History

Years before we heard of the creative economy, a dedicated group of film enthusiasts revitalized a run-down section of Waterville by turning a former railroad warehouse into a unique center for film. With a huge vision, virtually no money, hard work, great passion, and some used 16 mm Army projectors, Railroad Square Cinema opened October 1978 showing a wealth of great films, past and present. Could a small mill town support such an innovation?

Delighted patrons came from Bangor, Gardiner, Farmington, Belfast and points in between reveling in the cinema’s unique programming. In 1981 to accommodate the audiences and the art and industry, a new projection booth for 35mm projection and superior sound was installed, the lobby enlarged, and a cafe created. The cinema and cafe became the place to meet with friends to see the best of world cinema and to discuss film and the larger world that film reflects.

The ’80s saw the rise of the US Independent film movement and Railroad Square became perhaps the prime Maine exhibition outlet for directors like Spike Lee, Jim Jarmusch, Steven Soderbergh and Michael Moore. And then came DVDs, multi-channel cable, satellite, computers. Audiences needed more of a prod than ever to leave their houses, making the theater exhibition even more difficult. A group of community members formed Friends of Art and Film in Central Maine, a tax- exempt foundation with the mission of enhancing the presentation of films and art. Friends engaged in a number of fundraisers, sponsored film showings, encouraged local participation, and helped ensure the survival of the cinema.

After a devastating fire in October 1994 that destroyed the theater, donation jars appeared in area businesses within hours. Fortunately Friends of Art and Film was ready to step in and help with the theater’s rebuilding. Donations of work, materials, and money (over $150,000–mostly in small bills from hundreds of community members) saw the creation of a new cinema with the multiple screening rooms necessary to exhibit the films audiences wanted to see. This new facility also came with a half million dollar mortgage.

Aware that foreign and other adventuresome films often floundered in regular runs and yet knowing audiences would love these same films if offered in the exploratory, celebratory atmosphere of a film festival, the first Maine International Film Festival was born in 1998 as a project of Friends of Art and Film. MIFF has gone on to become one of the country’s leading regional festivals, drawing audiences from around the world to central Maine in each of 11 summers. This ten day event — with screenings at the Waterville Opera House as well as at Railroad Square — has brought thousands of films and dozens of influential filmmakers to central Maine. MIFF guests have included directors including Terence Malick, Jonathan Demme and Walter Hill and actors including John Turturro, Sissy Spacek, Peter Fonda and Ed Harris. It is the generous, continued support of the Maine community that has allowed MIFF to flourish and grow

Railroad Square has been named the state’s “Best Theatre” in polls and surveys, and has been honored by the Sundance Institute as one of a small handful of theaters in the country recognized for achievement in its Art House Program. MIFF is now widely regarded as the premier film festival in northern New England, and one whose reputation has spread nationally and internationally, attracting hundreds of visitors to central Maine each summer.

We intend to take the next step in assuring the long-term viability of Railroad Square Cinema and MIFF by merging them into the Maine Film Center (MFC) in the near future. MFC would incorporate the activities of Railroad Square Cinema and MIFF as well as other local artistic projects in pursuit of its mission to enrich, educate, and entertain through film and art.