first feature film “The Water in the Bay,” scheduled … Continue reading

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Maine film ‘Hanover House’ gets what it wants (a world premiere) May 9-10

We’ve all heard the legend surrounding William Friedkin’s 1973 classic “The Exorcist,” where the production was surrounded by so many unusual deaths that many came to believe the film’s set was cursed. Same goes for “The Poltergeist” and “The Omen,” … Continue reading

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Movie Review: ‘Escape Plan’

In theaters “Escape Plan,” written by Miles Chapman (story and screenplay) and Jason Keller (screenplay), directed by Mikael Hafstrom, 115 minutes, rated R. It’s 2013, and somehow there’s a movie currently in theaters starring both Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. … Continue reading

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