We’ve reserved Ringler’s Pub for the duration of the festival to give filmmakers a place to meet each other, fuel up on northwest pub fare and locally-brewed pints, or maybe even get some work done. The Filmmakers’ lounge is one of the most popular perks of the event—a central destination for industry professionals, actors, writers, directors, producers, studio executives, filmmakers, financial decision makers, and their guests.
You can join in filmmaking forums at the lounge, enjoy live music, ask our amazing volunteers for help and information, or just hang out. We expect about 2,000 people to wander through over the week.
Ringler’s sits beneath the floating-floored Crystal Ballroom and Lola's Room in downtown Portland. It’s named for the ballroom’s founder, dance aficionado and entrepreneur Montrose Ringler, and features a high wood-beamed ceiling, massive mosaic-tiled bar, and the familiar crack of pool cues in the background.
The hospitality of our Lounge echoes the founding principles of accessibility, openness and play that put the Portland Film Festival in a class of its own.
LIVE MUSIC (4-5pm): Matt Neff
TO BE A LOUNGE PARTNER, CONTACT US: support@portlandfilmfestival.com
Glena is a feature-length documentary film about Glena Avila - a single mother in her 30s - and her dream to become a professional mixed martial artist.
Glena was living the American Dream: successful career, two happy children, long-term relationship, a beautiful family home. Then one day, with no background or training, she decided to give cage fighting a try. And she was good…really good. But Glena's world begins to unravel: impending foreclosure, a painful custody dispute, a broken relationship with her teenage son. She puts it all on the line as she travels across the country to compete in a trilogy of epic matches.
Glena is a real-life Rocky story, a one-in-a-million tale about a woman who risked it all for her shot at the big time.
TRAILER: https://vimeo.com/47226342
CAST & CREW
SUBJECT OF FILM: Glena Avila
DIRECTOR: Allan Luebke
PRODUCERS: Allan Luebke, Ashley Sherman, Josh Leake, Ryan Muak
COMPOSER: Peter Bosak
OPENING SHORTS:
ADVENTURE GALLEY - MAROONED by Martin Melnick
A satirical glimpse into a secret, Military rocket launch in the 1950's.
PUNCHES AND PEDICURES By Ash Brandon
Vietnamese immigrant, Victor, escaped a life of gang activity by relocating to the rural town of Defiance, Ohio. Now the owner of his own business, he aims to help troubled youth from making the same mistakes he once made. He does so by teaching the brutal yet disciplined sport of Mixed Martial Arts, in one of the most delicate of places.
PRE-FILM MUSIC: Live music with Adventure Galley.
Door opens at 5:30 w/ music. Films start at 7pm.
We’ve reserved Ringler’s Pub for the duration of the festival to give filmmakers a place to meet each other, fuel up on northwest pub fare and locally-brewed pints, or maybe even get some work done. The Filmmakers’ lounge is one of the most popular perks of the event—a central destination for industry professionals, actors, writers, directors, producers, studio executives, filmmakers, financial decision makers, and their guests.
You can join in filmmaking forums at the lounge, enjoy live music, ask our amazing volunteers for help and information, or just hang out. We expect about 2,000 people to wander through over the week.
Ringler’s sits beneath the floating-floored Crystal Ballroom and Lola's Room in downtown Portland. It’s named for the ballroom’s founder, dance aficionado and entrepreneur Montrose Ringler, and features a high wood-beamed ceiling, massive mosaic-tiled bar, and the familiar crack of pool cues in the background.
The hospitality of our Lounge echoes the founding principles of accessibility, openness and play that put the Portland Film Festival in a class of its own.
LIVE MUSIC (4-5pm): Live Local Band
TO BE A LOUNGE PARTNER, CONTACT US: support@portlandfilmfestival.com
January 2010: In the buckle of the Bible Belt, 10 churches burn to the ground in just over a month igniting the largest criminal investigation in East Texas history. No stone is left unturned and even Satan himself is considered a suspect in this gripping investigation of a community terrorized from the inside-out. Families are torn apart and communities of faith struggle with forgiveness and justice in this incredible true story.
LITTLE HOPE WAS ARSON is a feature length documentary produced by theCollaborate & Goodnight Smoke.
CAST & CREW
DIRECTOR: Theo Love
PRODUCERS: Trenton Waterson and Theo Love
After their beauty-pageant-toddler beats leukemia, a young Appalachian family battles poverty as they attempt to put their lives back together. The father is prone to prescription drug addiction and gun violence, while the overwhelmed mother is confronted with an unwanted pregnancy. Drug dealers and meth heads are their friends and neighbors. Food, clothing and hope are scarce. The parents must take extreme risks to provide for the family, if their daughter is to make a run for Little Miss West Virginia. This is Cliffside.
CAST & CREW
FILM SUBJECTS: EJ Huffman, Brandy Smith, Makala Smith, Josey Smith
DIRECTOR: Jon Matthews
PRODUCERS: Richard Bever, Bob Wilkinson
MUSIC: Lillard Anthony, BrantleyJones
SHORTS BLOCK 1: People
06 min -- “How to Avoid Annoying People” by Ariel Nasser: Hand-drawn animation uses sarcasm and irony to criticize social behaviors such as self-centered small talk. Within a narrative structure punctuated by an infomercial announcer, this comical film reveals the harassment endured by a plane traveler as he endures verbal barrage from a fellow passenger. (Animated)
14 min -- “Operation Barn Owl” by Satsuki Okawa: Ellen's best friend Jonah wants to create a unique and picturesque proposal to his girlfriend. Banding together with a group of friends, Ellen works diligently to ensure that the meticulously planned show of affection goes off without a hitch, but issues arise along the way. Ellen must overcome her feelings for Jonah and any past promises they made to each other for the proposal to go as planned.
11 min -- “The Inheritance” by Anne M. Hamilton: After hitting a deer on her drive home through cornfields, seventeen-year-old Gitty receives an unexpected visit from her estranged father and is faced with a choice to leave the small town where she was raised for a 'brighter' future. In what seems like a simple conversation, darker subtexts emerge that touch on themes ranging from the future of traditional farming communities, to what the best kind of life is, to what we owe the people we call family.
06 min – Gramatik’s “Brave Men” by Joe Zohar: Gramatik’s “Brave Men” tells the story of an abusive husband and his seemingly beaten housewife. Concerned neighbors call the police to rid the neighborhood of this element. The husband is confronted by the police regarding these allegations and is hauled away for being belligerent and aggressive with his wife. (Music video)
19 min -- “The Box” by Christen Kimbell: A young boy, Michael, awakes to find an angel who hands Michael a beautiful wooden box and asks him to watch over it. Michael does, even though it means he has to spend more and more time alone. He keeps it safe from some bullies who try to take it. Eventually he starts to draw, then paint, the angel. His paintings make him famous, but he is still alone. When he is very old, the angel returns to him and takes the box away.
03 min -- “Lime” by Sean Carrow: Two very unlucky fishermen, Willie and Burt, are on their ship adrift at sea starving from hunger and thirst until a lone lime is discovered on board the ship offering them a glimpse of hope. The two friends turn on each other, letting their greed for the lime tack control destroying all they have. (Animated)
17 min -- “Sie heisst jetzt Lotte!” (“Call her Lotte!”) By Annekathrin Wetzel: The friendship between theater actress Maria and her Jewish friend Lea starts to break as Maria’s husband Hans rises to become an SS officer. On the day of the Jewish deportations in Munich, Maria proves what friendship means by saving Lea’s child, risking her own life, and losing Hans. Inspired by the childhood of Charlotte Knobloch, Vice President of the World Jewish Congress. (In German)
03 min -- “When He Comes Home” by Ben Phillippo: When a 1950’s housewife discovers her husband's infidelity, a neighborhood cocktail party turns into something far more sinister. In this music video set to the retro rock of Boston-based trio Banditas, you'll find the tasteful decor and clean-cut faces only serve to conceal the unspeakable...
03 min -- “Super Secret” by Jim Johnson: The story of a super villain father and his daughter. On her 13th birthday, he discovers her deep, dark, secret. (Animation)
10 min -- “Casey” by Miguel Duran: “Casey” is about a young girl who struggles with her mother's misguided attempts to show love. She finds escape as an MC in an underground hip-hop club and must decide between taking a stand against her mother, or watching her owns dreams drift away.
When young missionary Kate Logan hears about Escuela Caribe, a small Christian boarding school that bills itself as a rehabilitation center for troubled teens, she sees the opportunity to make a difference. Hoping to document the positive effects a place like this could have on struggling youth, she is allowed to stay and film on campus in the Dominican Republic for a summer. Once there, Kate discovers the shocking truth of what is really going on at this remote reform school. She hears stories of kids being taken by force in the middle of the night, rumors of physical abuse, and witnesses staff imposing arbitrary and degrading punishments on the young students.
Kate begins to realize that she has stumbled upon a much scarier story than she originally thought. This is solidified when she meets David, who was sent to the program shortly after coming out to his parents. David has been unable to communicate with anyone in the outside world since he was forcibly taken in the middle of the night by people his parents hired to transport him to the school. David begs Kate to find a way to tell his friends back home in Colorado what happened to him. He slips her a letter intended for his best friend. The letter reveals the realities this once promising honor student has been subjected to because of his sexual orientation. Kate is determined to help at least one student escape. The struggles she faced to secure David’s freedom reveal just how far Escuela Caribe will go to prevent their students from leaving. The journey will test Kate's faith in ways she could never imagine.
CAST & CREW
DIRECTOR: Kate S. Logan
PRODUCERS: Yada Zamora, Kate S. Logan, Paul A. Levin
MUSIC: Joseph S. Debeasi
So youʼve finally written that screenplay - now what? Do you submit it for analysis at on online service like Coverage Ink or enter it into an Internet contest like BlueCat? How do you find representation? Should you pursue an agent or a manager? Whatʼs the difference? Maybe you should just abandon that spec script altogether and make a short film instead. But should you submit it to festivals or just dump it onto YouTube? Maybe itʼs a webseries! Screenwriter Randall Jahnson (The Doors, The Mask of Zorro) leads a discussion with special guests that examines the obstacles and opportunities that todayʼs post-Hollywood landscape offers aspiring and veteran script writers.
