2026 MFA Launch Party & Membership Meeting
Recap & photos by Owen Parr, USM Media Studies
The 2026 MFA Launch Party took place this past Tuesday, February 11 at Mast Brewing Company in Freeport! Attendees shared their filmmaking endeavors and enjoyed a preview of what the MFA has in store for 2026 – with plenty of beer and bites to keep the ideas flowing. The event kicked off with a networking happy hour, where MFA members and filmmakers from around the state had the opportunity to mingle with like-minded creatives.
Following a welcome by MFA Co-President Geoffrey Leighton, Co-President Louise Rosen took the floor to announce MFA’s launch of its 2026 Economic Impact Study. The study, in partnership with the Maine Film Office and Department of Economic and Community Development, will be led by Ryan Wallace of Wallace Economic Advisers. Through this comprehensive study, these partners seek to understand the current Maine-based mediamaking workforce and its impact on Maine’s economy, identify opportunities to support and grow the industry in Maine, learn from policy and successes in other states/provinces, and envision future models and scenarios that would bolster the Maine filmmaking industry. All mediamakers in Maine will be prompted to complete a brief survey later this month to inform the study.
“Knowing data drives policy and decision-making, this comprehensive report will help coalesce the forces that can develop Maine’s media-making community. The community has grown significantly since our 2022 study; we look forward to the insights a new report can provide.”
Maine Film Office Director Steve Lyons then gave a presentation with updates on LD1957, An Act to Promote Film Production in Maine, which recently passed the Taxation Committee and, if passed, would greatly increase Maine’s ability to compete within the film production incentive landscape. In addition, he delivered an overview of an upcoming grant program administered by the MFO to fund Maine-made productions. More information on this program coming soon!
“What we’re trying to accomplish here in Maine is to improve the incentive for filmmakers to produce work in the state. By pushing through this legislation, we can make ourselves competitive with the rest of the industry. Ultimately, what we want to do is support the small, independent films here in Maine. I think there are a lot of opportunities in that space.”
Portland-based screenwriter and producer Desi Van Til shared her insights on the importance of state film incentives for small, independent films. Van Til’s 2015 film Tumbledown, starring Jason Sudeikis and Rebecca Hall and set in Farmington, was unable to be shot in Maine due to the state’s lack of film incentives. She emphasized the make-or-break role that incentives play in creatives being able to fulfill their vision in their ideal location, and the fiscal prudence that investors and producers must exercise in budgeting for a film. The event concluded with a Q&A with Van Til followed by more networking to round off a successful 2026 launch party.
Thank you to Louise, Steve, and Desi for presenting during the program, and to all our MFA Members and community who came out!
“Seeking investors from within Maine for a Maine-based film has been an incredibly heartening experience because you don’t have to convince anyone of the state’s uniqueness; they know it all intrinsically as a lived experience. As for trying to convince people from far away what Maine is all about: at heart, I think it’s the fervent and uncommon supportiveness of our community, and that the big small-town nature of Maine means there is a mere sixth of a degree between any two people. Our motto may be Dirigo – ‘I lead’ – but I think our ethos is: ‘How can I help?’”
