The experiment that is AUDITION (2015) Portland 2015

Interesting experiment has one hundred actors and actresses performing the same scene. The best performers are then allowed to continue on through the next scene. And then again. We watch as the scenes with the various actors are inter-cut with each other. We also get to watch behind the scenes stuff as the actors inter act with the crew and discuss their craft and how it connects to this project.

I really don't know how to talk about this film. I'm not sure it's fair to attempt to critique it. Its not that it's bad rather its so unique that anything I have to say kind of is meaningless (I mean that in a good way).  I mean this is a film that is very much a slice of life.

The one thing I know for certain is that this is not going to be a film that is going to be of interest to all audiences. You're going to have to come to this film with a desire that stretches beyond the set up of actors competing (kind of) to make a mini movie. If you are going to get anything out of this film you're going to ave to have a real desire to see and under stand actors do what they do. How do they make their choices? What do they feel? Whats it like on set? are many of the questions that are explored in AUDITION.

For me the film is a mixed bag. Some of the people are more interesting than others. Some of the more interesting actors are the least interesting people and vice versa. My interest in what was on screen depended upon who was on screen. At a certain point I stopped caring about the scene that was being performed and I just wanted to watch the nuts and bolts stuff.

I love the pieces. I love the things it reveals. If I wanted to be an actor I think this would be gangbusters. As an experiment I think its great. At the same time  I don't know if I would ever watch it again. Normally when you review something you don't talk about repeat viewings but watching this it was something I considered. Watching it I considered it a one off- an interesting experiment...

And yet as a look into what actors do this film is amazing...or seems to be since I'm not actor.

The best thing I can say is if the description of the film intrigues you give it a shot.

The film World Premiered earlier today at the Portland Film Festival.

The Business of Amateurs (2015) Portland 2015

Bob DeMars's THE BUSINESS OF AMATEURS (BOA)is one of the most important  films of 2015 if not one of the best. Its is one of the best sports documentaries of recent vintage. Its as good as, if not better than any of the fine documentaries that HBO Sports puts out or ESPN makes for it's 30 for 30 series. Leave it to an ex-student athlete to rattle the pillars of heaven, or the NCAA, by quietly stating everything that is wrong with the status quo.

BOA lays it all out, from injuries, to not getting paid or being able to pay your bills, the inability to sell memorabilia, the loss of scholarships, and the bogus degrees many athletes graduate with. The film leaves nothing out showing you everything dark and hidden by the colleges and the NCAA. This is a film that shows very clearly how the athletes are being abused on all levels by the universities because they are not allowed to watch out for themselves, not are they allowed to have anyone help them.

While the film doesn't really layout anything new in how the colleges and universities are raping their student athletes in the name of profits, it does a couple of things that no one else has ever done or done this well- first it lays it all out simply and directly. Starting with the director's own injury the film spins out what the NCAA is doing or in many cases not doing for athletes. It lays out where it came from and why it is what it is. If you've been following any stories on the business of college sports you've run across a lot of this- but never as simply and completely put together. DeMars has put it all in one place and seeing it all together is terrifying- we're actually letting people do this?

The other thing the film does is it makes it personal and not sensational. DeMars starts with a story that begins with his story and then brings in people he knew and people he's met before casting the net wider and wider. By making it personal DeMars allows us to connect to the people in the film and the stories. We are not lectured at, we are not told in a sensational way, instead the film is like sitting around the kitchen table with friends who are telling us their stories. The result is to make everything we see be ten times more affecting. Some of this will kick your legs out from under you.

I suspect that some people may get upset that the film covers way too much,  They will ask why are we talking about student degrees when there is  so much on injuries? Because it's all connected. This is the first time that I've seen some one show the whole canvas and its shocking in its size despite having seen all of the pieces before.

Most amazingly is that DeMars doesn't just focus on the bad. Toward the end of the film DeMars makes it clear that not only are things changing for the better. Almost all of the athletes who are interviewed express their love for their schools and their sports. They are fighting not only for their own rights and their own health but because they love their schools and want to make them better. Its a small thing that kind of seems strangely out of place in a film so full of the wrongs, but at the same time it beautifully explains why everyone is doing what they are doing and fighting to change things.

I was moved by this film. I've seen it twice now and I'm kind of in awe at how it all comes together.