Every year thousands of South Koreans flock to the game stadiums in Seoul to watch the Pro League, a live sports event where professional gamers compete to be the best at one single video game: Starcraft. It’s a title many young South Koreans dream of. The game itself is more than a decade old, almost ancient in the fast developing world of video games, but in South Korea it has become a national past-time. Like most specator sports, this world of eSports rapidly evolved in a multi-million dollar business. The stars of the Starcraft league are national celebrities, participating on all levels of popular culture. 24hr TV networks devote entire theme shows to a single player, while teenage girls from Seoul devote their entire teenage life to the fan club of their favourite gaming star.
As top players earn hundreds of thousands of euros, being a Starcraft player isn’t only a wise career move, it is also the path to respect and credibility in the highly competitive society of South Korea.They are envied and admired because they do what they love and make a lot of money doing so. Unfortunately few people realise these gamers live a spartan life of training and competition - just as any other professional athlete.
However, a series of radical events has broken the status quo of the Korean eSports scene. First there was the match-fixing scandal, where several high profile players were caught losing games in exchange for money. Soon after that, Starcraft II, a follow-up to the game was released.New players entered the scene and brand new tournaments were established. As eSports finally became global, the South-Korean professional gaming scene faced a clear-cut choice: adapt or perish.
In this story, we follow 3 characters in different stages of their career as a Pro-Gamer in South Korea. For some it will be a struggle to stay on top of their game, for others it might be the turning point of their lives.
CAST & CREW
FILM SUBJECTS: Jae-Dong Lee, Joon-Hyuck Kim, Yohan Park, Kim Jee Seon
DIRECTOR: Steven Dhoedt
PRODUCERS: Gert Van Berckelaer
MUSIC: Regina Lok Yan To
Ryan Mauk, a professional sound designer and mixer, will discuss how to best prepare your project for audio post and the challenges faced during the mixing process. Topics covered will include: mixing in 5.1 surround vs stereo, ADR, sound design, OMF/AAF preparation, voice-over recording and proper file organization. The workshop will also include a tour of a post production facility and examples of different types of projects.
Set amongst the hills of Rwanda, FINDING HILLYWOOD chronicles one man's road to forgiveness, his effort to heal his country, and the realization that we all must one day face our past. A unique and endearing phenomenon film about the very beginning of Rwanda's film industry and the pioneers who bring local films to rural communities, on a giant inflatable movie screen. For most Rwandan's this is the first time they have seen a film, let alone one in their local language, "Kinyarwanda." Thousands of people show up to watch films in stadiums next to mass graves, and locations where horrible crimes took place during the genocide.
CAST & CREW
FILM SUBJECT: Ayuub Mago
DIRECTOR: Leah Warshawski, Chris Towey
PRODUCERS:Leah Warshawski, Chris Towey
Come out and listen to a panel of professionals in the film industry. Networking before and after. This is the monthly meetup for the WOMEN IN FILM non-profit in Portland, Oregon. Anyone interested in film should attend and learn from the over 50 years of experience from panelists. Space is limited. RSVP today.
I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS takes us on a road trip through the stunning and complex landscape of troubled young love. Davina is an imaginative and strong-willed teenage girl who often escapes into a beautifully twisted fantasy life. Having grown up quickly as the sole caretaker of her disabled mother, she looks for salvation in a new relationship with an older boy. Davina is swept into a whirlwind of romance and adventure, but the enchantment of her new relationship quickly fades when Sterling’s volatile side begins to emerge.
SHORTS BLOCK 2: Decisions
06 min -- “Moppet” by Dave Hill: After finishing packing, the only thing left to do before John's big move is to sell his cat Moppet. Delonda, a large African-American woman, barges into his home after responding to his classified ad. After some painful bargaining, John reluctantly agrees to sell his cat to her.
05 min -- “Level 1457 Last” by Xabier Urrutia Perez: A worker of Persephone solar energy maintenance is fixing the solar cylinders when he discovers a hole that may lead to the frozen surface. No human has been up there for centuries, and leaving the safety of his subterranean world could cost him his life. Will he make this ultimate sacrifice to see the sky just once in his life? (Animation, Spain)
10 min -- “Yeti Assassin” by Austin Baker: All Yeti wants to do is fit in. However, he is too big! Cars, chairs, doorways -- nothing is designed to accommodate his size. Even his dreams of becoming an Ultimate Fighter are dashed, as he greatly exceeds the maximum weight allowed in the sport. His last hope is to find his niche as a master assassin, because surely a gigantic yeti can be an effective, state licensed murderer.
19 min -- “O Jogo” by Pedro Coutinho: After an argument during a road trip to the countryside, Julia and Fred begin a sexual game with definitive consequences for their relationship and their lives. (Brazil)
07 min -- “Things I Have Learned About Sex and Dogs” by Janet Duncan: In a series of vignettes, a young woman delivers relationship advice gleaned from the wisdom she has learned from her past boyfriends and her loyal dog.
13 min -- “A Hundred Eighty Degrees” by James Westby: Lily travels to her boyfriend's funeral only to discover she never loved him. To find real love, she'll have to go a hundred eighty degrees to answer the question: if there were one thing we could do that would change our life in an instant... would we do it?
05 min -- “Liberty” by Lanzhuan Jian: It is a typical day in Los Angeles for a typical immigrant at a typical job seeking the American Dream. Jose Guadalupe wants to climb the ranks of his humble insurance sales job, but his ruthless rival Xavier Jose will stop at nothing to get there first. Jose Guadalupe must decide if he will follow in the footsteps of America's past and fight for justice, Honor and Liberty. (Student film)
15 min -- “The House at the Edge of the Galaxy” by Gleb Osatinski: A young boy is visited by a travel-weary cosmonaut and awakens to the magic waiting to be discovered in an old, abandoned house.
13 min -- “Paper Wrap Fire” by Raymond Yeung: A Chinese teenager is left alone in a Community Center where he encounters a handsome man which leads to a discovery that shatters his innocence.
04 min -- “Loving Myself - Hairy Soul Man” by Kai Smythe: An anthem of self love by award winning Comedian/Musician Kai Smythe (A.K.A Hairy Soul Man) uses hand drawn props and sets with trick photography. Hairy Soul Man shows the human race just how important it is to love yourself.
“Big in Japan” is a semi-fictionalized rock-and-roll road movie about a struggling Seattle band determined to not fade away. The film, which is based loosely on actual events, follows real life rockers, Tennis Pro, as they travel to Japan- a last ditch attempt to prevent their day jobs from becoming their careers. Director John Jeffcoat (Outsourced) utilizes a fresh narrative approach, guerrilla production style mixed with an international storyline to craft a dynamic and entertaining story where music and film intersect on two continents and cultures to reveal simple - and oftentimes hilarious universal truths.
CAST & CREW
CAST: Phillip Peterson, Sean Lowry, David Drury, Alex Vincent, Adam Powers
DIRECTOR: John Jeffcoat
PRODUCERS: Jannat Gargi, John Jeffcoat
MUSIC: Phillip Peterson, Tennis Pro band
We’ve reserved Ringler’s Pub for the duration of the festival to give filmmakers a place to meet each other, fuel up on northwest pub fare and locally-brewed pints, or maybe even get some work done. The Filmmakers’ lounge is one of the most popular perks of the event—a central destination for industry professionals, actors, writers, directors, producers, studio executives, filmmakers, financial decision makers, and their guests.
You can join in filmmaking forums at the lounge, enjoy live music, ask our amazing volunteers for help and information, or just hang out. We expect about 2,000 people to wander through over the week.
Ringler’s sits beneath the floating-floored Crystal Ballroom and Lola's Room in downtown Portland. It’s named for the ballroom’s founder, dance aficionado and entrepreneur Montrose Ringler, and features a high wood-beamed ceiling, massive mosaic-tiled bar, and the familiar crack of pool cues in the background.
The hospitality of our Lounge echoes the founding principles of accessibility, openness and play that put the Portland Film Festival in a class of its own.
LIVE MUSIC (4-5pm): Live Local Band
TO BE A LOUNGE PARTNER, CONTACT US: support@portlandfilmfestival.com
TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyO4SRNE47Q
CAST & CREW
CAST: Carter Roy, Rachael Carpani, Abbie Cobb, Rich Williams, Kevin, Crowley
DIRECTOR: Michael Gasso
PRODUCERS: Phillip Barnett, Travis W. Cox, Joe Grasso, Michael Grasso, Robert A. Miller
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Phillip Edelmann, Ronald Lindblom, Brenda Markstein, Barbara Polous, Troy Rydalch
COMPOSER: Alexander Janko
TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHn1IiaLmoA
CAST & CREW
SUBJECT OF FILM: Bhutanese Refugees
DIRECTORS: Doria Bramante, Markus Weinfurter
PRODUCERS: Doria Bramante, Markus Weinfurter, Adam Fish, Marc Dole
SHORTS BLOCK 14: Documentary Showcase, Volume One
17 min -- “The Game Changer” by Indrani Kopal: Every Sunday afternoon for the last seven years, Susan Slotnick has driven an hour up the mountains to the Woodbourne Correctional Facility, a medium security prison for men, to teach modern dance. The lives of men whom she touched have never been the same since. This is her story.
31 min -- “Some Na Ceremonies” by Tami Blumenfield: Representations of Na people (aka Moso) usually center on their matrilineal kinship system, overlooking religion, a central aspect of their lives. The film directors captured important ceremonies ranging from a film festival, to a pig-sacrifice, to a three-day funerary ceremony. The events are rivetingly elaborate and spiritually meaningful. By avoiding interpretation or voice-over narration, the film emphasizes the partiality of any representational attempt.
12 min -- "Methel Island" by Meg Smaker: A peacock, a musical number on meth, and a trash full of condoms - Welcome to Methel Island. This island in the delta 45 minutes east of San Francisco is infested with crystal meth. In the film we explore this lost island and its inhabitants.
13 min -- “Paper Wrap Fire” by Raymond Yeung: A Chinese teenager is left alone in a Community Center where he encounters a handsome man which leads to a discovery that shatters his innocence.
09 min -- “The Invisible Hobby” by Wesley Skotko: The film follows enthusiastic participants of Airsoft, a game of technique and imagination where players participate in tactical training usually reserved for the military and police. Events can simulate military training, recreate famous battles from history, or derive from pure imagination such as a zombie apocalypse.
