WATERVILLE -- Anyone who loves the spontaneity of children and the beauty of the Maine coast might want to see "Time for Belfast," showing tonight at Railroad Square Cinema.

The movie, filmed in Belfast and at Toddy Pond School in Swanville, is part documentary, part spoof, and beautifully shot, according to Alan Sanborn, Railroad Square programmer.

"It's delightful," Sanborn said. "It is so much about being a kid in Maine. It was one of the most gorgeous films I've seen. It really makes Belfast and Maine and the coast look stunning."

The movie, which is one hour and 10 minutes long, will be shown at 7 p.m.

Maine filmmakers Caleb Crosby and Ruth MacVane will be on hand with cast members to talk about the film afterward and answer questions.

Crosby, a filmmaker for 20 years, has worked as a cinematographer, director, producer and cameraman. He said the film was made as part of a service learning project. Shot and edited in 60 days, the film focuses on the last day of school, during which children present oral reports on topics related to the Belfast area.

"We call it a cinematic lark," said Crosby, 46. "It really is a beautiful film and it was a lot of fun."

Twenty children ages 6-14 star in the film, which has been shown at the Colonial Theatre in Belfast and the Eveningstar Cinema in Brunswick. After the Waterville stop, it will be shown Sept. 17 at the Alamo Theater in Bucksport.

"We let the kids keep honest control of what they wanted to say in the film," Crosby said. "We turned it into a script. We're going to keep it in Maine and self-distribute for the fall."

Crosby and MacVane, an educator, received a grant from the state Department of Education's Learn and Serve America program to help make the film, he said. They also received a grant from the KIDS' Consortium Dara Fund, in memory of Dara Jeanne Kaufman. Film sponsors include the Unity Foundation and Camden National Bank.

An Edgecomb native, Crosby started working as a filmmaker in Maine in 1990 and made movies on the mid-coast. He then got into fictional films and shot some low-budget independent features before working full time at MPBN. He has made full-length films and documentaries and his jobs included being assistant cameraman for the television show "The Big Easy."

He and MacVane own the film company, Early Exposure, located on Main Street in Belfast. They met two years ago while living on their respective boats at DiMillo's Marina in Portland. He was working at MPBN in Lewiston and MacVane was working in Portland, designing learning strategies for special-education students.

"We both decided to quit our jobs and go for an extended sail on the Maine coast and we sailed into Belfast and fell in love with the town," Crosby said.

Amy Calder -- 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com