This is a must see film for anyone who likes sports, and even more so if you know anyone who plays college sports

In Brief: Deep Dark (2015) Portland Film Festival 2015

Off kilter horror film/black comedy concerns a no talent artist named Herman who makes mobiles. They are some of the most god awful things you've ever seen. Certain that he is destined for greatness he won't leave home until he's a star much to his mother annoyance. On the verge of moving out he calls his uncle, a successful artist, who tells him to move into his old apartment. He does so but things don't work out. However when he is most desperate he discovers a talking hole in the wall which helps him achieve success but at a price.

This film isn't going to work for a good many people. The humor is more of the uncomfortable kind and the horror is more a nagging sense of dread than straight out scares. Its very mannered and I completely understand the people who don't like it.

For those that click with it this is going to be a wicked little comedy that takes the piss out of the art world and artists. Its a creepy little thriller that puts a bit of gas back into the tank of the sub-genre of artists finding a costly gimmick to help them succeed (ala BUCKET OF BLOOD)

For me this was an amusing little morel that nicely filled it's 75 minutes or so with a bloody good time.

In Brief: Generation Maidan: A Year of Revolution & War (2015) Portland 2015

The story of the student lead revolution that started in Kyiv's Maidan Square which happened when the Ukrainian President refused to sign into law sweeping legislation to end corruption and make things fairer and more independent. He claimed he couldn't do it because of Russian pressure. When the students that had gathered in Maidan Square were attacked by riot police for no reason the populace reacted with an even larger protest of 800,000 people. This then set events in motion that were hoped would lead to lasting change and true democracy.

Another in a long line of films documenting the ever changing in Ukraine, this film scores over several others thanks to its fly on the wall nature. While the subject matter isn't anything new if you've been following events in Ukraine or have been watching the films that have been coming out, its the footage and narration/interviews where the film scores. The film is very much there in the minute with some startling film footage of events as they transpire. Additionally the film has lots of interviews, surprisingly in English, with a good number of the people who were there. While I didn't really feel I was seeing anything new regarding the revolution thanks to reading the internet and seeing any number of recent documentaries, I did feel I understood thing better thanks to the clear narration and you are there footage. Some of the footage is so cool I wish I had seen this on a truly HUGE screen so I could have fallen into it.

Ultimately this is a solid documentary all around. If you know about the events you'll see them on a much more personal level, while if you're seeing a film on Ukraine and it's troubles for the first time you're going to get one hell of a nice primer.

In Brief TYKE: ELEPHANT OUTLAW (2015) Portland 2015

The sad story of Tyke an elephant brought from the wild, who almost 20 years later decided that she had had enough and attacked her trainer before making a break for it into the streets of Hawaii.

There is little I can say about this film, not because it's bad because the film makes it's case against performing animals very succinctly and very compellingly. This film is destined to do for circus animals what BLACKFISH  has done for killer whales and Sea World.

Using eyewitness testimony and video shot during the incident by people in the crowd and news organizations TYKE relates what happened and why. We watch as the whole sad episode unravels before us. We are not really spared anything and we feel for the elephant and the people who try to stop her.

In a weird way the film is probably 45 minutes too long. My feeling over over length is not due to disliking anything in the film, more it's that any discussion of anything beyond what happened is guilding the lily. Footage of the unhappy elephant and her final destructive rampage speaks volumes more than the words that everyone uses to try and put everything into context.

Be prepared for to get sick of this film as it will no doubt end up playing everywhere and rattling lots of cages- This film is going to be talked about for months to come.

Vintage Tomorrows (2015) Portland 2015

Building on their book VINTAGE TOMORROWS cultural historian James Carrott and futurist Brian David Johnson bring together a number of leading voices, writers, artists and creators in the Steampunk movement to ponder how the refashioning of the past may give a clue as to the future.

For those who don't know Steampunk is a movement or literary genre that imagines an alternate history where, nominally everything is powered by steam. However in reality the movement has its roots in a kind of idealized Victorian era where technology took alternate roads running  not only on steam but other fantastical modes of power. The things that people create are more often than not really cool.

A hyper busy nonstop 65 minutes, this film is both too much and not enough of a good thing. Filled with tons of talking heads and a seemingly endless array of art and created items, this is everything you ever wanted to know about Steampunk were afraid to ask...and that is the problem the film is literally trying to tell you everything about it and what it means and how it can shape the future in an hour. Its way too many people talking in small bites about things that need to really be explored. Its a lot of interesting things with no real discussion.

