Water Women Mini Film Fest

Presented by Two Maine Mermaids and Curated by Julia Dunlavey

Two Maine Mermaids presents the Water Women Mini Film Fest! Join us for an evening of short films, curated by Julia Dunlavey, celebrating the strength and power of women in, on, and near the water. Experience the solidarity we find in the ocean from these films that are all directed by women, many with Maine connections.

Bring cash for an epic raffle! And stick around for a Q&A session with filmmakers, Juliette Sutherland (Behind the Waves) and Elena Mozzhelina (Take Me To the Ocean) moderated by Caitlin Hopkins & Kelsy Hartley of Two Maine Mermaids.

Thank you to our generous lead sponsors:coworkHERS
Maine Surfer’s Union

Total runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes

TAKE ME TO THE OCEAN, dir. Elena Mozzhelina, 16 minutes

Featuring our own local dippers, the documentary captures the healing power of cold water dipping in Portland.

THE DIVER, dir. Mailee Osten-Tan, 10 minutes

For Rochelle, diving into the ocean is like entering another world: a world where she feels safe. Made in Portland by a MECA Salt Institute for Documentary Studies student, the film is about a young woman coming to terms with her past by redefining the marks on her skin. Contains mentions of self-harm.

SKIN SWIMMER, dir. Hannah Walsh, 7 minutes

On a cold, winter Vancouver morning, Roberta heads for the ocean to dive into the frigid waters of the Salish Sea, training for one of the most challenging feats in action sports; an ice mile in three degree water.

WE ARE LIKE WAVES, dir. Jordyn Romero, 12 minutes

Along the South Coast of Sri Lanka, surfing is everywhere, but the ocean is not seen as a place for women. Like most girls, Sanu grew up with the expectation that she would become a wife and mother. But after joining a local surfing group for young women, she questions her future.

CHICAS AL AGUA, dir. Liz McGregor, 18 minutes

You can count the number of female kayakers in Futaleufú, Chile on one hand… and they want to change that. After many floating conversations, a committed group of women from around the globe hatched the idea to create a kayak course for local teenage girls.

DAUGHTER OF THE SEA, dir. Nicole Gormley & Nancy Kwon, 18 minutes

Returning to her childhood home on the remote island of Marado, South Korea, Jaeyoun finds peace with her family of “haenyeo,” female freedivers who make their living harvesting what the sea has to offer.

BEHIND THE WAVES, dir. Juliette Sutherland, 5 minutes

If you want to surf in Maine, you better get used to the idea of getting out in the dead of winter. Female surfers in Maine find community with each other and learn lessons from the Maine winter waters.

SWIMMING THROUGH, dir. Samantha Sanders, 15 minutes

With winter quickly approaching in Chicago, three women forge a friendship by swimming daily at sunrise through the winter in Lake Michigan to cope with the pandemic.