NEW YORK— The Camden International Film Festival has received recognition from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the National Endowment for the Arts for the upcoming 2016 Festival, held Sept. 15 to 18 in Camden, Rockport and Rockland.

CIFF has been selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival for the Documentary Short Subject Award. The documentary short film that receives the Camden Cartel Award for Best Short will now be eligible to enter the Documentary Short Subject competition for the Academy. This continues the third year of the Academy's work with CIFF, supporting their 2013 programs Then and Now and Craft and last year's program Being There, a retrospective sidebar program and workshop series focused on the past, present and future of ethnographic documentary film. The Academy qualification reflects CIFF's ongoing dedication to championing short form nonfiction. Each year, the Festival screens shorts nominated for the Cinema Eye Honors in advance of the award ceremony held tonight in New York.

CIFF also received renewed support from the National Endowment for the Arts' Art Works program to support programming for the 2016 Camden International Film Festival and Points North Documentary Forum, including the exhibition of over seventy documentary films from 20 different countries and three days of intensive workshops, panels, pitching sessions and mentorship opportunities focused on the art, business and future of nonfiction storytelling. Supported programs will provide audiences intimate access to filmmakers and an opportunity to experience the world's best documentary cinema, while building an extended community and a supportive environment for emerging filmmakers to focus on creative and professional development.

NEA Chairman Jane Chu said in a news release: "I'm pleased to be able to share the news of our support through Art Works including the award to the Camden International Film Festival and Points North Documentary Forum. The arts foster value, connection, creativity and innovation for the American people and these recommended grants demonstrate those attributes and affirm that the arts are part of our everyday lives."

"2016 is shaping up to be a monumental year for CIFF and Points North, and we're extremely honored to receive recognition from such prestigious establishments as the NEA and Academy. Their ongoing support has been critical in the development of our organization, and the expansion of our programs, and will provide a wonderful base for the r 2016 Camden International Film Festival and Points North Documentary Forum," added Camden International Film Festival's Founder and Executive Director Ben Fowlie.

Submissions for the Camden International Film Festival are now open. CIFF will be accepting both feature and short films for the 2016 Festival through July 1, 2016. The 12th CIFF will be held September 15 to 18, throughout Camden, Rockport and Rockland.

The Points North Fellowship submissions will open in Spring 2016. CIFF will also unveil some exciting new programs outside of their Fellowship and the Festival weekend to expand upon the support of emerging documentarians. Check out CIFF's website for further information on upcoming programs and how to submit in the coming months.

About the Camden International Film Festival and Points North Documentary Forum:

Founded in 2005 and recognized as one of the top documentary film festivals in the world, the Camden International Film Festival (CIFF) brings the finest nonfiction cinema to the rugged coast of Maine, showcasing more than 80 documentary feature and short films from around the globe each fall. Additional year-round programming includes the CIFF Selects screening series and the Engagement Summit, a unique program that connects Maine-based nonprofit leaders with documentary films and filmmakers to develop community-based social action campaigns designed to engage communities.

The Points North Documentary Forum provides emerging documentarians with opportunities for professional development and creative inspiration. Programs include the year-round Points North Fellowship, master classes, workshops and international short form pitch opportunities such as The New York Times' Op Docs Pitch (2013), the AJ+ Pitch (2014) and the CMG Action Grant Pitch (2015). Past industry participants in the Forum include HBO, A&E, BBC, Participant Media, Al Jazeera America, Discovery, PBS, Ford Foundation, Tribeca Film Institute, Sundance Institute, Vimeo and Kickstarter.