To be honest about 15 minutes in I kind of tuned out. Too much was being thrown at me and I stopped being able to catch anything, largely because I wasn't done processing what previously come my way. Imagine talking to someone who knows everything about a subject you're interested in. Imagine that they are going to then tell you everything they know but at no point are you going to be able to slow them down, ask questions or think about what they are telling you. You are going to be taught a subject in one go its sink or swim.

My one over riding thought while watching this was thank god I'm not being tested.

I an age where documentary filmmakers are forever making films that are much too long here we have one that is much too short. This film could use an hour. I would love more on the origins of the genre, more discussions beyond sound bytes, more on how the past the that is idealized was ultimately racist and really ugly. I'm also not sure how Steampunk is really political or how it shows a path to the future since its set in a different now than we live in.

I don't hate this film so much as I'm disappointed in it. Who was this made for? Those into Steampunk on the level that this film implies is going to know much of this already. Those on the outside looking in are going to be overwhelmed and left wondering who are these crazy people.

VINTAGE TOMORROWS premiered earlier tonight at the Portland Film Festival

Made in in Japan (2014) Portland 2015

Tomi Fujiyama, played the Grand Old Opry's birthday show in November 1964 and received the only standing ovation during the five hour show that included most of country music's royalty. 50 years later Tomi returns to the US in order to try and get back on the stage of the Opry.

Entertaining story of a footnote performer who continues to do what she always did which is play country music. Tomi was born in 1940  and learned to love country music thanks in part to the American occupation of the country after the Second World War.  Touring Japan and the world she made a big enough splash That she was able to make her way to the US and to the Opry. That may sound like a joke except that Tomi is really great at what she does, managing to bleed out her soul and emotions with every song. Watching her perform I'm left to wonder why we have not been able to enjoy her music for the last 50 years? She's good enough that she should have been more than a footnote.

 Going in I was pondering if this was going to be yet another SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN wannabe, however a couple of minutes in it was clear that while the there are a couple of parallels between the story (both singers being "gone" for decades for example) this is a story that rightly and deservedly stands on it's own legs. This is a really good film.

How you react to Tomi will determine how you ultimately react to the film. Tomi is the sort of character that you'd never believe existed if she didn't already. A perpetually smiling ball of energy she constantly is trying to express her joy at life and love of country music. She can be a little tough to take, even for her husband who, while clearly is love with his wife, really wishes that she would shut up some times (In one scene he wonders if she can go for even a minute without talking.) She's the sort of person who can get on your nerves if you're not in the mood. I'm not going to lie, there were a couple of times when I really hoped she'd go off screen for a while.

Reservations as to Tomi's person aside- I'd really like to see her live. Watching her in the film it's clear that she is something special. How has a performer who can give as much away as she does managed to stay off the radar.  Additionally I would love to meet her- I need to see her and just go WOW to her in person.  She is just this really cool performer who has knocked me for a loop with what she does.

Should you see this film? Oh hell yea. You'd be crazy if you didn't. Seriously Tomi is a woman you need to meet.  She is the sort of person we all need to meet because in her story there is the proof that in order to be happy you really do have to do what you love.

This film has another screening at the Portland Film Festival this weekend. For tickets and more information go here.

GRU-PDX (2015) Opening Night Film of the Portland Film Festival 2015

The opening night film of this years Portland Film Festival was GRX-PDX which nominally follows Brazilian band Quarto Negro  as they go to Portland to record their new album. In actully it's portrait of the inde music scene in the city.

I'm torn about this film while nowhere near being a bad film the portrait of a city's music scenes has been done to death any number of times, most recently in the truly great SALAD DAYS which puts you into the DC punk scene in ways that are unnatural. That film works because it transcends the standard talking head mixed with musical performance way of doing things to make something that soars. GRX-PDX has great interviews and great music (Oh man does it have great music) but it never really jells.

A large part of the problem is the least interesting thing in the film is Quarto Negro. I didn't care about them. Its not that their music is bad, but watching them put the album together isn't as interesting as listening to everyone else talk about the music they love and thy make. Frankly the performances pieces by the other bands in the film say Radiation City doing  Foreign Bodies is much more cool than the music by our main characters. (I would list other bands that I've discovered in this film but I stopped taking notes and just listened to the music. I'll have to see this again to get all the band names)

Where GRX-PDX soars is with the music. The almost nonstop soundscape with frequent performances is what carries this film and makes it worth seeing. The music is what sets the film apart from being just another doc about a city's music.

