Pennell Park

Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Rain date: Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Films begin at: 7:45PM, so be sure to come a bit early to get a spot
Location: Pennell Park, Henry Pennell Municipal Complex, 24 Main Street, Gray, ME
Admission: Tickets $10. Purchase tickets here.

Program Notes: The film program will last about two hours, including a 10-minute intermission.
Please bring your own chair and blanket for comfort and safety

Locally Supported By:

Screening Program*:

RODEO ON ICE | 5.5 minutes | by Lindsey s Hagen | from: United States | Maine PremiereShort synopsis: Lifelong equestrian Britta Nancarrow seeks to progress as a professional competitive skijorer. Join along as she trains with Skier Mike King and Snowboarder Sandra Hillen, taking their on-snow skills to the next level at their very first competition.
TOGETHER AGAIN | 11.4 minutes | by Caity Grant | from: Maine | Short synopsis: Together Again is the story of a mother and daughter who continually choose joy in the face of grief, exhaustion, and uncertainty. After her daughter survives a nearly fatal traumatic brain injury, Rachael, inspired by a chance encounter with Maine Adaptive, and against all odds, teaches herself and her daughter to ski. Now, over 20 years since the accident, skiing has become a shared language and lifelong connection for the family. Through skiing, Rachael and Alex find community, purpose, and a calling in helping others claim joy and independence.
MOUNTAIN BIKING THROUGH SACRED LAND | 5.9 minutes | by Rob Holmes | from: United States | World PremiereShort synopsis: This story shares the journey of the local community in developing sustainable tourism through mountain biking trails along the sacred Batea Mahuida volcano and the magical Araucaria trees, renowned for this part of the world. It is a powerful example of Indigenous community tourism, preserving cultural heritage, conserving its natural beauty and land, and generating economic opportunities in a remote part of Chile.
CHASING LIONS | 22.75 minutes | by Eric Braker, Cameron Mellin, Stephen Catalano | from: United States | Short synopsis: The hunt to save the America’s most elusive predator. With fascinating and rugged characters, to up-close encounters with one of the most feared and elusive predators of the West, “Chasing Lions” is a film that puts the audience in the action, tracking and collaring mountain lions in one of the last great American wilderness areas. A story of passion, sacrifice, duty and dedication.
ASTRONAUT IN THE OCEAN | 11.2 minutes | by Keith Malloy | from: United States | Short synopsis: Bodyboarding takes a pioneering spirit and a willingness to put yourself in harm’s way. Unlike surfing, there are no fans and no money. But for Shane Ackerman, it’s what makes him feel most free. And while Shane works in the mines as a crane operator in order to afford bodyboarding, he makes sure his work-life balance involves more living than working.
GAULEY GUIDE | 8.8 minutes | by Logan Bockrath | from: United States | New England Premiere | Short synopsis: The Upper Gauley River is legendary throughout the whitewater world and the words “I’m an Upper Gauley Guide” give you instant street cred.The path to becoming a Gauley Guide is not quick or easy. It takes years of flips, swims, early mornings, late nights, and guide ejections to get to where smooth lines through class V rapids is the norm.Gauley Guide follows Michael Anderson as he works to become an Upper Gauley Guide!
ISLYCKAN | 4.75 minutes | by Anne Niskala | from: Finland | New England Premiere | Short synopsis: My passion is Nordic Skating. In the 2023-2024 season I skated 10000 km with my friend. In the film I tell you about my season and why nordic skating is so important to me.
RESTORING THE HEADWATERS | 15.2 minutes | by Tom Attwater | from: New Hampshire | New England Premiere | Short synopsis: Restoring the Headwaters follows the story of wildlife biologists and stream ecologists as they take on the urgent challenge of repairing a stream headcut in the fragile sage-steppe ecosystem of the Big Hole Valley in Montana. What begins as an eroding scar in the landscape becomes a threat to drain wetlands, degrade critical sage-grouse habitat and disrupt water flowing downstream. Through collaboration, grit, and innovative restoration, this short documentary reveals how working lands and wildlife can thrive together and why protecting water at its source is essential for the resilience of rivers, communities, and all ecosystems downstream.
THE FIRST TRAVERSE | 7.2 minutes | by Chris Shane | from: New Hampshire | Short synopsis: The First Traverse is a short film reimagining the first female traverse of the Presidential mountain range in winter. It stars renowned New England environmentalist, writer, and mountaineer, Laura Waterman, and recounts her epic trek—what she saw, heard, and felt—along those 19 miles and 8,000 feet of New Hampshire granite and snow. Through interviews with Waterman, now in her ’80s, and present-day visuals recreating her traverse, The First Traverse pays homage to Laura’s work and efforts in exploring and protecting the White Mountains of New Hampshire.