Saturday was my fourth and final day attending the 2026 Maine International Film Festival. It was so great to be able to go and see a wide range of films, get to see some little gems and hear some stories of how these labors of love got made. It’s also great to be able to support local film enthusiasts and everything that the Maine Film Center is doing.
I went up there back in 2018 for the entire festival and the program was split between Railroad Square Cinema and the Waterville Opera House, two venues that were separated by a mile or so in the town of Waterville. At that time, the plans were already in motion to move the Railroad Square Cinema to the building next to the Opera House and open the Maine Film Center. It is an ideal setup for the festival. I definitely plan on going back next year.
Black Zombie (dir. Maya Annik Bedward)
This was an informative documentary about the origins of the zombie in Haitian culture and the practice of Vodou. It also goes a step further in tracing the roots of Vodou in Haiti.
The doc demystifies the stigma of Vodou, showing that it was and is a practicing religion that grew out of the different African tribes that were subjugated into slavery in Haiti. It touches on the beginnings of the zombie in horror movies, based on the writings of the eccentric William Seabrook, whose 1929 book The Magic Island was turned into the first zombie film, White Zombie.
Loved the exploration of how zombies developed in Hollywood and how it grew out of its Haitian roots into something else today. However, you can still trace a line from its Haitian slave origins to perpetuating stereotypes today. It doesn’t seek to discredit the horror subgenre, but add some significant context that most people have probably never considered before.
The one thing I wished it had spent more time on was the neurotoxin that can make someone appear dead that has been used in the process of “resurrecting” someone.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
The Musical (dir. Giselle Bonilla)
The audience I sat with loved this subversive little film about a middle school drama teacher (Will Brill) who seeks to sabotage the school play because the principal (Rob Lowe) is dating his ex-girlfriend (Gillian Jacobs). He does this by saying that they’re going to be performing West Side Story, but actually they’re doing an original play he wrote about 9/11.
That’s a bold premise and it certainly commits to the bit, not shying away from being controversial. But the desire to be transgressive above all creates a script that strains credulity that someone could execute that plan with an entire class of middle schoolers keeping everything under the radar.
The Musical features one of the most unlikeable leads you are ever likely to see, which is definitely an intentional choice, but it’s the kind of character that just rubs me the wrong way, like he was trying to do a Tim Robinson impression the entire movie.
This movie is like a meaner version of School of Rock. Like I said, the audience I was in howled, but I just did not go for this one at all.
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
F***toys (dir. Annapurna Sriram)
Is “trashploitation” an actual genre? I think it is. I am mostly ignorant of John Waters and other similar artists, but I imagine that F***toys is firmly in that tradition of films. Annapurna Sriram wears multiple hats for this film as director, writer, and lead actor and this is a confident and fully realized film that she has put together.
The film takes place in an alternate world where the lead character AP lives in Trashtown and is trying to make $1000 to get a curse lifted. While not exactly my cup of tea, there is no denying the artistic vision on display or the execution of said vision. I would love to hear what some of Sriram’s influences are on this film (I’m sensing some John Waters and Sean Baker, but likely a few others I’m not familiar with), but there is also an undeniable creativity and originality at work here too.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
JONESING FOR FILMS 
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