About half way into the film and for several hours after I saw the film I was pondering why this film didn't resonate with me more. The music is there so are any number of interviews, but outside of the fact that the Brazilians didn't click with me there was something off about the film.Something is keeping this film from being an altime great instead stead of the really good one that it is. I suspect the problem comes from how the film is put together. I don't know why but the film never makes the non-musical segments interesting. yes the stories are fine, but watching people just sit at tables or stand in the studio gets boring real fast- especially when there isn't  much variation.

Truth be told somewhere in all this footage is a great film waiting to get out- until then there is a good film with great music for you to see and enjoy.

The Portland Film Festival Starts Tuesday

The problem with life is that there is never enough time and money in order to do the things we want to do. Sometimes we have the time and not the money, other times it’s the other way around. Sometimes it’s not enough of both. Usually I’m contented going through life missing things that time that I can neither afford to do or I can’t fit in my schedule, and then there are times when some of the people I know throw things my way and I curse the lack of time and money. One such time is the upcoming Portland Film Festival (It runs September 1 to 7).

Until this year I was pleasantly content not to be aware of the film festival, but this year I was sent a note from Matt Johnstone who is doing the PR asking if I wanted to cover the festival. I figured I’d do a curtain raiser and be done with it- but then I saw the list of films and events I started cursing under my breath because I was on the wrong coast. I immediately posted the press release and then fired off an email to ask if there was any way to remotely cover the festivities.

We’ve already seen three of the films playing at the festival:

THEORY OF OBSCURITY is about the Residents. Its one of the coolest films of the year. I absolutely love the film
SWEET MICKY FOR PRESIDENT was the one film I saw from Slamdance back in January and it’s till one my favorite films of the year.
I believe Hubert saw CROCODILE GENEDY but I don’t think a review appeared at Unseen or one of his other haunts

As for the guests the film festival isn’t skimping. They have master animator Will Vinton. I know everyone jokes about the California Rasins but Vinton’s work goes way beyond that including a version of THE LITTLE PRINCE which has never been equaled.

Wendy Froud is going to be there. The festival is going to celebrate her work as film designer on things like LABYRINTH and DARK CRYSTAL. I’ve met Ms Froud fleetingly and she was completely charming to a guy who went fan boy. I’m sure that anything she does is going to be a must attend.

Ideally I’d be covering all of the films we haven’t seen before- however because life happens we’ll only be covering 8 or 9 films.

However just because My hands are tied that doesn’t mean you can’t go see something. All the information is can be found on the festival web site. And if you’re not in or around Portland why not start your Labor Day weekend early by buying a plane or bus ticket and go see something.

Look for reviews of at least films starting Tuesday night

For tickets and more information go here.

The PORTLAND FILM FESTIVAL announces it's killer line up

2015 PORTLAND FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FILM LINE-UP

The 2015 PORTLAND FILM FESTIVAL is Oregon’s largest film event of the year, with 80 narrative and documentary feature films and 134 short films selected out of 3500 SUBMISSIONS.

This weeklong extravaganza also includes over 75 MASTER CLASSES, TWO LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT TRIBUTES, and an unprecedented live event featuring SEVERAL THOUSAND FESTIVALGOERS AS EXTRAS in a record-setting ZOMBIE DAY EVENT.

LOS ANGELES – August 13, 2015 – Portland Film Festival announced today the feature film competition programs, opening and closing screenings, music and midnight sections, tribute presentations, northwest, and special screenings for the 2015 Portland Film Festival. The 3rd Annual festival is a weeklong event of 214 screenings of feature length and short films from around the world, red carpet world premieres, tributes to filmmaking legends, more than 50 hours of professional workshops, nightly after-parties and more.

The third annual Portland Film Festival will take place September 1 – 7th, 2015, in Portland, Oregon, at seven venues throughout the city, including historic area theatres and community venues.

“Portland audiences are the most enthusiastic, film-savvy crowds in the nation, and we’re proud to bring them a stellar festival schedule this year. We’ve created an incredibly diverse and large program of films and events that honor cinema legends, celebrate new approaches and experimentation in film, and showcase the best in contemporary cinema,” said Josh Leake, Portland Film Festival Founder and Executive Director.

