WMPG Presents: A Double Feature of Community & Belonging
April 1st 2025 Talbot Hall, Luther Bonney, University of Southern Maine
6pm
An Extraordinary Place directed by Tom Bell
34 minutes
While many documentaries focus on societal challenges, this film highlights a solution: the transformative power of volunteerism in creating joy, meaning, and belonging. It celebrates diversity’s role in fostering strong, connected communities and offers a behind-the-scenes look at WMPG’s inclusive ethos, where shared purpose connects individuals.
The film has garnered widespread recognition, including “Best Short Film” at the 2024 Maine International Film Festival and “Best Maine Film” at the 2024 Maine Outdoor Film Festival, along with honors at festivals in England, Italy, Los Angeles, Spain and Toronto.
Courts of Belonging directed by Santiago Tijerina
Tijerina won the Emerging Maine Filmmaker Award for “Courts of Belonging,” a documentary highlighting the futsal court in Kennedy Park. This compelling documentary explores how the South American-originated sport of futsal fosters community among immigrant and refugee residents in East Bayside, one of Maine’s most diverse neighborhoods.