SHORTS BLOCK 3: Ritual
08 min -- “Blue” by Katelyn Bianchini, Rena Cheng, Asia Lancaster: A fearful balloon must learn to put his fragile life in the hands of an unlikely friend. (Animation)
10 min -- “Best Wishes” by Stuart Doty: When Richards wife suddenly vanishes, he tries to make sense of a reality that seems to have abandoned all logic and reason. His circumstances are complicated further by a cryptic group of overseers.
05 min -- “Leadfoot” by Adam Halverson: Nicholas, an elderly Russian man, is unable to keep pace with his wife's zest for life in her golden years. She goes out dancing at night while he secretly uses his engineering skills to mend the rift forming between them.
27 min -- “One Armed Man” by Tim Guinee: CW Rowe owns the cotton gin, making him the wealthiest man in Harrison, Texas, and his ascendancy has solidified an unshakable belief in the system that enriched him. Few things ever interrupt the purity of his vision, with the exception of the weekly visit of a young man, Ned, who lost an arm in the gin's machinery. Ned is a little touched and believes CW can give him his arm back. On a normal day, he goes away when CW offers him five dollars. But today is anything but a normal day.
05 min -- “Babylon” by Felix van Cleef: A ritual celebration at the seaside. (Music video)
08 min -- “Boxer on the Wilderness” by Alexandra Boyd: It's 1919. A boxer and his opponent fight in the ring, and we see and feel the physical and emotional pain of the young man returned from WW1 who must win at all costs.
15 min -- “Market Hours” by Jon Goldman: Randall spends his days imagining the vibrant inner lives of vendors at the multicultural urban market where he works; none more so than Angela. But Randall's inattention has lead to a string of thefts and soon threatens to cost him his job. A chance encounter with a beautiful starlet provides Randall not only an opportunity to break the ice with Angela, but a chance to prove his worth.
10 min -- “The Moped Diaries” by Tyler Nilson and Nick Vitale: When a new bridge is built connecting his island to the mainland, a boy has to come to grips with the change and opportunities that come along with it. Love of home, love of a partner, and love of family all seem to be falling apart and pushing him towards the inevitable, crossing that bridge himself to see what lies beyond the horizon.
03 min -- “This That Though” by Matt Stoops: “This That Though” by San Francisco based musician Matt Stoops tells the allegorical story of a man who desires to get out of his comfort zone and experience life, but he's having some trouble. Filmed in San Francisco with Richard Neveu (Director of Photography). Music was recorded, mixed and produced by Nick Kirgo. Words and music by Matt Stoops. (Music video)
SHORTS BLOCK 16: Gravity
15 min – “The Gift of Gravity” by Alicia J. Rose: Four teenage girls set out to play a video prank on an unpopular classmate but find themselves transformed by what they witness behind closed doors.
5 min -- “Modify to Fit” by Patrick Murphy: Kendra Bailey, a below the elbow amputee athlete, describes the modifications she has had to make in order to successfully perform a squat clean lift. Kendra relays stories from her everyday life as an amputee that motivate and define her.
05 min -- “Leadfoot” by Adam Halverson: Nicholas, an elderly Russian man, is unable to keep pace with his wife's zest for life in her golden years. She goes out dancing at night while he secretly uses his engineering skills to mend the rift forming between them.
19 min – “I’d Rather Stay” by Callista Haggis: An intimate exploration of the joys and challenges of growing older in one's own home and neighbourhood. Told through the diverse experiences of 5 older adults, living in Vancouver, Canada, the film explores themes of fear, resilience, and the importance of building more accessible and inclusive communities.
15 min -- “Never Again This Flower” by Hugo Obregon Goyarroia: Upon discovering that his friend is dead, Hou wanders around the streets that were once the setting of his relationship with him. He is grieving and the metropolis, Hong Kong, resonates within him in a special way.
17 min -- “The Game Changer” by Indrani Kopal: Every Sunday afternoon for the last seven years, Susan Slotnick has driven an hour up the mountains to the Woodbourne Correctional Facility, a medium security prison for men, to teach modern dance. The lives of men whom she touched have never been the same since. This is her story.
TRAILER: http://vimeo.com/64847457
CAST & CREW
SUBJECT OF FILM: BC Wild Salmon plight
DIRECTOR: Twyla Roscovich
PRODUCERS: Twyla Roscovich
TRAILER: http://myshanghaifilm.com/trailer/
CAST & CREW
SUBJECT OF FILM: Virginia Lumsdaine McCutcheon
DIRECTOR: P.H. Wells
PRODUCERS: P.H. Wells, Joan Macbeth, Tierney Boorboor
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ron Macbeth
COMPOSER: Jonathan Geer
HUNTINGTON’S DANCE is Chris Furbee's journey in dealing with Huntington's disease. Nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Slamdance Film Festival 2014 and winner of the Special Mention Jurors' Award.
Chronicle of one man’s reckoning with his family's brutal hereditary disease. This first person account brings the viewer intimately into their lives. This is an inimitably made love story between a mother and her son. The film chronicles his path: from caretaker to victim to activist over the course of 18 years.
TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e50WiWgIbxg
CAST & CREW
SUBJECT OF FILM: Huntington;s disease, family struggles
DIRECTOR: Chris Furbee
PRODUCERS: Chris Furbee, Herbert H. Bennett, Debra Sugarman, Gene Furbee, Sara Kendall
Our second installment of Reel Stories is a part of the Portland Film Festival!
Our live storytelling format features behind-the-scenes stories combined with film/TV clips from the storytellers’ own work — including outtakes and never-before-seen footage.
This time around we have a veritable potpourri of Writers, Directors, Actors and Cameramen!
Storytellers for this round include: JAMES WESTBY (Rid of Me, The Auteur), BETH HARRISON (The Winding Stream), OCTOBER MOORE (Portlandia, Grimm, City Baby), TG FIRESTONE (HBO/Vice Documentary Series, Portlandia), and CASEY PARKS (Diary of a Misfit, a work in progress).
$15 ADVANCE | $18 DOORTICKETS ON SALE SOONA mind-bending thriller set in Portland, Oregon about an unspoken tragedy and its effects on a house, its temporary caretakers and the owners, a classical music critic and his wife on a recuperative trip to Italy.
ALAN (Randy Schulman) is a successful classical music critic as reflected in his spacious Portland home. His wife SARAH (Diane Dalton) is an obsessively grieving woman, struggling with an unspoken tragedy, even after months of institutionalized therapy.
Upon Sarah's release, Alan forces Sarah into a trip to Italy. He has already arranged for a house sitter in KELLY (Lindsey Haun), young and lonely for commitment and the better things in life. Kelly is quickly joined by her younger brother TIM (RJ MItte), and her trashy-boyfriend JESSE (Blake Berris). It’s not long before the trio find themselves drawn into a web of disturbing revelations. Jesse suddenly decides to kidnap eight-year-old ADAM from the supermarket. But not all is what it seems with ADAM. There is nothing of him in the news, and from the moment he arrives, he seems to radiate innocent control over its hapless occupants.
Sarah’s depression returns in Italy and Alan suddenly reveals a horrible truth. But that truth about a boy and the freakish accident that claimed his life, proves not to be nearly as disturbing as just who that boy was. Little Adam clearly in control now as Kelly, Jesse and Tim find themselves caught in a netherworld between hallucination and reality. Kelly and Jesse eerily unaware as they loose themselves to the house. Tim’s future far less certain in a HOUSE OF LAST THINGS.
TRAILER: http://youtu.be/-x7Pofy4arYCAST & CREW
CAST: Lindsey Haun, Blake Berris, RJ Mitte, Randy Schulman, Diane Dalton, Micah Nelson
DIRECTOR: Michael Bartlett
PRODUCERS: Michael Bartlett, Rene Berndt, Liz Brandenburg, Shelly Heyward, Jon Manning, Kai Shelton, Michael Ward, Tim Whitcomb
COMPOSERS: Alessandro Ponti, Andrew Poole Todd
SHORTS BLOCK 4: Expectations
10 min -- “Money Shot” by Jackie! Zhou: Richie has wanted to direct pornographic film since he stumbled on a Lance Cummaro scene his father accidentally recorded onto a home video tape. Though he has pursued film making in high school, he hasn't quite made anything anyone wants to watch.
When the AV Club budget gets the axe, the club president rejects Richie's pitch to make a porno as the club’s final film. Richie is forced to make his dream movie on his own to prove himself as a film maker.
17 min -- “SUBTEXT” by Jacob Pander and Arnold Pander. SUBTEXT explores how relationships are formed, maintained and ended, all through phone texts. This mode of communication has changed the way we express ourselves, allowing the sound-bite and emoticon to determine the fate of our personal lives. Power plays are made with the push of a button as the next text that is sent may decide who has the final say, without ever speaking a word.
01 min -- “Fletch” by Zen Freese: An intimate coming of age character study of Frisbee golf legend Fletcher Ferguson, as he embarks on an epic journey to make his mark in the world, and learn what it means to be a man ... in under a minute and a half.
15 min -- “Gage” by Keith Wilhelm Kopp: Set in Vermont, the true story of Gage is seen through the eyes of his physician. Life is interrupted the day Gage is injured in an explosion that plunges a rod weighing 13 pounds through his skull. Dr. Harlow saves his life, but brain damage leaves Gage’s world skewed. Harlow attempts to restore Gage’s’ life, while struggling to explain the drastic personality shift to a town of people who, in 1848, do not understand the consequences of brain injury.
15 min -- “Subsurface Flow” by Carl Bird McLaughlin: Wounded by their childhoods, young lovers travel to the desert in search of a holy ground, where the pains of their pasts can be washed away.
12 min -- “Bridgetown” by Bryan Tosh: A drug addicted and despondent father, Peter Abbott, awakens from a haze of heroin to find his only daughter is getting married. In an attempt to connect with her father one last time, Emily Abbott sets up a meeting, only to see that nothing has changed. Peter must choose to either continue his path of destruction or become again the father he once was.
03 min -- “Everybody Poops” by Chris Buchal: An exploration of the unspoken laws of the universe, to which we all adhere.
