Photos from the Inthrive Film Festival in Maine

This past weekend, the Inthrive Film Festival came through Maine, and it was an incredibly powerful few days. Society Impact was proud to participate in and support the festival, and to be part of bringing these stories and conversations into the community.

We started Friday at Maine State Prison in Warren, where we were able to watch a number of moving films and spend meaningful time with the men inside. Society Impact associate Gordon Perry played a key role in organizing the prison portion of the festival and also participated in a panel discussion that closed out that portion of the program. Commissioner Randall Liberty gave a tour of the facility, highlighting reforms he’s been implementing, including the Earned Living Unit, community gardens, and a broader shift toward a more open, humanizing, and rehabilitation-focused approach. The environment felt noticeably different from the more punitive model that dominates much of the system, with a level of interaction and normalcy that made a real impression.

That evening, the festival continued at the Lincoln Theater in Damariscotta, where more films were shown followed by a thoughtful panel discussion. Much of the conversation centered on rethinking the mindset that treats incarcerated people as separate from the rest of society, and instead recognizing the shared humanity that connects us all.

The festival wrapped up Saturday night at the Waldo Theater in Waldoboro with more great films and some incredible musical performances. Society Impact also helped lead a reading and discussion of poetry by currently and formerly incarcerated people alongside poet Sara Eastler, focusing on themes of trauma, healing, and personal transformation.

We’re grateful to have been part of it and to everyone who showed up, shared their work, and made the weekend what it was!