KENNEBUNK

‘Trust in Art’ auction marks fifth year on Saturday

Heartwood College of Art and the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust will partner for the fifth annual “Trust in Art” auction Saturday at Atlantic Hall, Cape Porpoise. Forty southern Maine painters have been invited to paint the Goat Island Lighthouse in celebration of the recent renovations that have restored the structure to its former glory.

With the assistance of lighthouse keeper Scott Dombrowski and Conservation Trust director Tom Bradbury, artists were to spend two days on the island capturing the lighthouse reconstruction as it nears completion.

“The artists will selectively respond to this gem of the conservation trust’s holdings,” said Berri Kramer, president of Heartwood. “Over the years, most of the artists have honored this architectural jewel, trying to catch the essence of the historical beauty and function of the oldest working harbor in Maine.”

The art auction will be at the Atlantic Hall in Cape Porpoise. A preview of the work begins at 4 p.m., and the auction follows at 5:30 p.m. with auctioneer Jim Fitzgerald.

Tickets cost $20. For information, call 985-0985 or 967-3465.

PORTLAND

Telling Room staff will hold student writing workshops

In collaboration with The Telling Room, the Portland Public Library will begin hosting free weekly writing workshops for middle and high school students starting in October.

The workshops will run from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays in the Teen Library, with Telling Room staff, volunteers, visiting writers and local artists.

The focus of the workshops will vary week to week, with themes ranging from poetry and creative nonfiction to photography. Each session will allow participants to begin a piece of creative writing with help from a writing mentor, some of which may be published in The Telling Room’s yearly anthology of student writing.

Initially, The Telling Room will limit each workshop to 10 teens on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit tellingroom.org or portlandlibrary.com for information.

Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For more information, call 677-2752 or visit pemaquidartgallery.com.

CAMDEN

Documentary forum runs concurrently with film fest

The Camden International Film Festival has unveiled the lineup for its Points North Documentary Forum, a conference program that runs concurrently with the festival from Thursday to Saturday.

This year’s program features representatives from three of the major broadcasters of documentary film — Sara Bernstein (HBO), Molly Thompson (A&E IndieFilms) and Yance Ford (POV). It will include delegates from leading funders — Richard Saiz (ITVS), Ryan Harrington (Tribeca Film Institute), Reva Goldberg (Cinereach), Natalie Difford (Chicken & Egg Pictures) and Sara Archambault (LEF Foundation).

Also present will be several top producers, including Andrea Meditch and Julie Goldman (producers of the box office hit “Buck”), Participant Media’s Courtney Sexton and Naked Edge Films’ Daniel Chalfen.

One of the most dynamic elements of the forum is the live pitch session open to the public. This year, organizers will choose four finalists to present their work-in-progress film projects to a delegation of 11 funders, broadcasters, distributors and producers Saturday.

The format consists of a seven-minute pitch followed by 15 minutes of feedback from the panel. One winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize sponsored by Documentary Educational Resources and a scholarship to the Maine Media Workshops, as well as the potential to receive additional funding from panelists.

In addition to the public pitch session, conference highlights include a master class on short documentary with ITVS’ Richard Saiz, a roundtable discussion with program officers from Tribeca Film Institute, Cinereach, Chicken & Egg Pictures and LEF Foundation, and a panel discussion on interactive documentary featuring some of the most innovative thinkers and practitioners in the field of new media.

There will also be a reception in honor of the 10th anniversary of the LEF Foundation’s Moving Image Fund, which has supported New England’s documentary filmmaking community with about $3.5 million in funding.

Passes are now on sale on the Camden International Film Festival website, camdenfilmfest.org.