09 min -- “Tip Toe” by Raquel Bordin: “Tip Toe” is a drama comprised of two parallel stories about the weight of reality on ordinary people. A little boy, Daniel, dreams of becoming a ballet dancer, but his father refuses to accept it, crushing his only opportunity.
Veronica, a transsexual, faces complications with her sex-change along with the reality of the death of her childhood dream.
13 min -- “A Time in a Dark Cloud” by Rebecca Sgan-Cohen: Emily Lively is spending the weekend at her mother's. Her first night home, she decides to go out to the local bar. She meets a good-looking stranger and goes home with him. The encounter causes her to reflect on her choices as well as her mother's.
Rover is Tony Blahd's first feature. Nominated for Best Narrative Feature at Slamdance Film Festival 2014
In their dilapidated church headquarters, a greatly diminished and dispirited cult awaits the sign to off themselves. Their hapless leader, DAVE, concocts a plan: to quell infighting and give them purpose in life before their deaths, he fakes a prophecy instructing them to make a movie and share their story with the world. There's just one problem: they don't know the first thing about film production.
So they recruit a director, and in the production of the movie, the once-disparate cult members find a uniting purpose. But just as they hit their stride, Dave receives a true prophecy. It's time for them to ‘exit.’
TRAILER: http://youtu.be/qn1c48h0PSE
MUSIC VIDEOS
03 min -- “This That Though” by Matt Stoops: “This That Though” by San Francisco based musician Matt Stoops tells the allegorical story of a man who desires to get out of his comfort zone and experience life, but he's having some trouble. Filmed in San Francisco with Richard Neveu (Director of Photography). Music was recorded, mixed and produced by Nick Kirgo. Words and music by Matt Stoops. (Music video)
03 min -- “When He Comes Home” by Ben Phillippo: When a 1950’s housewife discovers her husband's infidelity, a neighborhood cocktail party turns into something far more sinister. In this music video set to the retro rock of Boston-based trio Banditas, you'll find the tasteful decor and clean-cut faces only serve to conceal the unspeakable.
04 min -- Adventure Galley’s “Marooned” by Martin Melnick: 1950's Earth - resources depleted, economic dispair. A secret military installation seeks to launch a rocket, harboring important individuals, and leaving behind the masses to suffer the collapse of civilization. Assuming the roles of test flight astronauts, the band 'Adventure Galley' must go through a series of medical examinations, survival lessons, and prepare to face the dark unknowns of deep space travel. (Music, Animation)
04 min -- “Loving Myself - Hairy Soul Man” by Kai Smythe: An anthem of self love by award winning Comedian/Musician Kai Smythe (A.K.A Hairy Soul Man) uses hand drawn props and sets with trick photography. Hairy Soul Man shows the human race just how important it is to love yourself.
04 min -- “Wait for it” by Juliet Lashinsky Ravene: A collage of living portraits. (Music video)
05 min -- “Babylon” by Felix van Cleef: A ritual celebration at the seaside. (Music video)
06 min -- Gramatik’s “Brave Men” by Joe Zohar: Gramatik’s “Brave Men” tells the story of an abusive husband and his seemingly beaten housewife. Concerned neighbors call the police to rid the neighborhood of this element. The husband is confronted by the police regarding these allegations and is hauled away for being belligerent and aggressive with his wife. (Music video)
05 min -- Denoise's "Burning" by Chris Buchal
11 min "Baby Ipecac" - Baby Ipecac imagines the genesis of a relationship between “David” and “Patricia,” a pair of self-‐destructive lovers and antagonists to the “hero’s journey” in Sway of the Knife. It is a bizarre, kinetic excursion into their volatile criminal dealings inside a hotel room. The usual drug deal becomes a hallucinatory web of paranoia, deception, and immanent peril.
9 min "Waiting" - Waiting focuses on the trauma of suicide as experienced by, “Jessica,” Michael’s love interest in Sway of the Knife. We become immersed in the internal landscape of a woman who watches herself struggle with a spiral of distorted memories. Jessica wanders in a feedback loop through an amphitheater attempting to find her husband but discovers only painful answers.
TRAILER: http://youtu.be/vBXXshkRDL8
CAST & CREW
CAST: Robyn Ross, Gregory Konow, Lacy Marie Meyer
DIRECTOR: Malindi Fickle
PRODUCERS: Malindi Fickle, Beth O'Neill
SHORTS BLOCK 6: Flow
10 min -- “FLEDGED” by Megan-Paige Hausner: FLEDGED documents five Pacific Northwest falconers with their birds through their daily life and activities. The falconers range from someone that does falconry as a hobby, to a falcon breeder, and to a bird abatement team.
17 min -- “The Game Changer” by Indrani Kopal: Every Sunday afternoon for the last seven years, Susan Slotnick has driven an hour up the mountains to the Woodbourne Correctional Facility, a medium security prison for men, to teach modern dance. The lives of men whom she touched have never been the same since. This is her story.
15 min -- “Never Again This Flower” by Hugo Obregon Goyarroia: Upon discovering that his friend is dead, Hou wanders around the streets that were once the setting of his relationship with him. He is grieving and the metropolis, Hong Kong, resonates within him in a special way.
13 min -- “Somebody's Mother” by Mandy Fabian: Maggie is perfectly fine with the fact that her mother, Alice, has started dating again. A lot. In front of her. And in front of her two small children. But when Alice springs her latest boy-toy on the family Christmas morning, Maggie's most wonderful time of the year turns into her worst nightmare, and she's left to wonder: who is the mother here?
12 min -- “The Hero Pose” by Mischa Jakupcak: The Hero Pose is a short film about Mia and her father, Joe, who is trying to sell a car that doesn’t run. As the afternoon progresses, Mia and Joe uncover a lot about their relationship and end up connecting with one another in an unusual way.
04 min -- “PROXIMITY” by Joshua Cox: Proximity is a romantic crime drama in an unusual setting -- an elderly woman's living room. Her collection of ceramic statues have a life of their own. Two figures explore the depths of love and betrayal. Proximity illustrates how spatial relativity shapes our interactions with the world and people around us. Closeness can create the illusion of an unspoken bond, but when challenged by desire it can be turned on its head and shatter reality. (Animation)
10 min -- “GUSTAF” by Yann Caloghiris: Gustaf is a quiet, submissive husband. He has been out of work because of what he calls, 'his condition'. His only point of contact with the outside world is the launderette he visits regularly. This changes when he has a bizarre hallucination. As he begins to draw a connection between the pieces of the puzzle, visions grow in intensity until the truth finally reveals itself.
11 min -- “Chimera” by Luka Pascalicchio: In apocalyptic world, Allen, a man with a free will measuring machine, is determined to find someone who can score over 8%. His sister brings in a mentally challenged patient. Allen understands only the insane can display true free will, and when people from outside are about to break in, he has to go down the rabbit hole in order to find existence. Maybe being free simply means being crazy.
We’ve reserved Ringler’s Pub for the duration of the festival to give filmmakers a place to meet each other, fuel up on northwest pub fare and locally-brewed pints, or maybe even get some work done. The Filmmakers’ lounge is one of the most popular perks of the event—a central destination for industry professionals, actors, writers, directors, producers, studio executives, filmmakers, financial decision makers, and their guests.
You can join in filmmaking forums at the lounge, enjoy live music, ask our amazing volunteers for help and information, or just hang out. We expect about 2,000 people to wander through over the week.
Ringler’s sits beneath the floating-floored Crystal Ballroom and Lola's Room in downtown Portland. It’s named for the ballroom’s founder, dance aficionado and entrepreneur Montrose Ringler, and features a high wood-beamed ceiling, massive mosaic-tiled bar, and the familiar crack of pool cues in the background.
The hospitality of our Lounge echoes the founding principles of accessibility, openness and play that put the Portland Film Festival in a class of its own.
LIVE MUSIC (4-5pm): Live Local Band
TO BE A LOUNGE PARTNER, CONTACT US: support@portlandfilmfestival.com
SHORTS BLOCK 5: Wit
11 min -- “Whisker” by Steve Saussey: A homeless, hungry drifter and his dog discover judging night at a local beard-growing contest. Desperate for the colossal meat-pack prize, but with no beard to speak of, he enters the competition and takes the stage.
16 min -- “The Hideout” by Daniel Wahlen: A young girl's life is thrown into chaos when she is molested by her teacher. Through the support of her best friend, she finds the strength to tell her mother.
02 min -- “Sushi Mischief” by Jim Johnson: A stranger shows up at a sushi shop, irking the local punk. Show down! (Animation)
19 min -- “Teal's Legacy” by Guy Baker: A young girl seeks to unearth the hidden truth in a family myth. Teal's belief will be tested if she is to discover the key to what will save her family's legacy.
04 min -- “Ain't No Fish” by Tom Gasek and Miki Cash: An animated film set to the music and lyrics of Sigman and Russell and performed by Hoagy Carmichael. Animated seals sing the show tune and it's slowly revealed why there Ain't No Fish. Despite the upbeat attitude of the seals the garbage and oil industry that pervades the sea provides the answer. (Animation)
05 min -- “#PDXCARPET” by Jeffrey Janoff: In Portland, Oregon there is a strange cult following at the airport. Young locals take pictures of their feet on the Port of Portland Carpet and upload them to social media. The Carpet actually has its own pages that people can tag and post to. It's old, ugly, and outdated. And marvelous. Why are we so ecstatic to see it when we get home? (Student film)
29 min -- “Down in Flames” by William Striblin: Tony 'Volcano' Valenci has spent his career attempting to set a world record. All his friends have world records. Even his ex-wife has a world record. Now it's Tony's turn. Tony is determined to be the first man to blow fire while skydiving, and he won't let anything stand in his way.
04 min -- “Wait For It” by Juliet Lashinsky Ravene: A collage of living portraits. (Music video)
11 min -- “Whisker” by Steve Saussey: A homeless, hungry drifter and his dog discover judging night at a local beard-growing contest. Desperate for the colossal meat-pack prize, but with no beard to speak of, he enters the competition and takes the stage.
09 min -- "The Kid" by Jeff Winograd: A young boy is drawn into the world driven by the soundtrack of his life and the magic all around him. HIs journey takes him through a strange world he didn’t know existed and perhaps doesn’t. Along the way he meets friends and foes, though he can’t always tell the difference between the two. His experience lead him back to where he started, but his world has changed.