Full festival lineup and info to purchase passes and tickets, go to: www.portlandfilmfestival.com


Portland Film Festival’s weeklong extravaganza will include:

Lifetime achievement tributes for Academy Award-winning stop-motion pioneer Will Vinton and acclaimed creature sculptor and puppet maker Wendy Froud, who will be recognized for her work as a fabricator on Yoda for “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back,” and contributions to such films as “The Dark Crystal” and “Labyrinth.
Zombie Day Apocalypse. A live all-day Labor Day event featuring several thousand festivalgoers as extras in a Guinness Book World Record-setting film shoot, “Zombie Day Apocalypse”, to be directed by George Cameron Romero, son of legendary filmmaker George A. Romero. Event will include a night time screening of a surprise zombie film.
One of the largest educational platforms for a film festival anywhere. Lead by award-winning professionals in their fields, this year’s festival will offer over 70 workshops, classes, panels and networking events for actors, screenwriters, and filmmakers.
Screenplay Competition. Four finalists from 380 submissions have been chosen to be read by actors live to an audience. One finalist will win a production grant worth $20K.
A jury of industry professionals and acclaimed filmmakers will be presenting awards to competition films in the following categories: Jury Award for Feature Doc, Jury Award for Narrative Feature, Audience Award for Feature Doc, Audience Award for Feature Narrative, plus additional awards to be announced.

NARRATIVE COMPETITION
10 films to celebrate the best of independent cinema by filmmakers who push the boundaries with imagination and style.

6 Angry Women / U.S. (Director: Sridhar Reddy, Screenwriters: Alexandra Bennett, Barbara Figgins, Katelin Healy, Danielle McConnell, Fawzia Mirza, Alison Plott, Sridhar Reddy) A young, unarmed black teenager is shot by a white neighborhood watchman, and it is up to a jury of six women to determine if the man is guilty of murder. Cast: Alexandra Bennett, Barbara Figgins, Katelin Healy, Danielle McConnell, Fawzia Mirza, Alison Plott. WORLD PREMIERE


Aimy in a Cage / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Hooroo Jackson) A creative teenage girl is placed into a mind-altering procedure to civilize her, while news of a virus epidemic spreads throughout the world. Cast: Crispin Glover, Allisyn Ashley Arm, Terry Moore, Paz de la Huerta, Michael William Hunter. WORLD PREMIERE

As Good as You / U.S. (Director: Heather de Michele, Screenwriter: Gretchen Michelfeld) A woman chases her dream to start a family by asking her late wife’s brother to be her sperm donor and craziness ensues. Cast: Laura Heisler, Anna Fitzwater, Raoul Bhaneja, Annie Potts, Bryan Dechart, Peter Maloney. WORLD PREMIERE

Divine Access / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Steven Chester Prince) Jack Harriman becomes a spiritual celebrity after debunking an evangelical host of a local public-access TV show. Cast: Billy Burke, Gary Cole, Patrick Warburton, Sarah Shahi, Joel David Moore, Adrienne Barbeau. NORTHWEST PREMIERE

Drama / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Sophie Mathisen) Life is a difficult script to learn. Cast: Sophie Mathisen, François Vincentelli, Jonathan Burteaux, Tom Wren, Nicole da Silva. WORLD PREMIERE

For Love & Broken Bones / South Africa (Director: Tebogo Malope, Screenwriters: Tebogo Malope, Libby Dougherty) When a lonely and isolated debt collector falls in love with his latest assignment, he must choose to follow his heart. Cast: Mduduzi Mabaso, Lerato Mvelase, Mashala Letsoalo. WORLD PREMIERE

The Makings of You / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Matt Amato) Frank Wallis and Judy Meadows are comfortably numb to their lives, but when a chance encounter brings them together, their love for each other reignites life's sweet, unimagined possibilities. Cast: Jay Ferguson, Sheryl Lee, Grace Zabriskie. WEST COAST PREMIERE

Odd Brodsky / U.S. (Director: Cindy Baer, Screenwriters: Cindy Baer, Matthew Irving) A quirky comedy about following your dreams. Cast: Tegan Ashton Cohan, Matthew Kevin Anderson, Scotty Dickert, Jim Hanks. NORTHWEST PREMIERE

Oloibiri / South Africa (Director: Curtis Graham, Screenwriter: Samantha Iwowo) Based on true events, a story about the first oil well drilled in Nigeria and how the impact affects a small Nigerian Delta Village and the lives of those involved. Cast: Diana Colmar-Espinosa, Bradley Gordon, Olu Jacobs. WEST COAST PREMIERE

Touched with Fire / U.S. (Director: Paul Dalio, Screenwriter: Sophie Mathisen) Two manic depressives meet in a psychiatric hospital and begin a romance that brings out all of the beauty and horror of their condition. Cast: Katie Holmes, Luke Kirby, Griffin Dunne, Bruce Altman, Christine Lahti. WEST COAST PREMIERE


DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
10 new films from around the world that tackle real life stories with bold vision and energy.

