Canoe Dig It?
Samuel Dunning
Greg Dorchak, left, and JF Davis in 'Canoe Dig It?'
Greg Dorchak, left, and JF Davis in 'Canoe Dig It?'
media release: Not Rated - Similar to PG
Please join us for a special one night only screening of “Canoe Dig It?”, directed by Samuel Dunning, who will be joining us for a Q&A after the film.
General Seating. Presented on the Drury Stage.
Canoe Dig It? is a mockumentary comedy about a fictional canoeing competition in Northern Maine for the nonfictional sport of “Freestyle Canoeing”, a form of performative canoeing best described as “canoe dancing”. Competitors paddle out and spin, dip, and “dance” in circles in perfect synchronization with the music of their choice.
The film tracks a handful of quirky and curiously relatable competitors vying for the blue ribbon at the Moosehead Regional Finals. We follow our cadre of diverse canoeists’- a cutthroat perfectionist, a backwoods natural, an aging underdog, a squabbling couple of summer camp owners, and a hard rocking bartender- as they prepare for the big stage (lake), seeing glimpses into their personal lives, their eclectic preparation methods, and learning what it takes to make it to the top of the Freestyling world.
What does it take to bring home the “Top Paddler” ribbon? Athleticism? Technique? Core Strength? Song choice? These and all your other burning questions will be answered!
Sam Dunning was born in Portland, Maine and grew up in Brunswick, Maine, before moving to New York City for college and then subsequently working as an actor and filmmaker, Canoe Dig It? is his feature directorial debut.
The film premiered in Maine at multiple sold out shows in April of this year, before expanding to a regional tour of New England over the following months. Dunning recently finished a tour of Alaska, screening the film in Anchorage, Homer, and Juneau. Next up are more screenings across New England followed by dates in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and more as part of a tour of the Midwest and Canada.