15 min – “Final Flight” by David Jorgensen: After 65 years on the ground, a WWII pilot returns to the sky. Gene Fowler is a 91 year old WWII pilot who started flying when he was 15. It was his passion. But after the trauma of flying 33 missions in the war, he never flew again. Until now. Fly with Gene as he takes a small plane up for one last flight, despite the danger he faces because of his advanced age.
08 min -- “Boxer on the Wilderness” by Alexandra Boyd: It's 1919. A boxer and his opponent fight in the ring, and we see and feel the physical and emotional pain of the young man returned from WW1 who must win at all costs.
10 min -- “Best Wishes” by Stuart Doty: When Richards wife suddenly vanishes, he tries to make sense of a reality that seems to have abandoned all logic and reason. His circumstances are complicated further by a cryptic group of overseers.
03 min -- “Super Secret” by Jim Johnson: The story of a super villain father and his daughter. On her 13th birthday, he discovers her deep, dark, secret. (Animation)
05 min -- “Leadfoot” by Adam Halverson: Nicholas, an elderly Russian man, is unable to keep pace with his wife's zest for life in her golden years. She goes out dancing at night while he secretly uses his engineering skills to mend the rift forming between them.
12 min -- "Alis Volat Propriis" by Christopher Alley: A struggling writer, a mysterious apparition... is she his muse, or perhaps something else?
Divide in Concord is a documentary that follows the entertaining tale of banning bottled water in small town America. In 1775, Concord patriots fired the infamous 'shot heard round the world' that began a Revolution and defined a nation. Now a local eighty-four year-old woman has waged another seemingly unwinnable battle. For three years Jean Hill has been trying to rid the town of single-serve plastic bottles of water. Complete with strong opposition from local merchants and the bottled water industry, Jean is once again leading the controversial crusade.
"Love Is A Verb" is an examination of a social movement of Turkish Muslims that began in Turkey in the l960s, The group called “Hizmet”, the Turkish word for “service” or The Gulen Movement after its inspiration and beloved teacher Fethullah Gulen. Through travels around the world the crew met teachers who crawled through a tunnel to open a school in Sarajevo during the war and the students whose lives they changed and a Sufi conductor whose orchestra is composed of children whose parents were once at war. They met a Kurdish teacher in Iraq who credits everything she is to her former Turkish teachers who stayed during the bombings, in Somalia we followed doctors putting their lives at risk in a place where other relief organizations have deemed too dangerous, a place where they sleep under armed guard.
In this workshop, directors will discuss all areas of working with actors and why they love them. We'll cover what they look for in casting, the best ways to communicate on set, and what makes a great actor different from the rest.
Throughout film, television and the internet many of the most hilarious, poignant and gripping performances have at their core the immediate authenticity of improvisation. Currently auditioning actors have become very familiar with requests for “strong improv skills.” This workshop pushes beyond quick wit and wild characters and hones the skills of Strong Choices, Responsive Listening and Authentic Dialogue. Create relationships in an instant, and fuel them with taut honesty that grabs attention and captivates audiences for film/TV and stage alike.
Boredom and bad decisions are a part of life in far-off places like BFE. Young and old struggle to live free or die trying. Including Grampa who has a terminal illness but won’t go down without a fight. His grandson Ian, on the other hand, tries to teach the old man how to live, while at the same time, catch the eye of the troubled and angelic Ellie, whose feelings for Ian may be more than mutual. The problem is, Ellie’s popular boyfriend Zack, who like everyone else in this isolated town on the edge of nowhere, doesn’t want to be the last virgin.
TRAILER: http://youtu.be/NVwxAAkpKB0
SHORTS BLOCK 7: Search
07 min -- “The Ladder” by Pete Fitz: CB Wetherall, scrawny as he is optimistic, is boy in search of himself and love - the act of love, specifically. Clarrissa invites CB for a late night “study date.” CB is ecstatic, however, Clarrissa’s strict Aunt Edna forbids boys from coming over. Eager for his first kiss (and whatever else he can get), CB sets off armed with his gumption, a stolen ladder and his fantasies.
05 min -- “Modify to Fit” by Patrick Murphy: Kendra Bailey, a below the elbow amputee athlete, describes the modifications she has had to make in order to successfully perform a squat clean lift. Kendra relays stories from her everyday life as an amputee that motivate and define her.
05 min -- SHK THT X Grace Green, "Burning" by Chris Buchal:Ever wanted to set an ex on fire? Well, enjoy...
34 min -- “The Demon Deep in Oklahoma” by Lance R. Marshall: The lonely lives of a brother and sister living in a remote country home are interrupted when a friend of the brothers stops by for a one night stay. The three lives intertwine in a way that changes them forever as they battle the demon that lives deep in Oklahoma.
01 min -- “Binary” by Andre Silva: A digital brain attempts to understand the two primal opposites from a survey of human opinions. (Animation)
18 min -- "Love Act Truly" by Zen Freese: When two actors find they're fallen out of love, they agree to ‘act' like they love each other in an effort to save the relationship. But ultimately they’re still ‘acting’, and as they find out, that’s never enough.
21 min -- “MISTRESS” by Anja Murmann: A love affair that is easy and fun for Claire gets challenged when another reality of John's life comes in to play through an accidental encounter.
09 min -- “The Heebie-Jeebies” by Todd Slawsby: Finding a mysterious storybook, Liam convinces his mother to read it to him and his sister, Lyla. The book tells of The Heebie-Jeebies -- ancient monsters rumored to appear in the night and drag children and their parents into their own nightmares. As they ready themselves for sleep, the children will discover: something terrifying is under their beds.
09 min -- “The Invisible Hobby” by Wesley Skotko: The film follows enthusiastic participants of Airsoft, a game of technique and imagination where players participate in tactical training usually reserved for the military and police. Events can simulate military training, recreate famous battles from history, or derive from pure imagination such as a zombie apocalypse.
04 min -- Adventure Galley’s “Marooned” by Martin Melnick: 1950's Earth - resources depleted, economic dispair. A secret military installation seeks to launch a rocket, harboring important individuals, and leaving behind the masses to suffer the collapse of civilization. Assuming the roles of test flight astronauts, the band 'Adventure Galley' must go through a series of medical examinations, survival lessons, and prepare to face the dark unknowns of deep space travel. (Music, Animation)
While waiting for a blind date in a Tel Aviv park, a computer programmer named Jonathan Goldberg (Yitzhak Laor) meets a mysterious man with a penchant for obscene poetry. The man goes by the name of Eisenberg (Yahav Gal). Immediately after their initial encounter, Eisenberg inserts himself into Goldberg’s life. He follows him to the movies. He shows up at his home. He confronts him with a gang of thugs, including a guy who must be the only Nazi in Tel Aviv. The situation eventually reaches a boiling point, forcing Goldberg to take extreme measures.
GOLDBERG AND EISENBERG is the feature debut of Israeli director Oren Carmi. There are numerous points of reference for Carmi’s genre-bending style of filmmaking. For example, the dark deadpan humor and absurdism of the Coen Brothers is an obvious source for comparison. However, this film is coming from an unique and original place. In addition to being a skilled storyteller, Carmi has a special knack for extracting humor out of grave situations. He pushes this scenario into extremely uncomfortable territory without ever losing his grip on the characters and narrative. GOLDBERG AND EISENBERG is an exceptional work from a fresh new talent. (Rodney Perkins)
"Tamara W." is an honest, stripped-down look into the world of voguing, escort business, ecstasy addiction, sexual abuse, and being a transgender girl. The documentary film is a compassionate portrait of Tamara Williams, a 23-year-old Bronx girl with fire in her heart, and too much life experience on her shoulders. In the film, Tamara recounts her life -- from her childhood and adolescence to her days as a ballroom diva and an out-of-control addict. Tamara tells her story openly and candidly. The disturbing experiences of her life have not been able to dispirit Tamara. She expresses herself by vogue dancing.
SHORTS BLOCK 9: Student Showcase, Part One
19 min -- “O Jogo” by Pedro Coutinho: After an argument during a road trip to the countryside, Julia and Fred begin a sexual game with definitive consequences for their relationship and their lives. (Brazil)
12 min -- "Methel Island" by Meg Smaker: A peacock, a musical number on meth, and a trash full of condoms - Welcome to Methel Island. This island in the delta 45 minutes east of San Francisco is infested with crystal meth. In the film we explore this lost island and its inhabitants.
05 min -- “Liberty” by Lanzhuan Jian: It is a typical day in Los Angeles for a typical immigrant at a typical job seeking the American Dream. Jose Guadalupe wants to climb the ranks of his humble insurance sales job, but his ruthless rival Xavier Jose will stop at nothing to get there first. Jose Guadalupe must decide if he will follow in the footsteps of America's past and fight for justice, Honor and Liberty. (Student film)
12 min -- “Bridgetown” by Bryan Tosh: A drug addicted and despondent father, Peter Abbott, awakens from a haze of heroin to find his only daughter is getting married. In an attempt to connect with her father one last time, Emily Abbott sets up a meeting, only to see that nothing has changed. Peter must choose to either continue his path of destruction or become again the father he once was.
13 min -- “Paper Wrap Fire” by Raymond Yeung: A Chinese teenager is left alone in a Community Center where he encounters a handsome man which leads to a discovery that shatters his innocence.
11 min -- “Chimera” by Luka Pascalicchio: In apocalyptic world, Allen, a man with a free will measuring machine, is determined to find someone who can score over 8%. His sister brings in a mentally challenged patient. Allen understands only the insane can display true free will, and when people from outside are about to break in, he has to go down the rabbit hole in order to find existence. Maybe being free simply means being crazy.
