In 1998 the first Maine Jewish Film Festival was held in the basement of Congregation Bet Ha'am in Portland, where organizers screened six movies on a television screen.
It has since grown in size and prestige, screening over 250 films over the years and bringing artists from all over the world to Portland annually.
Moving into the Nickelodeon Theater in downtown Portland, the festival has become a popular, non-religious event to showcase Jewish culture.
Today, these social and cultural events are significant markers of Jewish cultural identity in Maine.
