WATERVILLE — The Maine Film Center has opened submissions for the 26th annual Maine International Film Festival.

The festival, scheduled for July 7-16, will be hosted at the Paul J. Schupf Arts Center, which will be the new home for the Maine Film Center in downtown Waterville.

For the second year, MIFF will offer Tourmaline Prizes, named for Maine’s state gem, which are juried awards recognizing the best Maine-made films of the festival. On the closing night of MIFF, a $5,000 prize will be awarded to the best feature film, and a $2,500 prize will be awarded to the best short film.

Filmmakers interested in submitting work should specify that their film that was made in Maine in their submission forms. Films that tell stories about Maine but were not at all produced in Maine are not eligible for the prize, according to a news release from Mary Ellms, communications coordinator with Waterville Creates.

In 2022, director Henry Spritz won the inaugural Tourmaline Prize for best Maine-made feature film for his film “Sunner,” and co-directors Daniel Quintanilla and Jessamine Irwin won the inaugural Tourmaline Prize for best Maine-made short film for their film “Le Carrefour (The Intersection).”

Films meeting these qualifications can be submitted for 50 percent off normal submission fees. To receive a discount code, email [email protected]. Allow up to three business days for a response, particularly when approaching a submission deadline.

This year’s submission deadlines are: Earlybird deadline is Tuesday, Jan. 3; regular deadline is Saturday, Feb. 18; late deadline is Saturday, March 18; and extended deadline is Tuesday, April 4.

Check out other upcoming area events!