06 min -- “How to Avoid Annoying People” by Ariel Nasser: Hand-drawn animation uses sarcasm and irony to criticize social behaviors such as self-centered small talk. Within a narrative structure punctuated by an infomercial announcer, this comical film reveals the harassment endured by a plane traveler as he endures verbal barrage from a fellow passenger. (Animated)
SHORTS BLOCK 8: Animation
04 min -- “Portlandia Rats Book” by Rob Shaw: In the third season of IFC's Portlandia, the team of Carrie Brownstein, Fred Armisen and Jonathan Krisel dreamed up a skit featuring the lovable Portlandia Rats. In “Rat's Book” the rodents become revenge-seeking DIY publishers after discovering a hateful publication on human/rat relations. The skit was directed by Rob Shaw and produced in Portland, Oregon at Bent Image Lab. (Animation)
04 min -- “Husk” by Paul Howell: While collecting paper scraps for her den, Husk, a life-size tree spirit, has a shock encounter with some feral fairies in the street-art urban environment of Melbourne, Australia. Nothing is as it seems as this hypnotic story unfolds. (Animation)
04 min -- “Ain't No Fish” by Tom Gasek and Miki Cash: An animated film set to the music and lyrics of Sigman and Russell and performed by Hoagy Carmichael. Animated seals sing the show tune and it's slowly revealed why there Ain't No Fish. Despite the upbeat attitude of the seals the garbage and oil industry that pervades the sea provides the answer. (Animation)
03 min -- “Super Secret” by Jim Johnson: The story of a super villain father and his daughter. On her 13th birthday, he discovers her deep, dark, secret. (Animation)
04 min -- “PROXIMITY” by Joshua Cox: “Proximity” is a suspenseful romantic crime drama with an unusual setting...an elderly woman's living room. Her collection of ceramic statues have a life of their own. Two figures explore the depths of love and betrayal. Proximity illustrates how spatial relativity shapes our interactions with the world and people around us. Closeness can create the illusion of an unspoken bond, but when challenged by desire it can be turned on its head and shatter reality. (Animation)
08 min -- “Blue” by Katelyn Bianchini, Rena Cheng, Asia Lancaster: A fearful balloon must learn to put his fragile life in the hands of an unlikely friend. (Animation)
03 min -- “The Uncluded, ‘Organs’” by Rob Shaw: The painful process of grief and the grace of organ donation punctuate the latest music video 'Organs' by rock duo The Uncluded. Produced at Bent Image Lab and directed by Rob Shaw, the video weaves together a dark tale of loss and love as performed by whimsical stop motion insects. (Music video, Animation)
02 min -- “Sushi Mischief” by Jim Johnson: A stranger shows up at a sushi shop, irking the local punk. Show down! (Animation)
18 min -- “The Dam Keeper” by Roberto Kondo & Dice Tsutsumi: In a desolate future, one small town has survived because of a large windmill dam that acts as a fan to keep out poisonous clouds. The dam's operator, Pig, works tirelessly to keep the sails spinning and protect the town, despite bullying from classmates and an indifferent public. When a new student, Fox, joins Pig's class, everything begins to change. (Animation)
13 min -- “Le Nocturne De Lumiere” by David Boarini: Technology has the power to bring those that are far away very near to us. Sometimes though, it can distance us from those we are closest to, the very ones who love us the most. In a world where billions of immaterial communications happen across the globe every second, a mother desperately tries to connect with her daughter. (Animation)
05 min -- “Level 1457 Last” by Xabier Urrutia Perez: A worker of Persephone solar energy maintenance is fixing the solar cylinders when he discovers a hole that may lead to the frozen surface. No human has been up there for centuries, and leaving the safety of his subterranean world could cost him his life. Will he make this ultimate sacrifice to see the sky just once in his life? (Animation, Spain)
15 min -- “Lessons Learned” by Toby Froud is a short film about a young boy receiving an intriguing birthday gift from his grandfather. This gift will stay with him for the rest of his life as he stumbles from his grandfather’s cottage to a layered world of trials and danger. “Lessons Learned” was executive produced by Heather Henson for her Handmade Puppet Dreams (HMPD) film series.
06 min -- “How to Avoid Annoying People” by Ariel Nasser: Hand-drawn animation uses sarcasm and irony to criticize social behaviors such as self-centered small talk. Within a narrative structure punctuated by an infomercial announcer, this comical film reveals the harassment endured by a plane traveler as he endures verbal barrage from a fellow passenger. (Animated)
03 min -- “Lime” by Sean Carrow: Two very unlucky fishermen, Willie and Burt, are on their ship adrift at sea starving from hunger and thirst until a lone lime is discovered on board the ship offering them a glimpse of hope. The two friends turn on each other, letting their greed for the lime tack control destroying all they have. (Animated)
SHORTS BLOCK 15: Doc Showcase, Volume II
17 min -- “The Game Changer” by Indrani Kopal: Every Sunday afternoon for the last seven years, Susan Slotnick has driven an hour up the mountains to the Woodbourne Correctional Facility, a medium security prison for men, to teach modern dance. The lives of men whom she touched have never been the same since. This is her story.
05 min -- “Modify to Fit” by Patrick Murphy: Kendra Bailey, a below the elbow amputee athlete, describes the modifications she has had to make in order to successfully perform a squat clean lift. Kendra relays stories from her everyday life as an amputee that motivate and define her.
15 min – “Final Flight” by David Jorgensen: After 65 years on the ground, a WWII pilot returns to the sky. Gene Fowler is a 91 year old WWII pilot who started flying when he was 15. It was his passion. But after the trauma of flying 33 missions in the war, he never flew again. Until now. Fly with Gene as he takes a small plane up for one last flight, despite the danger he faces because of his advanced age.
10 min -- “FLEDGED” by Megan-Paige Hausner: The film documents five Pacific Northwest falconers with their birds through their daily life and activities. The falconers range from someone that does falconry as a hobby, to a falcon breeder, and to a bird abatement team.
13 min -- “Paper Wrap Fire” by Raymond Yeung: A Chinese teenager is left alone in a Community Center where he encounters a handsome man which leads to a discovery that shatters his innocence.
31 min -- “Some Na Ceremonies” by Tami Blumenfield: Representations of Na people (aka Moso) usually center on their matrilineal kinship system, overlooking religion, a central aspect of their lives. The film directors captured important ceremonies ranging from a film festival, to a pig-sacrifice, to a three-day funerary ceremony. The events are rivetingly elaborate and spiritually meaningful. By avoiding interpretation or voice-over narration, the film emphasizes the partiality of any representational attempt.
We’ve reserved Ringler’s Pub for the duration of the festival to give filmmakers a place to meet each other, fuel up on northwest pub fare and locally-brewed pints, or maybe even get some work done. The Filmmakers’ lounge is one of the most popular perks of the event—a central destination for industry professionals, actors, writers, directors, producers, studio executives, filmmakers, financial decision makers, and their guests.
You can join in filmmaking forums at the lounge, enjoy live music, ask our amazing volunteers for help and information, or just hang out. We expect about 2,000 people to wander through over the week.
Ringler’s sits beneath the floating-floored Crystal Ballroom and Lola's Room in downtown Portland. It’s named for the ballroom’s founder, dance aficionado and entrepreneur Montrose Ringler, and features a high wood-beamed ceiling, massive mosaic-tiled bar, and the familiar crack of pool cues in the background.
The hospitality of our Lounge echoes the founding principles of accessibility, openness and play that put the Portland Film Festival in a class of its own.
LIVE MUSIC (4-5pm): Live Local Band
TO BE A LOUNGE PARTNER, CONTACT US: support@portlandfilmfestival.com
Set amongst the hills of Rwanda, FINDING HILLYWOOD chronicles one man's road to forgiveness, his effort to heal his country, and the realization that we all must one day face our past. A unique and endearing phenomenon film about the very beginning of Rwanda's film industry and the pioneers who bring local films to rural communities, on a giant inflatable movie screen. For most Rwandan's this is the first time they have seen a film, let alone one in their local language, "Kinyarwanda." Thousands of people show up to watch films in stadiums next to mass graves, and locations where horrible crimes took place during the genocide.
CAST & CREW
FILM SUBJECT: Ayuub Mago
DIRECTOR: Leah Warshawski, Chris Towey
PRODUCERS:Leah Warshawski, Chris Towey
The Drop Box winner of "Best Of Festival" at the 2013 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival
A documentary Film about a courageous man named Pastor Lee Jong-rak, leader of Jusarang Community Church in Seoul, South Korea. He and his small staff have taken in nearly three dozen children over the past decade, all of whom were abandoned because of their disabilities.
In 2009, Pastor Lee installed the "drop box" on the side of his home where parents can leave their unwanted babies.
The following words can be read on the drop box: "This is a facility for the protection of life. If you can't take care of your disabled babies, don't throw them away or leave them on the street. Bring them here."
Currently, his flock numbers 21.
CAST & CREW
Subject of Film: South Korea Pastor Lee's orphanage
Director: Brian Ivie
Prodicers: Brian Ivie, Will Tober
Cinematographers: Eitan Almagor, David Bolen
TRAILER
SHORTS BLOCK 10, STUDENT SHOWCASE PART TWO, TIME 61 MIN
03 min -- “Lime” by Sean Carrow: Two very unlucky fishermen, Willie and Burt, are on their ship adrift at sea starving from hunger and thirst until a lone lime is discovered on board the ship offering them a glimpse of hope. The two friends turn on each other, letting their greed for the lime tack control destroying all they have. (Animated)
05 min -- “#PDXCARPET” by Jeffrey Janoff: In Portland, Oregon there is a strange cult following at the airport. Young locals take pictures of their feet on the Port of Portland Carpet and upload them to social media. The Carpet actually has its own pages that people can tag and post to. It's old, ugly, and outdated. And marvelous. Why are we so ecstatic to see it when we get home? (Student film)
17 min -- “The Game Changer” by Indrani Kopal: Every Sunday afternoon for the last seven years, Susan Slotnick has driven an hour up the mountains to the Woodbourne Correctional Facility, a medium security prison for men, to teach modern dance. The lives of men whom she touched have never been the same since. This is her story.
16 min -- “The Hideout” by Daniel Wahlen: A young girl's life is thrown into chaos when she is molested by her teacher. Through the support of her best friend, she finds the strength to tell her mother.
09 min -- “Tip Toe” by Raquel Bordin: “Tip Toe” is a drama comprised of two parallel stories about the weight of reality on ordinary people. A little boy, Daniel, dreams of becoming a ballet dancer, but his father refuses to accept it, crushing his only opportunity.
Veronica, a transsexual, faces complications with her sex-change along with the reality of the death of her childhood dream.
