WATERVILLE — The Maine Film Center has opened submissions for the annual Maine International Film Festival. The festival is scheduled for July 8-17, 2022, and is to be hosted at Railroad Square Cinema, the Waterville Opera House and online.

The festival was founded in Waterville in 1998. Festival organizers are planning for a full-sized event, which screens approximately 100 films over 10 days and hosts guest filmmakers and audiences from Maine and around the world. Throughout the festival, filmgoers view American independent, international, and classic cinema, including several works that might not otherwise be screened in Maine.

“MIFF has garnered a reputation for showcasing a wide range of films every year, including works by emerging and established Maine filmmakers, and the best new and restored releases of American and world cinema,” said Mike Perreault, executive director of the film center, according to a news release from Waterville Creates. “We’re honored to have a robust and dedicated fan base of film lovers who have supported us since the beginning, and we love growing our community each year with audiences and filmmakers from far and wide. We’re excited to be at work crafting our 25th anniversary festival.”

New this year, the festival introduces the Tourmaline Prizes — named for Maine’s state gem — which are two juried awards recognizing the best Maine-made films of the festival. At the closing night of the festival, a $5,000 prize will be awarded to the best feature film, and a $2,500 prize will be awarded to the best short film. To support the local filmmaking community by offering a low-cost means of entry, eligible filmmakers can receive a 50% discount on submission fees.

For more information, visit miff.org.