AUGUSTA– Governor John E. Baldacci has officially presented two marketing awards to the Maine Film Office. The awards were announced earlier this year from the Association of Film Commissioners International. The Maine Film Office received the Second Place Award for Best Web Site and the Honorable Mention Award for Color Advertising.

“Maine won these awards in competition with larger state, provincial and even national film offices,” said Governor Baldacci. “The awards are testaments to the significant focus and talent of the Maine Film Office and other Maine partners in marketing our state in the global economy.”

Governor Baldacci’s Administration has provided significant tools to the marketing of Maine as a destination for television, film and other media productions. Through the Creative Economy initiative and the Maine Attraction Film Incentive Plan, Maine has been aggressively pursuing opportunities for growth in attracting the film industry to the state.

The Maine Film Office worked with Maine-based media professionals to create the award-winning ad and web site. The web site was created by the film office and xwave, a business-solutions provider with offices in Canada and the United States. The advertisement was created by the film office and Nancy Marshall Communications, a public relations and marketing firm based in Augusta.

"It was a thrill for us to win not one, but two awards," said Lea Girardin, director of the Maine Film Office. "Considering the fact that our budget for advertising is very small and we were competing against much larger film commissions and offices, we are extremely honored to be recognized."

The Maine Film Office is a two-person division of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development. Its mission is to bring more film, television, video and other media production the state; help improve and expand Maine's indigenous media production industry; and help all media projects in Maine succeed.

"One of our most important tasks is to show decision-makers that Maine’s media-production professionals are among the best in the world," said Girardin. “These awards help prove that point."

The Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) is the global professional and educational organization for film commissions and film offices. There are more than 300 film commissions and film offices worldwide that belong to AFCI, serving cities, counties, states, regions and nations. AFCI members assist with the production of feature films, television, commercials, catalog shoot in other media productions throughout the world.

For more information on the Maine Film Office, visit http://www.filminmaine.com