The Maine Pod Week

Check out The Maine Pod Week’s interview with Nick Callanan , director of the Maine Outdoor Film Festival ! The Maine Outdoor Film Festival (MOFF) is an international film festival featuring outdoor adventure and environmental documentary films about the beauty, vastness, interactivity and volatility of our planet; and how its power influences human experience. Connect with the Maine Outdoor Film...

Nate came back from China and Julia went to Boston—what are these crazy kids gonna do next?? probably, talk about: * petty school rivalries * movies for mom and movies for dad * upcoming festival and drive-in plans (and the Maine Playweek publications in which you can find them :)) * canine critics to name but a few things—enjoy! check out showtimes.themaineplayweek.com and let us know what you th...

Join Charlie and Julia for a recap conversation about the Bates Film Festival in Lewiston and Portland this past week. Stay tuned for the next festival at batesfilmfestival.com . Follow all our Maine film festival coverage this summer at themaineplayweek.com . Find movie showtimes at themaineplayweek.com/showtimes. If you like our work, consider making a one-time contribution or becoming a paid su...

Nate interviewed his fellow Batesies about their film fest! Tune in for a great conversation about: - How film can inspire social change - Special guests with Maine connections - All-time favorites that kick-started the students’ passion for film Every two years Jon Cavallero and a group of students organize this film festival not just for the Bates community, but for everyone. All the events are...

We got to go to the movies together!!! Much to discuss about people making movies in Maine this time!!! not only that, but we also get to talk about: * Julia Dunlavey, Journalist Extraordinaire (Julia’s interviews with Sam Dunning can be found here and here ) * the trouble with kayaks * Julia Dunlavey, Cultural Weathervane * our brand new showtimes page !!!! * Julia Dunlavey, Time Optimizer Enjoy!...

hi again :) enjoying our new regular output? you BETTER be!!! it’s good to talk to your friends about the stuff you see in movies that activates your lizard brain. it’s not ACTUALLY a scary episode, we had a lot of fun talking about: * new offerings! * fun shirts * Nate’s theater major (he only gets to use it so often, okay??) * scary technology * scary vacuums * the canine-cinematic conundrum enj...

Brunswick-born director Sam Dunning is back home to tour his canoeing mockumentary Canoe Dig It? all around Maine, and he stopped by the Pod Week to chat about: * bullying your friends into seeing his movie * DIY film distribution is just emails and spreadsheets * what makes the film work with a theatrical audience * favorite Letterboxd reviews See CANOE DIG IT? at your local cinema this month: Ap...

the oscars are over and DONE with! how was that for you? was it everything you dreamed of? was train dreams snubbed? this week we’ll talk about: * Conan * delicious puns * going to the movies * not going to the movies * trailers * the trouble with spidered men Get yourself a tee! and as always, follow @themaineplayweek on Instagram instead! Get full access to The Maine Playweek at themaineplayweek...

When Nate is away the mice will play! Or at least stumble through a solo recording and editing session. In this episode, Julia talks about a few films that got Academy Award nominations but that were short-lived or not-at-all-lived in theaters. And good news— some of these have special screenings coming up around town! Listen for more about: * when distributors prioritize certain films over others...

Happy 2026! how many movies did you see last year?that’s it?? cmon now. Maybe your resolution should be to go to the movies more. In this episode, we resolved to talk about: * playing catch up with the theatrical releases * Rockland based fashion trends * James Cameron’s obsessions * Tubi * sodium intake for those with a strong sense of free will * putting your phone away in the goddamn theater *...

Julia and Nate are back at it! and we’ve got some great new music to reel you in and some HARD FACTS AND DATA to make you think about: * Josh O’Connor * Austin Powers date nights * where you can see Train Dreams in theaters (nowhere right now I’m sorry everyone) * Josh O’Connor * our movie survey results (take it here ) * IMAX expansionism * Josh O’Connor Follow @themaineplayweek on Instagram ! Ge...

This week, Julia and Nate recorded remote for the first time! wow! hope it still sounds good please don’t be mad if it doesn’t xoxoxox :) instead of focusing on audio quality, focus instead on our chat about: * making the leap from radio to television * Richard Linklater’s busy schedule * the good folks at the Eveningstar * popcorn 101 * the joy of watching a movie at home * how good we are at kno...

