MORNING SENTINEL • June 21, 2024
Ryan Cook has come a long way from making movies as a 6-year-old in his native Waterville to soon launching the world premiere of his film, “Lost on a Mountain in Maine,” July 13 at the Waterville Opera House. Cook is one of the producers of the feature film, being screened as part of the upcoming Maine International Film Festival. It is the story of Donn Fendler, who in 1939 at age 12, got lost on Mount Katahdin while hiking with his family. He endured nine days in the wilderness while search parties scoured the terrain, lost 20 pounds and eventually made his way out of the woods to safety. The film, Cook said, is an adventure film and a family movie that incorporates the book’s story as well as interviews and recordings with Fendler.