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A short film about the Waldo County Woodshed will be featured in the 27th annual Maine International Film Festival. The 7-minute documentary will debut Friday, July 19 at 4 p.m. with a second showing on Saturday, July 20 at 7 p.m., both at Waterville Opera House. Tickets are available .

The film follows the work of the Waldo County Woodshed in Searsmont to provide the community with free firewood and its impact on the life and family of Jessica Allsop, who both volunteers and receives wood to heat her home during the winter. President and founder of the wood bank and 91���� alumnus Bob MacGregor said the idea sparked from an op-ed he read in the Bangor Daily News by researchers at 91���� titled “.” 

Jessica Leahy, a professor of human dimensions with the 91���� School of Forest Resources, is featured in the film. She co-authored a publication with Sabrina Vivian, a 2015 graduate of 91����’s Ecology and Environmental Sciences Program titled “,” which explains firewood banks and how they can help people stay warm. Leahy said the guide has been downloaded throughout northern states and in places around the world that are cold and forested. 

“We are excited to have this film recognized,” Leahy said. “It shows the best of Maine — Mainers helping Mainers.” She added that 91���� faculty and students have been involved in the wood bank movement since 2013, and as a result, the number of them in New England has tripled from 10 to 30 over the past decade.

As part of the National Wood Bank Project, the 91���� team of faculty and students lead research and outreach efforts to support current banks and encourage the establishment of new ones around the country. Members of the university’s Woodsmen Team also volunteer to split wood at the Waldo County Woodshed, and University Forests makes an annual donation of firewood with the help of forestry students during Maine Day.

Julia Dunlavey produced and directed the short film with executive producer Kate Raisz, director of photography Katie Schuler and editor Rohan Edwards for the national PBS documentary series “.” A production of and , the series is set to air a new episode about Maine in August.