CASCO — Loon Echo Land Trust will host the Maine Outdoor Film Festival for the first time Aug. 16.

While the festival held showings in every county in the state last year, this is its first time hosting a screening at Hacker’s Hill Preserve.

The festival is an annual statewide celebration of the outdoor active lifestyle and showcases over 20 programs of outdoor adventure and conservation films each summer.

“We just thought it was a great opportunity to show great films under the stars,” said festival director Nick Callahan. 

Loon Echo, which owns Hacker’s Hill, reached out to the festival because “we just thought that the mission of the film fest and the content of the film fest was something that we wanted to bring to our membership and visitors,” said executive director Matt Markot. 

Callahan said that the festival reviews its locations each year and had room for one more this summer. “We thought it would be a great fit,” he said. “We’re pumped. Every year we’ve added a couple more venues, a couple more dates.” 

Markot said that everyone at Loon Echo is “really excited.”

“This is the first time we’ve worked with the Maine Outdoor Film Festival. We’re really looking forward to being able to showcase the beauty of the preserve and also the films,” he said. 

The films that will be shown are from all over the world, including two with connections to Maine.

The event, which will begin at 8:15, is free and open to the public, although there will be a suggested donation of $10 to benefit Loon Echo.

Markot suggests bringing a picnic, blanket or beach chair and flashlight as well. Light refreshments will be available.

“I think it’s going to be a really fun night for everybody,” he said.

For more information and the full program of films, visit maineoutdoorfilmfestival.com.