As with many other graduating seniors at this time of year, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the question of“what comes next?” What am I going to do next, and where? As filmmaking has quickly become one of my biggest passions, two locations naturally came to mind: New York and Los Angeles, easily the two biggest hubs of narrative storytelling in the United States and probably the world.

This, however, got me thinking my good old home state of Maine. Do I really need to scurry off to New York as soon as I get a diploma in hand? Can you get your start here? What really is there for young filmmakers in Maine?

To at least answer that last question, here are 5 things the Maine film scene has to offer!

1. The Maine International Film Festival

Now, I, unfortunately, haven’t attended this film festival yet, but I’ve heard nothing but good things. Every summer, filmmakers from Maine and around the world descend on Waterville to showcase the best that the Indie world has to offer. Over 10 days, “MIFF” screens 100 Indie films across three venues. This festival is a great way for young filmmakers to absorb cutting-edge cinema in a setting very conducive to creative growth. Plus, for 10 days you’ve got dozens of rising filmmakers packed into theaters and parties across Waterville, so network like crazy! Check out more info at their website.

2. The Camden International Film Festival

This is an event that is very near and dear to my heart. In fact, this is the very event that made me want to get into filmmaking almost four years ago. Every September, Camden and Rockland come alive with the buzz of documentary filmmakers from around the world as they display their craft in gorgeous venues like the Camden Opera House and the Strand Theater in Rockland. Over four days, the best upcoming documentaries are shown to the world, sometimes for the first time, and are often accompanied by Q&A sessions with the filmmakers. You can take in extraordinary documentaries, and network with some of the best talent in the industry including the likes of legendary documentarian Alex Gibney.

Throughout the week, the hosts, the Points North Institute, put on a handful of incredibly informative workshops and master classes with industry veterans. Finally, each day ends with an unforgettable party where you can, again, network like crazy! In between rounds of karaoke in a reclaimed sawmill and photo shoots in a vintage campervan, you could bump into the director or cinematographer of the film you just watched and chat them up.

There’s so much more to this festival and the Points North Institute, but you can find that all out at their website.

3. The Maine Short Film Festival

OK, I know, I know. This is the third festival in the list, but hear me out. Festivals are invaluable to filmmakers of any caliber, and this entry has a pretty great twist. Founded in 2016, this festival is brand new to the film scene. It's niche? Maine Filmmakers! That’s right, this festival caters specifically to films made in Maine or by Maine filmmakers. It’s a great way to see what your fellow Mainers are making, while coming together in beautiful, artsy downtown Rockland. This, too, could be your first step up! Not batting at the “International Film Festival” level yet? Throw your hat in the ring for this fest and see what happens! As always, here’s more info.

4. Maine Media Workshops & College

Art in Maine has a way of centering itself around Rockland, and with good reason. Maine Media Workshops is no different. As Maine’s only real ‘film school’ they offer year-round programming and workshops for filmmakers just getting their feet wet or industry veterans looking to freshen up. They also offer a few academic masters programs as well. All that being said, their biggest offering is the talent they bring in to teach. Maine Media Workshops will recruit some top industry talent to come up and teach everything from cinematography to directing to drone operation. So, again: Network. Like. Crazy!

Here is their website as well.

5. The Maine Film Association

Finally, these are the guys that make so much of Maine’s growth in the film world possible. They sponsor all kinds of events across Maine, including at least half of the entries on this list. They work on programming for interested kids to get them into filmmaking and even host a handful of their own workshops on a variety of filmmaking topics. Membership helps you network and attend these workshops, but more importantly, it supports the work the MFA does to promote filmmaking around the state. As always, here’s their website.

Huh, you know, maybe I’ll stay in Maine just a little bit longer…