Audition / U.S. (Director: Matt Herron) A romance is portrayed by one hundred actors who compete for two lead roles and a chance to perform the final terrifying scene. WORLD PREMIERE

Business of Amateurs / U.S. (Director: Bob DeMars) An ex-athlete turned filmmaker seeks answers regarding student-athlete rights and discovers uncorrected injustices. WORLD PREMIERE

Congo Beat the Drum / Israel, Jamaica (Director: Ariel Tagar) A musical journey into the forgotten corners of Jamaican reggae and its past champions. WEST COAST PREMIERE

Generation Maidan / Ukraine (Director: Andrew Tkach) A group of Ukrainian filmmakers capture history in the making. What began as a peaceful protest, turned into revolution and finally war. U.S. PREMIERE

I Am Thalente / South Africa, U.S. (Director: Natalie Johns) A homeless teenager from South Africa attracts international attention with his effortless style on a skateboard and is invited to travel to the US to skate with the pros. NORTHWEST PREMIERE

Kings of Kallstadt / Germany, U.S. (Director: Simone Wendel) A humorous documentary about German small village life and its famous American relatives: Donald Trump and Heinz Ketchup. WORLD PREMIERE

Lost and Found / Japan, U.S., Canada (Directors: Nicolina Lanni, John Choi) One year after Japan’s largest earthquake, beachcombers along the Pacific Northwest coastline started finding Japanese items washing ashore. In turn, the unlikeliest of friendships, across two continents, were forged in the wake of this massive natural disaster. WORLD PREMIERE

Made in Japan / Japan, U.S. (Director: Josh Bishop) A journey through music, marriage and the impact of the corporate world on the dreams of one woman. WEST COAST PREMIERE

Sweet Micky for President / Haiti, U.S. / (Director: Ben Patterson) Musician Pras Michel of the group The Fugees goes up against the corrupt government of Haiti by mobilizing a presidential campaign for controversial pop star Sweet Mickey. NORTHWEST PREMIERE

Tyke: Killer Elephant / Australia (Directors: Susan Lambert and Stefan Moore) Tyke the circus elephant breaks free in front of thousands of onlookers. Her break for freedom leaves the city in shock and sparks a global battle over the use of performing animals. WEST COAST PREMIERE

OPENING NIGHT FILM (DOCUMENTARY)
GRU-PDX / Brazil, U.S. (Director: Daniel Barosa) Set amidst the rich contemporary music scene of Portland, Oregon, Brazilian indie band Quarto Negro journeys to the city to record their second album. During a six month stay, they discover the highs and lows of musical life in Portland, and that recording their new album isn't a task for the faint of heart. WORLD PREMIERE

OPENING NIGHT FILM (NARRATIVE)
Birds Of Neptune / U.S. (Director: Daniel Steven Richter, Screenwriters: Steven Richter, Flavia Rocha and Michael Lea) Two sisters live alone in their Portland childhood house trying to keep memories of a mysterious past intact. When a man enters their world and starts to pull at the fragile threads holding everything in place, they find themselves facing harsh truths about their past. Cast: Britt Harris, Molly Elizabeth Parker, Kurt Conroyd. NORTHWEST PREMIERE

CLOSING DAY EVENT - ZOMBIE DAY APOCALYPSE
To be held on Labor Day during the festival, a special all day and night event will set a Guinness Book of World Records for ‘most extras in a short film’. Director George Cameron Romero, son of iconic horror director George A. Romero (Dawn of the Dead), will direct. Award-winning makeup artists will oversee effects for an anticipated cast of thousands. Event will also include a nighttime surprise zombie film screening.

CLOSING NIGHT FILM
Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around The World / U.S. (Director: Dana Nachman) The Make-A-Wish Foundation and the city of San Francisco join forces to grant a five-year-old boy's wish to become Batman for a day, drawing worldwide attention. PORTLAND PREMIERE

TRIBUTE: VISIONARIES
Special tribute events, awards, and discussions with masters of cinema, celebrating visionary pioneers of their field.

