Camden Film Festival awards top prizes to three feature films

The Camden International Film Festival announced its awards Monday after wrapping the 22nd edition of the prestigious documentary festival in mid‑coast Maine. The Harrell Award for best nonfiction feature went to *Dependence*, directed by Grace Harper Brighouse. The festival also named *Revolutionaries Never Die* and *Bucks Harbor* as winners of the Audience Award and the Emerging Filmmaker Award, respectively.

The Camden festival has grown from a small regional event into a key platform for documentary makers in New England. It attracts more than 1,500 attendees each year and screens over 80 films from around the world. The 2024 edition marked a milestone, celebrating two decades of showcasing stories that often fly under the radar of larger markets. The festival’s focus on intimate, human‑centered narratives has earned it praise from critics and filmmakers alike.

*Dependence* explores the fraught relationship between Brighouse and her father, using a mix of home footage and staged scenes to probe grief and forgiveness. The film ran for 92 minutes and was praised for its raw honesty. *Revolutionaries Never Die* follows a group of activists in the Pacific Northwest who fight for environmental justice, and its dynamic editing style earned it the Audience Award. *Bucks Harbor* is a portrait of a small coastal town grappling with economic change, and its director, Maya Chen, won the Emerging Filmmaker Award for her deft storytelling. Festival director Sarah Miller said the winners “capture the spirit of resilience and the power of personal voice.”

The award winners will now be screened at other festivals, including Tribeca and SXSW, and several are in talks for distribution deals. Camden plans to return next year with a larger lineup and expanded programming for filmmakers. The festival’s success underscores the growing demand for authentic documentary voices and provides a crucial launchpad for films that challenge mainstream narratives.