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Maine Wastewater Film UNLESS SOMETHING GOES TERRIBLY WRONG comes to the Colonial Theatre
Belfast, Maine
Hawthorne Arts Collaborative and Points North Institute are pleased to announce a screening of the Maine-made film, UNLESS SOMETHING GOES TERRIBLY WRONG, at the Colonial Theatre in Belfast.
This one-night special presentation will take place on Tuesday, February 3rd at 6:30 p.m. Filmmakers Alex Wolf Lewis and Kaitlyn Schwalje will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A, as well as Travis Jones from the City of Belfast Wastewater Plant.
UNLESS SOMETHING GOES TERRIBLY WRONG follows the crew at Portland's East End Wastewater Treatment Facility. As America’s aging wastewater system begins to fail, one plant does all it can to stay afloat. Plant manager Dustin Price, together with his dedicated team, battle aging infrastructure, “forever chemicals,” and the misconceptions of an odor averse public to keep Portland, Maine clean and healthy.
Filmmaker Alex Wolf Lewis shared, "The wastewater plant feels like a pirate ship run by a bunch of caring, smart, and funny pirates. And yes, we did consider throwing our camera into Casco Bay, quitting film, and joining the wastewater crew because we never wanted to leave."
The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Camden International Film Festival, where it took home the Ben Fowlie Audience Award. While the film was in production, Lewis and Schwalje also participated in Points North’s LEF/CIFF Fellowship, a professional development incubator for New England filmmakers. Since the film’s world premiere, it has been selected by film festivals from Guelph to St. Louis.
“I was a member of the team at Points North when Kaitlyn and Alex came through the LEF/CIFF Fellowship, and lived close to the Wastewater Treatment Facility during my Portland years,” says Colonial Theatre Program Director, Cam Howard, “seeing this film become such a success has been so exciting, and on top of being an absolute delight, I learned so much while I watched it. I think that folks can expect a really joyful time at the movies.”
Alex Wolfe Lewis added,"The Colonial Theater holds mythic status among filmmakers in Maine. Bringing our Maine-made film about a Maine-centric story to an independent cinema right in our own backyard (so to speak) is just about as perfect of a screening as we can possibly imagine. This is why we make movies."
Tickets to the screening are available now on the Colonial Theatre website. Each ticket is $12. The Colonial Theatre is located at 163 High Street in downtown Belfast, Maine. For more information, visit colonialtheatre.com.
The Colonial Theatre is owned and operated by Hawthorne Arts Collaborative, a nonprofit organization rooted in the preservation of the century-old theatre and its continued operation as a cinema and arts hub.
The Points North Institute is a launching pad for the next generation of nonfiction storytellers. Its programs include the annual Camden International Film Festival and Points North Forum, as well as a growing suite of artist development initiatives: retreats, residencies, workshops and fellowships that nurture the careers of diverse nonfiction storytellers and help them develop a stronger artistic voice.
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