Are you headed to the Camden International Film Festival this weekend? If so, why not add a few films with a civil liberties angle to your schedule? Here are our picks:

FLORENCE, ARIZONA: "Florence, Arizona is a cowboy town with a prison problem. It is home to 8,500 civilians and 17,000 inmates spread over nine prisons. Through an unconventional lens, this film weaves together the stories of four residents whose lives have been shadowed by the surrounding prison industrial complex. The film reveals as much about ourselves as it does about our modern carceral state."

This is an issue that we, as Mainers, should care deeply about. Over 10,000 people are under some form of correctional control in this state; in fact, Maine has a higher imprisonment rate than most countries and just slightly lower than that of Iran. If we don't undertake some serious reform of the criminal justice system soon, Florence, Arizona could just as easily be Anytown, Maine.

SILENCED: "Academy Award nominated documentarian James Spione investigates what really happened inside the USA security establishment after September 11th that caused it to radically change course in profound and lasting ways. Exploring the courage and character it takes to challenge unethical behavior from within the American national security establishment, the film offers a provocative critique of systemic failures of the U.S. government."

This film takes examines the courage it takes to blow the whistle when the government has abandoned its commitment to transparency. Americans deserve truthful information about what our government is doing in our name and on our behalf. We are all better off because of brave Americans like Edward Snowden and the whistleblowers depicted in this film.

See you in Camden!