Virtually every film festival seeks to reach out to audiences with a diverse slate of offerings that, in some way, offers something for just about everyone.
And that's the case with the Cape Ann Film Festival, which local film aficionado Rob Newton launched before he even opened his Cape Ann Community Cinema on Main Street last year.
But Newton deserves credit this year for going out of his way to deliver some films with very special ties to Gloucester and Cape Ann — like "Polis Is This," by Henry Ferrini, nephew of the late and legendary Gloucester poet Vincent Ferrini, and "The Eagle: America's Tall Ship," a documentary by Rockport High School graduate David Wittkower.
And especially deserves praise for kicking off the festival with "The Gloucester 18," the documentary by Boston-area Director John Michael Williams and story producer Kristen Grieco Elworthy that, through interviews with local health officials, parents and a handful of the girls themselves, provides a powerful look at teen pregnancy through the already well-documented 2008 Gloucester High School saga.
Unlike the fictional, shameful and misleading film "The Pregnancy Pact," which aired on Lifetime TV last January, "The Gloucester 18," has drawn extensive support from school counselors and others, including Gloucester's own Dr. Brian Orr, who headed the high school's health clinic at the time and is featured prominently in the piece. And, with stories of both success and pain, it is a film that Gloucester and Cape Ann moviegoers should indeed see — even if they're sick of hearing about the controversy.
Newton clearly recognizes that, and merits kudos for making it a part of this community film event. Here's hoping the entire festival gets the support that it — and he — deserve.