Hello everyone we’ve got another hot ep for you. Somehow Nate managed to post within the same week of recording—what a concept! get those ears primed for blisteringly good discussions of: * battles, one after another * crossing state lines * how do you pronounce Haim? * messed up theater screens * region-locked media Follow @themaineplayweek on Instagram ! Get full access to The Maine Playweek at...

In preparation for the screening of Videoheaven at SPACE Gallery, we had the pleasure to chat with the film’s director Alex Ross Perry and editor Clyde Folley. We talk video stores, curation, the importance of horror films for video rental stores, and much more. Videoheaven is playing on October 27th at SPACE Gallery at 7pm. Want to win a pair of tickets to see Videoheaven at SPACE ? Comment below...

Our very own Charlie Beck designed a T-shirt that is a love letter to Maine cinemas past and present, using newspaper ads and clippings from local Maine publications. It’s a wonderfully complex design, so we had to have him on the podcast to talk about it! Take a closer look at the design and buy your TMPW T-shirt here -- they're comfy! The Maine Playweek: the way cinema should be. Follow us: Webs...

We sat down with Gaspard Hirschi, the director of I Am Night at Noonday , to discuss a wide variety of topics. In case you missed it, we wrote about the film prior to the festival and has stood out as one of our favorites. To check out more coverage of CIFF ‘25, check out themaineplayweek.com as well as our Instagram @themaineplayweek Get full access to The Maine Playweek at themaineplayweek.subst...

well everyone being the producer on these made my laptop explode. a month and a half and a bunch of data recovery later and I have our August 5th ep all edited. this one’s a fun one! hope you like: * being so back * film festival summaries and theatrical run predictions * old films * new films * proposals?!?!?!! Follow @themaineplayweek on Instagram ! thanks for listening xo Donate to Nate’s emoti...

We sat down with Reid Davenport, director, and Colleen Cassingham, producer, to discuss their new film Life After . We discussed the story of Elizabeth Bouvia, what it’s like to show a film in Camden, and some favorite film experiences. For more info on Life After , check out their website: www.lifeafterfilm.com Get full access to The Maine Playweek at themaineplayweek.substack.com/subscribe

We sat down with director/writer Kaitlyn Schwalje and director/cinematographer Alex Wolf Lewis to discuss their new documentary premiering at the Camden International Film Festival, Unless Something Goes Terribly Wrong . We discuss what it’s like to be fascinated by wastewater treatment plants, learning the nitty-gritty of the state you love and call home, and, of course, popcorn. Follow them on I...

We sat down with writer/director/actor Sam Dunning to discuss his film Canoe Dig It? , a mockumentary about the quirky world of freestyle canoeing. The Maine-born director shares how he gained the trust of the actual freestyle canoeing community to help authentically portray the sport, while creating a cozy, character-driven comedy that celebrates the unique oddities of Maine culture. Canoe Dig It...

Aaaand we’re back for another one! Nate is now fully in charge of production and he finally figured out how to set audio levels! We’re looking forward into the next few weeks and months of film releases and festival season in Maine. Buckle up for: * MIFF ( miff.org ) * MOFF ( moff.film ) * slammin’ summer blockbusters * Clive Owen * OUR festival picks Follow @themaineplayweek on Instagram ! Get fu...

Welcome to the third episode of The Maine Pod Week, a project of our mothership, The Maine Playweek. In this episode, Nate and Julia talk about: * seeing a movie with 40 high schoolers * the importance of booking ahead * IMAX viewing angles * how the heck can you tariff a movie? Follow @themaineplayweek on Instagram ! Get full access to The Maine Playweek at themaineplayweek.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the second episode of The Maine Pod Week, a project of our mothership, The Maine Playweek. In this episode, Nate and Julia talk about: * Introductions * TMPW mission statement (sort of?) * What the hell is a playweek? * The Portland film community loves David Lynch * A NICE INDIAN BOY (is 2025 the year of the rom-com?) * JAWS 50th anniversary!! * Physical media (Nate loves the bargain D...

Welcome to The Maine Pod Week , a podcast from The Maine Playweek. Co-hosts Nate Stephenson and Julia Dunlavey discuss Maine movie theaters, their in-theater viewing experiences, and what's worth the ticket price. What’s in this episode: - Our seating faux-pas at Falmouth Flagship Cinemas for THE BRUTALIST - An unexpected cinematic experience at a local Portland dive bar - Thoughts on THE SUBSTANC...