Will Vinton - The world renowned Claymation® pioneer and Academy Award winner Will Vinton will receive a lifetime achievement award for his innovative contributions to the history of animation. Event will also include a 30th anniversary screening of his legendary stop-motion classic, “The Adventures of Mark Twain,” and his Academy Award Winning Short, “Closed Mondays.”

Wendy Froud - An American doll-artist, creature sculptor, and puppet-maker, Wendy Froud is a profound contributor to the history of pop culture and cinema. She is best known for being a member of the fabrication team of the iconic character Yoda for the 1980 film “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” and also fabricated timeless creatures for the Jim Henson films “The Dark Crystal” and “Labyrinth”. In appreciation of her work, LucasFilms will generously share unique behind the scenes archival images from her Star Wars work, and Wendy will be honored with a lifetime achievement award.

Amy Vincent - Trailblazing cinematographer Amy Vincent created an indelible impression with her debut feature film, “Eve’s Bayou”, and she’s been making unforgettable images ever since in a series of classic films, including “Hustle and Flow”, “Black Snake Moan”, and “Footloose”. For its 10 year anniversary, she will screen “Hustle and Flow’ and offer insight into the making of the fan favorite.

MUSIC MAVERICKS
Honoring musicians, music and culture, these documentaries celebrate a diversity of genres and influences through the power and love of music.

Congo Beat the Drum / Israel, Jamaica (Director: Ariel Tagar) A musical journey into the forgotten corners of Jamaican reggae and its past champions. WEST COAST PREMIERE

The Glamour & the Squalor / U.S. (Director: Marq Evans) The story of Marco Collins, a legendary Seattle DJ who played the music that defines the 90’s grunge generation. Featuring: Carrie Brownstein, Shirley Manson, Macklemore,
Mike McCready, Ben Gibbard, Kurt Cobain. PORTLAND PREMIERE

Morphine: Journey of Dreams / U.S., Italy (Director: Mark Shuman) The in-depth tale of the “low-rock” nineties Boston band who blazed like a comet across the global music scene. Interviews with Henry Rollins, Joe Strummer, Dana Colley, Steve Berlin, Mark Sandman, Billy Conway. WEST COAST PREMIERE

The Whole Gritty City / U.S. (Director: Richard Barber) An immersion into the world of three New Orleans school marching bands. WEST COAST PREMIERE

SPECIAL SCREENINGS
Unique one-time film events, marquee names, and highlights of the best of modern film.

Bereave / U.S. (Directors: Evangelos Giovanis, George Giovanis, Screenwriter: George Giovanis) Garvey thinks he has figured out how to die alone. When his beloved wife goes missing; he must live to save her. Cast: Malcolm McDowell, Jane Seymour, Keith Carradine, Vinessa Shaw, Mike Starr, Mike Doyle. PORTLAND PREMIERE

The Frontier / U.S. (Director: Oren Shai, Screenwriters: Oren Shai & Webb Wilcoxen) A desperate young woman discovers a violent gang of thieves at a desert motel and hatches a plan to steal their loot. Cast: Kelly Lynch, Jim Beaver, Izabella Miko, Liam Aiken. PORTLAND PREMIERE

Like Me / U.S. (Director: Michael Kuell) A documentary about NYC comedian and actor Micah Sherman attempts to overcome his lack of boundaries and social anxiety to find his digital voice through social media. Featuring: Micah Sherman, Hannibal Burress, Jim Gaffigan, Grace Helbig, Maria Bamford, Janeane Garofalo. WORLD PREMIERE

The Makings of You / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Matt Amato) Frank Wallis and Judy Meadows are comfortably numb to their lives, but when a chance encounter brings them together, their love for each other reignites life's sweet, unimagined possibilities. Cast: Jay Ferguson, Sheryl Lee, Grace Zabriskie. WEST COAST PREMIERE

The Resurrection of Jake the Snake / U.S. (Director: Steve Yu) A documentary portrait of legendary wrestler Jake “The Snake” Roberts as he charts his personal and professional comeback while battling crippling addictions. Cast: Jake Roberts, Dallas Page, Chris Jericho, Steve Austin, Adam Copeland. NORTHWEST PREMIERE

This is Happening / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Ryan Jaffe) Two estranged siblings. Five pounds of pot. One runaway grandmother. Cast: James Wolk, Mickey Sumner, Judd Nelson, Cloris Leachman. WEST COAST PREMIERE