11 min -- "I'm Sorry Alligator" by Alexandr Beran: A withdrawn woman witnesses Ants Man bring an inanimate object to life on a house call. He unearths a ceramic alligator and makes it new. But when he
stumbles upon the homeowners' trend of object neglect, he plans a rescue. The withdrawn woman is inspired to follow him, as she’s lead across town through a world of hidden friends.
HUNTINGTON’S DANCE is Chris Furbee's journey in dealing with Huntington's disease. Nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Slamdance Film Festival 2014 and winner of the Special Mention Jurors' Award.
Chronicle of one man’s reckoning with his family's brutal hereditary disease. This first person account brings the viewer intimately into their lives. This is an inimitably made love story between a mother and her son. The film chronicles his path: from caretaker to victim to activist over the course of 18 years.
TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e50WiWgIbxg
CAST & CREW
SUBJECT OF FILM: Huntington;s disease, family struggles
DIRECTOR: Chris Furbee
PRODUCERS: Chris Furbee, Herbert H. Bennett, Debra Sugarman, Gene Furbee, Sara Kendall
SHORTS BLOCK 11: Perception
27 min -- “One Armed Man” by Tim Guinee: CW Rowe owns the cotton gin, making him the wealthiest man in Harrison, Texas, and his ascendancy has solidified an unshakable belief in the system that enriched him. Few things ever interrupt the purity of his vision, with the exception of the weekly visit of a young man, Ned, who lost an arm in the gin's machinery. Ned is a little touched and believes CW can give him his arm back. On a normal day, he goes away when CW offers him five dollars. But today is anything but a normal day.
15 min -- “Gage” by Keith Wilhelm Kopp: Set in Vermont, the true story of Gage is seen through the eyes of his physician. Life is interrupted the day Gage is injured in an explosion that plunges a rod weighing 13 pounds through his skull. Dr. Harlow saves his life, but brain damage leaves Gage’s world skewed. Harlow attempts to restore Gage’s’ life, while struggling to explain the drastic personality shift to a town of people who, in 1848, do not understand the consequences of brain injury.
11 min -- “Whisker” by Steve Saussey: A homeless, hungry drifter and his dog discover judging night at a local beard-growing contest. Desperate for the colossal meat-pack prize, but with no beard to speak of, he enters the competition and takes the stage.
12 min -- “Oh Sheila” by Jeffrey Sundin: Where have all the disco cowboys gone?
12 min -- "Alis Volat Propriis" by Christopher Alley: A struggling writer, a mysterious apparition... is she his muse, or perhaps something else?
15 min -- “Subsurface Flow” by Carl Bird McLaqughlin: Wounded by their childhoods, young lovers travel to the desert in search of a holy ground, where the pains of their pasts can be washed away.
10 min -- “Yeti Assassin” by Austin Baker: All Yeti wants to do is fit in. However, he is too big! Cars, chairs, doorways -- nothing is designed to accommodate his size. Even his dreams of becoming an Ultimate Fighter are dashed, as he greatly exceeds the maximum weight allowed in the sport. His last hope is to find his niche as a master assassin, because surely a gigantic yeti can be an effective, state licensed murderer.
6 min -- “Unwelcome Guests” by Martin Vavra: A couple stumbles into an akward situation when they enter a vaction home to find unwelcome guests.
“Top Three Winners of 2014 Portland 48 Hour Film Festival”
9 min -- “Tanked Up” by Michael Parisien and Casey Whisler.
7 min -- “Haunt” by Michael Entler and Kara Sowles.
6 min -- “Bounder” by Kyle Stebbins.
Time and time again actors fall into the same auditioning traps. Learn how to properly prepare for and exexcute your best possible audition, what casting directors are looking for, and what skills you need to take your career to the next level.
Glena is a feature-length documentary film about Glena Avila - a single mother in her 30s - and her dream to become a professional mixed martial artist.
Glena was living the American Dream: successful career, two happy children, long-term relationship, a beautiful family home. Then one day, with no background or training, she decided to give cage fighting a try. And she was good…really good. But Glena's world begins to unravel: impending foreclosure, a painful custody dispute, a broken relationship with her teenage son. She puts it all on the line as she travels across the country to compete in a trilogy of epic matches.
Glena is a real-life Rocky story, a one-in-a-million tale about a woman who risked it all for her shot at the big time.
TRAILER: https://vimeo.com/47226342
CAST & CREW
SUBJECT OF FILM: Glena Avila
DIRECTOR: Allan Luebke
PRODUCERS: Allan Luebke, Ashley Sherman, Josh Leake, Ryan Muak
COMPOSER: Peter Bosak
OPENING SHORTS:
ADVENTURE GALLEY - MAROONED by Martin Melnick
A satirical glimpse into a secret, Military rocket launch in the 1950's.
PUNCHES AND PEDICURES By Ash Brandon
Vietnamese immigrant, Victor, escaped a life of gang activity by relocating to the rural town of Defiance, Ohio. Now the owner of his own business, he aims to help troubled youth from making the same mistakes he once made. He does so by teaching the brutal yet disciplined sport of Mixed Martial Arts, in one of the most delicate of places.
Every year thousands of South-Koreans flock to the game stadiums in Seoul to watch the Pro League, a live sports event where professional gamers compete to be the best at one single video game: Starcraft. It’s a title many young South Koreans dream of. The game itself is more than a decade old, almost ancient in the fast developing world of video games, but in South Korea it has become a national past-time. Like most specator sports, this world of eSports rapidly evolved in a multi-million dollar business. The stars of the Starcraft league are national celebrities, participating on all levels of popular culture. 24hr TV networks devote entire theme shows to a single player, while teenage girls from Seoul devote their entire teenage life to the fan club of their favourite gaming star.
As top players earn hundreds of thousands of euros, being a Starcraft player isn’t only a wise career move, it is also the path to respect and credibility in the highly competitive society of South Korea.They are envied and admired because they do what they love and make a lot of money doing so. Unfortunately few people realise these gamers live a spartan life of training and competition - just as any other professional athlete.
However, a series of radical events has broken the status quo of the Korean eSports scene. First there was the match-fixing scandal, where several high profile players were caught losing games in exchange for money. Soon after that, Starcraft II, a follow-up to the game was released.New players entered the scene and brand new tournaments were established. As eSports finally became global, the South-Korean professional gaming scene faced a clear-cut choice: adapt or perish.
In this story, we follow 3 characters in different stages of their career as a Pro-Gamer in South Korea. For some it will be a struggle to stay on top of their game, for others it might be the turning point of their lives.
CAST & CREW
FILM SUBJECTS: Jae-Dong Lee, Joon-Hyuck Kim, Yohan Park, Kim Jee Seon
DIRECTOR: Steven Dhoedt
PRODUCERS: Gert Van Berckelaer
MUSIC: Regina Lok Yan To
SHORTS BLOCK 12: Whimsey
19 min -- “Teal's Legacy” by Guy Baker: A young girl seeks to unearth the hidden truth in a family myth. Teal's belief will be tested if she is to discover the key to what will save her family's legacy.
10 min -- “Casey” by Miguel Duran: “Casey” is about a young girl who struggles with her mother's misguided attempts to show love. She finds escape as an MC in an underground hip-hop club and must decide between taking a stand against her mother, or watching her owns dreams drift away.
13 min -- “Somebody's Mother” by Mandy Fabian: Maggie is perfectly fine with the fact that her mother, Alice, has started dating again. A lot. In front of her. And in front of her two small children. But when Alice springs her latest boy-toy on the family Christmas morning, Maggie's most wonderful time of the year turns into her worst nightmare, and she's left to wonder: who is the mother here?
19 min -- “The Box” by Christen Kimbell: A young boy, Michael, awakes to find an angel who hands Michael a beautiful wooden box and asks him to watch over it. Michael does, even though it means he has to spend more and more time alone. He keeps it safe from some bullies who try to take it. Eventually he starts to draw, then paint, the angel. His paintings make him famous, but he is still alone. When he is very old, the angel returns to him and takes the box away.
15 min -- “The House at the Edge of the Galaxy” by Gleb Osatinski: A young boy is visited by a travel-weary cosmonaut and awakens to the magic waiting to be discovered in an old, abandoned house.
15 min -- “Safe Word” by Todd Lillethun: Greg and Billy are a couple who engage in a role-playing fantasy to spice up their relationship, but end up pushing each others buttons. Greg, the expert, plays a sailor whose boat is hijacked by pirates, and he is bound to a chair. Billy, the novice, plays a reluctant buccaneer who must overcome his squeamishness to extort from Greg the location of hidden treasure. When a surprise guest changes the stakes, the fantasy turns into a twisted endgame with shocking results.
13 min -- “A Time in a Dark Cloud” by Rebecca Sgan-Cohen: Emily Lively is spending the weekend at her mother's. Her first night home, she decides to go out to the local bar. She meets a good-looking stranger and goes home with him. The encounter causes her to reflect on her choices as well as her mother's.
Have you ever wanted to hire SAG-AFTRA performers for a project, but were frightened away by the prospect of filling out “All that union paperwork”? Are you new to filmmaking and curious about the various low-budget agreements offered? The SAG-AFTRA Indie Theatrical and New Media Agreements have been created specifically to accommodate the needs of student & emerging filmmakers. In this workshop you’ll get the “inside scoop” on how you can hire union talent for your next production!
Topics Will Include:
This workshop is a “must attend” for producers, directors, actors and film school students interested in educating themselves on the ease of using SAG-AFTRA contracts to hire the most highly skilled professionals available for future film and New Media projects.
A forum of award-winning composers discuss the process of creating music for film.
Panelists
Dave Metzger - orchestrator for Disney's Frozen, and veteran Hollywood composer/arranger.
Mark Orton - composer for the Oscar-nominated film Nebraska and co-founder of the Tin Hat Trio.
Peter Bosack - composer for the feature documentary Glena and several commercials and short films. Founding member of Wax Fingers.
Andrew Poole Todd - composer for the psychological thriller House of Last Things, and main title music composer for War Flowers starring Christina Ricci.
Moderated by Edmund Stone of All Classical Portland and Producer/Host of the nationally syndicated film music program "The Score", heard weekly in 59 US cities.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Panel Discussion 300-4:00 PM
Audience Q&A 4:00-4:30 PM
FREE ADMISSION.
