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On The Waterfront – 2023 MCFF Double Feature

The 2023 MCFF is pleased to present a double feature of two New England short films, riveting tales about the importance of water in ordinary lives – Island Lobsterman and The River is our Relative

Join us following the screenings for a talkback with “Island Lobsterman” filmmaker, Andrew Lyman-Clarke (Scarsdale, NY) 

Total Running Time: 1 hour, 21 minutes

Island Lobsterman

Directed by
Andrew Lyman-Clarke (In Attendance)

Island Lobsterman is the story of Malcolm Fernald, who, with his father Dan, lobsters the waters in the Acadia region of Maine. This film is about the unique lifestyle they lead and the challenges they face. The island they live on, Little Cranberry, is only a mile an a half long and a mile wide, but has been the home to generations of Fernalds, all of whom were lobster fishermen. In recent years they have enjoyed record catches as climate change has driven lobsters northwards up the East Coast, but they’ve started to see a decline from the same force as waters become too warm. They discuss this and other threats, and how despite these, they see their fishery as very sustainable for years to come. They describe why, starting with the ethics and practices of lobstermen like them with whom they share the waters and cooperate.

Running Time: 23 minutes

The River is our Relative

Directed by
Dawn Neptune Adams, Meredith DeFrancesco, Kathy Paul, Joanna Weaver

“This River is Our Relative” celebrates Penobscot Nation’s intrinsic kinship connection to and tireless environmental advocacy of the Penobscot River. The story is told through the voices of 24 Penobscot people, who share their experience of historical, physical, and spiritual connection to place; of cultural identity and survival. Their narratives are interwoven with a traditional Wabanaki story about how The People and Glouskap defeated a greedy monster frog, Aklebemu, who was hoarding all the water. This story parallels both historical and present day environmental concerns, and is also the orgin story of the Penobscot family Clans. “You can point to any aspect of our culture from a riverine perspective,” says Penobscot Cultural and Historic Preservation Dept. Director James E. Francis, Sr. This documentary shows the Penobscot Nation’s dedication to environmental justice and their efforts to minimize pollution, demonstrates the importance of respecting inherent Tribal sovereignty, and celebrates Penobscot peoples’ ongoing river-based cultural traditions. As people who have lived in reciprocity with the Penobscot River for over 10,000 years, there is nobody more committed than the Penobscot people to protecting the health of this watershed. “It is our responsibility to care for that River, for all of us,” explains Penobscot activist and filmmaker Dawn Neptune Adams. Despite many obstacles including ongoing territorial theft and a rapidly increasing number of pollutants, the Penobscot Nation and its people continue to demonstrate their commitment to protecting the health of their beloved Relative, the Penobscot River.  “I always come back to the water because that’s where I belong. It’s my Relative,” explains Penobscot Elder Kathy Paul, “and I want to stay and support that Relative.”

Running Time: 58 minutes

 

Director Biography – Andrew Lyman-Clarke (Island Lobsterman)
Andrew Lyman-Clarke has been developing his skills as a filmmaker for over twenty years, and working professionally in New York for the last fifteen. Science and nature pervade Lyman-Clarke’s work as a filmmaker. One of his specialties is in the mind and consciousness– he edited two feature documentaries about alternative psychiatry which played in festivals and conferences around the world. He also explored the consciousness of a dog in The Earth Is Smells, currently on the festival circuit and a Selection with Merit of the Nature Without Borders Film Festival. His thriller films Follow the Leader and the award-winning feature Night Sweats both had nature/science themes of wilderness survival and disease epidemics, respectively. His work has appeared on MTV, PBS, Discovery, and coming soon to a theater near you. Andrew currently works as an Video Producer at JPMorgan Chase, where he made the short Autism at Work: A Global Program, and many other videos for the brand.

Special thanks to

Reny’s, Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, Kind Eider’s Pub, J. Edward Knight Insurance, Colby & Gale

                       

for helping us bring the MidCoast Film Fest to Lincoln Theater!

 

All ticket sales are final – Nonrefundable and Nonexchangeable.

All tickets are available for purchase at the door beginning 30 minutes before showtime, or in advance* through our online box office.

*Advance tickets or confirmation emails may be printed for admission OR you may check in with your email address at the theater box office when you arrive.