We are Twisted F***ING SISTER / Germany, U.S. (Director: Andrew Horn) A documentary about the history of the iconic 80’s metal band Twisted Sister, tracing their origins in the bar scene of early 1970s Long Island to their pre-MTV rise as a popular regional, New York-based band in the mid-1970s and early 1980s. U.S. PREMIERE

Yosemite / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Gabrielle Demeestere) Set in 1985, intertwining tales of three fifth grade friends unfold as the threat of a mountain lion looms over Palo Alto. Cast: James Franco, Henry Hopper, Calum John, Alec Mansky, Everett Meckler. PORTLAND PREMIERE


MIDNIGHT SPOTLIGHT
After dark movies full of wonderfully weird, provocative, and comedy highlights of new cinema.

Dude Bro Party Massacre III / U.S. (Directors: Tomm Jacobsen, Michael Rousselet, Jon Salmon, Screenwriters: Michael Rousselet, Alec Owen, Ben Gigli, Brian Firenzi, Jon Salmon, Joey Scoma, Michael E. Peter, Mike James, Timothy Ciancio, Tomm Jacobsen) A hysterical and bloody twist on 80’s slasher flicks, in which a dorky loner must infiltrate a party-centric fraternity to solve the murder of his twin brother. Cast: Alec Owen, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Patton Oswalt, Larry King, Nina Hartley, Greg Sestero. PORTLAND PREMIERE

Mega Summer Hit: A Slam Dunkumentary / U.S. (Director: Ryan Max O'Meila, Screenwriters: Thomas Kellogg, Kyle Newacheck, Ryan Max O’Meila) A mockumentary about a social media contest that sends its makers into the deepest corners of their minds as they struggle to finish the film. Cast: Thomas Kellogg, Kyle Newacheck, Ryan Max O'Melia, Blake Anderson, Adam Devine, Anders Holm. WORLD PREMIERE

Space Program / U.S. (Director: Van Neistat, Screenwriters: Van Neistat, Tom Sachs) Two female astronauts go to Mars in a handmade space program to answer humankind's ultimate question...are we alone? A provocative collaboration between acclaimed artist Tom Sachs and director Van Neistat. WEST COAST PREMIERE

NORTHWEST
Celebrating narrative and documentary films made in the Northwest area, as well as unique films made by Northwest filmmakers.

The Black Sea / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Brian Padian) Five friends arrive at a beach house on the Oregon Coast for a holiday weekend, where one of them mysteriously disappears overnight. Cast: Cora Benesh, Erin McGarry, Corrina Repp. WORLD PREMIERE

Deep Dark / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Michael Medaglia) A failed sculptor, is about to end it all until he finds a strange, talking hole in the wall. Cast: Sean McGrath, Anne Sorce, Denise Poirier. US PREMIERE

Vintage Tomorrows / U.S. (Director: Byrd McDonald) A documentary about the Steampunk movement’s explosive growth, origins, and cultural significance, which explores the fundamental question: what can we learn about tomorrow from Steampunk’s playful visions of yesteryear? NORTHWEST PREMIERE


About the Portland Film Festival
Established in 2013, The Portland Film Festival is Oregon’s largest film festival, and was named “one of the coolest film festivals in the world,” by MovieMaker Magazine in 2014. It is a non-profit, year round organization dedicated to nurturing filmmakers and audiences, and to celebrating the power of a good story. The festival focuses on the people, ideas, technology, skills and artistry behind filmmaking and provides both entertaining and educational opportunities for the public.
Screenings take place across the city at seven venues, including some of the oldest historic theaters in Oregon, and includes outdoor screenings as well - offering its filmmakers some of the largest audiences available on the West Coast.
Previous and current festival partners include the City of Portland, Portland Parks & Recreation, Women in Film, Oregon Media Production Association (OMPA), Willamette Writers, SAG Aftra (Actor’s Guild/Union), Oregon Governor’s Office of Film (Oregon Film), I.A.T.S.E. (Film Union), Directed by Women, Digital Media Communications Department at Clackamas Community College and others.

Although the festival began in 2013, its history goes back to 2009, when the Portland Film Club was founded as a film club to bring film lovers together to view and discuss films. The club now boasts over 2300 members and is one of the largest movie clubs on the west coast. It screens typically one movie a week including new and independent features.


Full festival lineup and info to purchase passes and tickets, go to: www.portlandfilmfestival.com