Explore Creative Portland

Events

Tours

Arts & Culture List

Resources

Programs

About Us

headerPrimaryMenu

Venues

Organizations

Creative Portland App

Donate

headerSecondary

BUILDING HOPE, a film on homelessness in Maine, will premiere June 29, 2024  4-6pm at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Castine (UUCC), 86 Court Street. The film is produced by Sedgwick, Maine filmmakers Richard Kane and Melody Lewis-Kane of Kane-Lewis Productions, producers of the recent Emmy-nominated film TRUTH TELLERS.
 
In person panelists post screening will be Maine Speaker of the House Rachel Talbot Ross (Portland), director of Community Housing of Maine Cullen Ryan (Portland), former director of H.O.M.E., Inc. Tracey Hair (Orland), director of Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter Katie Spencer White (Waterville), and James Raines (Bangor) who is profiled in the film.  Three of the panelists had formerly experienced homelessness.
 
The premiere will be in person and via Zoom. Please RSVP for in-person attendance or to receive a zoom link, indicating which at  office@uucastine.org 
 
Synopsis:
BUILDING HOPE brings to audiences around Maine and beyond that there is hope to ending the suffering of homelessness.  The stories are complex and hard to bear:  the lack of affordable housing; substance use disorder; anxiety and depression; despair and lack of self esteem; domestic abuse; trauma; poverty; encampments; incarceration; lost loved ones; brutal weather. How can this happen in “the richest country in the world?” This long U.S. reputation has brought throngs of asylum seekers escaping the fear of cartels and dictators, yearning to be free, hoping for a better life. This is what BUILDING HOPE is about even though it’s hard to even think that there is hope.  But there is. We can all make a difference. See the trailer:  https://vimeo.com/kanelewis/buildinghopetrailer

Full film available for review on request.
 
In addition to Speaker Ross, U.S. Senator Angus King spoke in the film about what government can do to create incentives to the building of affordable housing. He is co-sponsoring a bill in the US Senate that will help. Others in the film include:  five people who each are currently or in the recent past have experienced homelessness; Dr. Donna Beegle, Poverty and Coaching Institute; Kevin Bunker (Portland), founder of Developers Collaborative; Mark Swan (Portland), Executive Director Preble Street; Tracey Hair (Orland/Bucksport), former director of H.O.M.E. now with the Maine Community Foundation; Katie Spencer White (Waterville), director of Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter; Stephanie Primm (Rockland), former director of the Knox County Homeless Coalition now named Homeworthy; Joseph Hufnagle (Tenants Harbor), director of The Landing Place (Rockland), a youth drop in center of Homeworthy; Aaron Geyer (Portland), director of the Homeless Services Center in Portland; Debbie Laurie (Bangor), Bangor City Manager; Gordon Smith and Greg Payne (Augusta/Portland) of the Maine Governor’s Office.  Following the premiere, the film will be going on a theatrical tour of Maine’s independent theaters with panels of experts in discussion (TBA).
 
The film is fiscally sponsored by Downeast Community Partners (Ellsworth and Bucksport) and was funded by individual donors in addition to the Maine Community Foundation (Portland and Ellsworth) and Heart of Maine United Way (Bangor).

Film

Virtual Events

Building Hope – A Film On Homelessness In Maine Premieres In Castine

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Castine

Building Hope – A Film On Homelessness In Maine Premieres In Castine

Event Gallery

Event Category

Address & Contact

Date

Additional Info

CONTACT US