The Maine International Film Festival has recently announced over 100 films, 50 special guests and 20 countries from around the globe will be featured as part of this year’s programming. Movie enthusiasts of all ages will experience a spectacular array of landscapes, cultures, languages and perspectives featured in this year’s Film Festival. Hosted at the historic Waterville Opera House and the Railroad Square Cinema from July 11^th – 20^th, the 2008 Maine International Film Festival provides an expanded view of the world and a chance to meet some of the industry’s most exciting and innovative filmmakers from the Netherlands, Chad, Switzerland, Canada, France and throughout the United States.

The festival launches with the Opening Ceremony and a screening of Man on Wire, Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, on Friday, July 11 at 7pm at the historic Waterville Opera House, which is specially equipped with 35mm projection equipment for the festival.

Founded in 1998, the Maine International Film Festival offers much more than just movies with a unique opportunity for audiences to engage in dialog with some of the writers, producers, directors, actors and musicians who are in front of and behind the scenes. Each year, MIFF honors members of the independent film industry whose cinematic contributions deserve recognition. MIFF’s special guests have included Mid-Live Achievement Award Bud Cort (MIFF 2007), Ed Harris (MIFF 2004), Peter Fonda (2003) and Sissy Spacek (2001).

The Maine International Film Festival will present the 2008 Mid-Life Achievement Award to one of independent cinema’s finest actors and directors, John Turturro. Turturro is a Golden Globe Nominee, an Emmy Winner and a Cannes Film Festival Best Actor Award Winner. He has appeared in over 60 movies and has become a regular in the thorught provoking films of Spike Lee, including his role as the highly agitated “Pino” in Do the Right Thing (1989), and as a confused boyfriend in Jungle Fever (1991). Turturro has also had an extended collaboration with the Coen Brothers, appearing in their films Miller’s Crossing (1990), Barton Fink (1991), The Big Lebowski (1998) and most recently, O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000.) He also appeared as a severely disturbed psychiatric patient of Jack Nicholson’s in Anger Management and played Johnny Depp’s Antagonist in Secret Window. He won his Cannes award and Golden Globe nomination for Robert Redford’s Quiz Show (1994.)

In addition to acting, Turturro is an original and brilliant writer, director and producer. He wrote and directed, as well as acted in Mac (1991) and Illuminata (1999), which also starred his wife Katherine Borowitz. He also wrote and directed the fiercely offbeat musical Romance and Cigarettes (2006), starring Susan Sarandon, James Gandolfini and Kate Winslet. “We’re thrilled that John Turturro will be joining us this summer,” said Festival Programmer Ken Eisen. “He’s one of the strongest and most unique voices in the independent film world, and one whose directing, writing and acting always bespeak a fierce, intelligent and adventurous curiousity that we try to highlight every year in the films at the festival.”

For tickets and full details on the 11^th Annual Maine International Film Festival, visit www.miff.org or call (207)861-8138. MIFF is sponsored in part by Bangor Savings Bank and Colby College.