The Maine Outdoor Film Festival Announces Key Hires Ahead of 2026 Flagship Festival
The Maine Outdoor Film Festival Announces Key Hires in Advance of 2026 Festival
MOFF will take place from July 21 to 26 in Portland
PORTLAND, Maine – The Maine Outdoor Film Festival (MOFF) is excited to announce new additions to its team ahead of its annual summer festival. These hires strengthen MOFF’s programming and community outreach efforts, underscoring its commitment to broaden perspectives through film, build relationships, and to foster change within ourselves and our communities.
The festival has also announced that its signature Flagship event: MOFF’s Flagship Festival will be held July 21 to 26, 2026, in Portland.
On the heels of its record breaking 2025 event, MOFF’s 7th annual Flagship event brings together filmmakers, outdoor enthusiasts, and art lovers to celebrate exceptional storytelling through film in Maine’s largest city.
MOFF’s 2026 Festival will include over 80 outdoor adventure, recreation and conservation films screened at venues across Portland such as the Eastern Promenade, the Portland Museum of Art, and the Salt Institute at the Maine College of Art and Design. Attendees can expect daily programming featuring MOFF’s Community Currents film and panel series, feature film screenings at 5PM, and nightly outdoor short blocks shown outside.
The Maine Outdoor Film Festival (MOFF) is also proud to announce the launch of its first-ever MOFF Pitch, a new pitch competition designed to support documentary filmmakers currently in production or post-production. The event will take place on Friday, July 24, 2026, at the Bernard Osher Foundation Auditorium at the Portland Museum of Art.
The 1st Annual MOFF Pitch connects filmmakers with notable Maine organizations seeking to align their brands with films centered on nature, outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, education, and adventure travel—creating an avenue for meaningful partnerships and providing valuable support for independent filmmakers across the state. The MOFF Pitch is proudly supported by the Maine Film Office.
Official film selections and the full festival schedule will be announced in early June.
New Team Members:
Noah Keates – Short Film Programmer
Noah is from Portland, ME, and he specializes in verite storytelling and outdoor adventure film. As a producer for Lone Wolf Media in South Portland, he has worked on all genres of docuseries from Animal Rescue to True Crime Investigation to Shipwreck Discovery. He is an avid trail runner as well and loves to spotlight individuals across the sport.
Pete Ryan – Feature Film Programmer
Pete is a lifelong Mainer passionate about conservation and accessibility in outdoor recreation. He has been able to immerse himself in these areas as Program Manager for local nonprofit Portland Wheelers, a Conservation Commissioner in the City of South Portland, and a volunteer for numerous environmental organizations. He has been especially inspired and captivated by MOFF selections celebrating human resilience (No Legs. All Heart), the pace of nature (Whitman Brook), and good people doing good things (When I’m in the Water). In what passes for free time, Pete can be found growing native plants from seed and obsessively observing nature.
Rob Mueller – Environmental Programming Specialist
Rob is a storyteller and educator based in Brunswick, Maine. He enjoys crafting narratives that are entertaining, informative and motivating. His first introduction to the Maine Outdoor Film Festival was winning an award for a film he made with his kiddo called “Keep Pedaling”. Passionate about exploring our world he can be found adventuring with his family, catching snowflakes on his tongue and spinning a yarn by the campfire.
Liz McGregor – Filmmaker Experience Liaison
Liz has worn many hats in film and video, from product placement to producing. She has worked as an Assistant Director on independent feature films, such as Big Night and Drunks, and as a Producer of commercials. She has directed film festivals in New York City and Tahoe, California and has organized festival tours in Chile (Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour) and Maine (Mountainfilm on Tour, Fly Fishing Film Tour, Women’s Adventure Film Tour and Maine Outdoor Film Festival).
Sam Chipman – Marketing Strategist
Sam’s story began on the Portland, Maine, Waterfront. Lumping boats when he was 14 and Lobstering since he was 3, to this day. His leadership and drive brought him to become President and Founder of his HS TV station, President of his University Radio Station and Entertainment Chair of Campus Activities, all while being employed and a student athlete. He has worked in diverse fields of Public Relations, Videography, Film Production, Advertising, Business and Film Writing.
Meg Friel – Director of Marketing and Communications
Meg joined the Maine Outdoor Film Festival in January of 2025 as a Marketing Associate and has played an important role in the festival’s marketing, outreach, and logistics. Her interests in the environment and film drew her to MOFF as an admirer in 2022, where she was inspired by the festival’s spirit. She now leads the festival’s marketing and communication efforts.
About The Maine Outdoor Film Festival (MOFF): The Maine Outdoor Film Festival’s signature Flagship event returns to Portland July 21–26. MOFF welcomes thousands of filmmakers, outdoor enthusiasts, art and story lovers of all ages, plus brands, for six days of inspiring films, panel discussions, educational programming, social events, and more.
Over 80 outdoor adventure and environmental documentaries are screened throughout Portland—indoors at local theaters and outside under the stars at our open-air theatre, complete with a 24 foot inflatable screen (BYO chair and picnic!). Attendees can expect to live vicariously experiencing boundary-pushing adventure stories, while also discovering topics of conservation, climate, and place. Whether filmed in Maine or across the world, MOFF is a celebration of storytelling, the environment, and community.
After the Flagship Festival, the MOFF Selects Tour hits the road, bringing curated film programs to towns across Maine—screening at land trusts, breweries, theaters, and parks. In a time when the environment and independent creative voices could use a hug, MOFF is here with open arms.
MOFF’s year-round Community Currents series pairs MOFF’s documentary films with leading industry experts in panel discussions that deepen understanding, offer space for community questions and input, and drive impact around issues shaping the health of our planet and communities. Additional annual events include Snow Day Dreams, a screening to kick off winter, and Women in the Wild, a screening in celebration of International Women’s Day.
#OutdoorFilmsShownOutdoors.
For more information on MOFF, visit their website at MOFF.film
Nick Callanan
nick@maineoutdoorfilmfestival.com
(207) 619-3622
Meg Friel
press@maineoutdoorfilmfestival.com