A talk with directors currently in development on their projects, including Dave Norman’s What Moves You and Matt Zodrow and Tracy MacDonald’s Whitelandia.
FREE ADMISSION.
SHORTS BLOCK 13: Experimental
09 min -- “The Heebie-Jeebies” by Todd Slawsby: Finding a mysterious storybook, Liam convinces his mother to read it to him and his sister, Lyla. The book tells of The Heebie-Jeebies -- ancient monsters rumored to appear in the night and drag children and their parents into their own nightmares. As they ready themselves for sleep, the children will discover: something terrifying is under their beds.
04 min -- “PROXIMITY” by Joshua Cox: “Proximity” is a romantic crime drama in an unusual setting -- an elderly woman's living room. Her collection of ceramic statues have a life of their own. Two figures explore the depths of love and betrayal. Proximity illustrates how spatial relativity shapes our interactions with the world and people around us. Closeness can create the illusion of an unspoken bond, but when challenged by desire it can be turned on its head and shatter reality. (Animation)
09 min -- “The Ballad of Peter & Emily” by Don Andrews: Peter is at a juncture where nothing in his life makes sense; Emily is at the same point in her life. The film looks into the lives of two people recently out of college, afraid to move out of their comfort zones at work and in their relationship. They have fallen into a pattern of inaction thinking that life will slow down, but they soon realize that life slows for no one.
10 min -- “Baby Ipecac” by Vu Pham: Baby Ipecac imagines the genesis of a relationship between “David” and “Patricia,” a pair of self-destructive lovers and antagonists to the “hero’s journey” in Sway of the Knife. It is a bizarre, kinetic excursion into their volatile criminal dealings inside a hotel room. The usual drug deal becomes a hallucinatory web of paranoia, deception, and immanent peril.
07 min -- “REZ CARZ” by Clancy Dennehy: Abandoned cars rest silently in fields for decades, still holding secret conversations within their bodies. A native cast starring Tantoo Cardinal and Gary Farmer breathe life into pivotal moments of sex, birth and death.
10 min -- “GUSTAF” by Yann Caloghiris: Gustaf is a quiet, submissive husband. He has been out of work because of what he calls, 'his condition'. His only point of contact with the outside world is the launderette he visits regularly. This changes when he has a bizarre hallucination. As he begins to draw a connection between the pieces of the puzzle, visions grow in intensity until the truth finally reveals itself.
15 min -- “Subsurface Flow” by Carl Bird McLaughlin: Wounded by their childhoods, young lovers travel to the desert in search of a holy ground, where the pains of their pasts can be washed away.
12 min -- “Oh Sheila” by Jeffrey Sundin: Where have all the disco cowboys gone?
04 min -- “Husk” by Paul Howell: While collecting paper scraps for her den, Husk, a life-size tree spirit, has a shock encounter with some feral fairies in the street-art urban environment of Melbourne, Australia. Nothing is as it seems as this hypnotic story unfolds. (Animation)
09 min -- "The Kid" by Jeff Winograd: A young boy is drawn into the world driven by the soundtrack of his life and the magic all around him. HIs journey takes him through a strange world he didn’t know existed and perhaps doesn’t. Along the way he meets friends and foes, though he can’t always tell the difference between the two. His experience lead him back to where he started, but his world has changed.
06 min -- “How to Avoid Annoying People” by Ariel Nasser: Hand-drawn animation uses sarcasm and irony to criticize social behaviors such as self-centered small talk. Within a narrative structure punctuated by an infomercial announcer, this comical film reveals the harassment endured by a plane traveler as he endures verbal barrage from a fellow passenger. (Animated)
11 min -- "I'm Sorry Alligator" by Alexandr Beran: A withdrawn woman witnesses Ants Man bring an inanimate object to life on a house call. He unearths a ceramic alligator and makes it new. But when he
stumbles upon the homeowners' trend of object neglect, he plans a rescue. The withdrawn woman is inspired to follow him, as she’s lead across town through a world of hidden friends.
Rover is Tony Blahd's first feature. Nominated for Best Narrative Feature at Slamdance Film Festival 2014
In their dilapidated church headquarters, a greatly diminished and dispirited cult awaits the sign to off themselves. Their hapless leader, DAVE, concocts a plan: to quell infighting and give them purpose in life before their deaths, he fakes a prophecy instructing them to make a movie and share their story with the world. There's just one problem: they don't know the first thing about film production.
So they recruit a director, and in the production of the movie, the once-disparate cult members find a uniting purpose. But just as they hit their stride, Dave receives a true prophecy. It's time for them to ‘exit.’
TRAILER: http://youtu.be/qn1c48h0PSE
TRAILER: http://vimeo.com/96868393
CAST & CREW
SUBJECT OF FILM: Urban Agriculture
NARRATOR: Daryl Hannah
DIRECTOR: Karney Hatch
PRODUCERS: Karney Hatch, Stephon Litwinczuk
"I first saw Rocky Horror when I was 9 years old, and it blew my mind and changed my life. I made my mom take me and my 6 year old sister to see it in West Hollywood, bless her heart. They called all the virgins on stage, so we went. "Do you want to get me arrested, kid? Sit back down." As a freshman at Reed, I took my dorm mates to see it for their first time. So glad for your uninterrupted commitment to educating today's youth." Nili Yosha
Dont Dream It, Be It!The Clinton has been showing The Rocky Horror Picture Show weekly since 1978, making it one of the longest running movies in the world! Come on down and join us any Saturday night at midnight (doors open at 11:30pm).
We get questions all the time about whether or not it's OK to bring kids. If the question is coming from a parent, all we can say is that you are the best judge of whether or not your teen or pre-teen is mature enough to come and enjoy the film with or without you.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is rated "R," which means no one under 17 admitted without a parent or guardian.
This is a guideline and not the law, and we do not card anyone at the door. We trust that if teens and pre-teens are in attendance, they are there with the consent of their parents, if not in their company.
In the movie itself, there is definitely lots of sexual innuendo (that's really the point, isn't it?) and there is mild violence and other sorts of gross stuff, but nothing you can't see on TV these days, especially in reality shows. If you're easily offended, then this is probably not the best place for you to spend your entertainment dollars.
Remember this is an interactive show. At least two weekends of the month (1st, 3rd and the occasional 5th Saturdays), the Rocky Horror Picture Show is hosted by the Clinton Street Cabaret. They start the evening out with a pre-show that includes virgin games, and they perform live as the movie plays on the screen behind them. This can be a rowdy, raunchy Rocky experience. Think South Park without anything bleeped out. And while the cast itself has certain rules and guidelines under which it operates, we cannot control and would not want to censor the conduct or speech of audience members.
We do, however, insist that there is no nudity in the theater at any show designated all ages, but you may hear language and jokes that are gross and offensive and politically incorrect.
The Be It Yourself nights, while fully audience directed, are designed to be more family friendly and for those eager to have their first Rocky experience. Watch a cool little video about BIY Nights HERE.
At any Rocky Horror Picture Show, your limits of what constitutes public intercourse and decency will be challenged. But we have created a safe and welcoming place for stretching sexual boundaries and awareness, so if this appeals to you, come on down to the Clinton Street Theater on any Saturday Night, because we've got a home for you.
"Tamara W." is an honest, stripped-down look into the world of voguing, escort business, ecstasy addiction, sexual abuse, and being a transgender girl. The documentary film is a compassionate portrait of Tamara Williams, a 23-year-old Bronx girl with fire in her heart, and too much life experience on her shoulders. In the film, Tamara recounts her life -- from her childhood and adolescence to her days as a ballroom diva and an out-of-control addict. Tamara tells her story openly and candidly. The disturbing experiences of her life have not been able to dispirit Tamara. She expresses herself by vogue dancing.
While waiting for a blind date in a Tel Aviv park, a computer programmer named Jonathan Goldberg (Yitzhak Laor) meets a mysterious man with a penchant for obscene poetry. The man goes by the name of Eisenberg (Yahav Gal). Immediately after their initial encounter, Eisenberg inserts himself into Goldberg’s life. He follows him to the movies. He shows up at his home. He confronts him with a gang of thugs, including a guy who must be the only Nazi in Tel Aviv. The situation eventually reaches a boiling point, forcing Goldberg to take extreme measures.
GOLDBERG AND EISENBERG is the feature debut of Israeli director Oren Carmi. There are numerous points of reference for Carmi’s genre-bending style of filmmaking. For example, the dark deadpan humor and absurdism of the Coen Brothers is an obvious source for comparison. However, this film is coming from an unique and original place. In addition to being a skilled storyteller, Carmi has a special knack for extracting humor out of grave situations. He pushes this scenario into extremely uncomfortable territory without ever losing his grip on the characters and narrative. GOLDBERG AND EISENBERG is an exceptional work from a fresh new talent. (Rodney Perkins)
TRAILER: https://vimeo.com/95164427
CAST & CREW
CAST: Victor Banerjee, Adil Hussain, Bhanu Uday, Preeti Gupta, Bhavani Lee, Ankur Vikal, Seema Rahmani, Samrat Chakrabarti
Written, Produced & Directed by, Raj Amit Kumar
Co-writer and Chief Asst. Director: Damon Taylor
Director of Photography: Hari Nair
Editor: Atanu Mukherjee
Original Music: Jesse Kotansky, Wayne Sharpe
Sound Design: Resul Pookutty
Creative Producer (New York): Roli Chaturvedi
Line Producer (New Delhi): Ruchi Bhimani
Producer (Post-production, Publicity & Distribution): Deepa Bajaj
The children from the village Kumpur in the high mountains of Nepal must walk through steep paths, to reach the dangerous and 60 meters wide river Trishuli. They cross it with a ramshackle ropeway, risking their life every day, and most of the kids never learned how to swim. On the other side they continue by hitchhiking, everything just to get to school. And a second time each day to get back. It is a brutal march and they walk it every day just to obtain a tiny iota of education. Risky, spectacular and sometimes just simply beautiful.
TRAILER:
SUBJECT OF FILM:
DIRECTOR: Joachim Foerster
We’ve reserved Ringler’s Pub for the duration of the festival to give filmmakers a place to meet each other, fuel up on northwest pub fare and locally-brewed pints, or maybe even get some work done. The Filmmakers’ lounge is one of the most popular perks of the event—a central destination for industry professionals, actors, writers, directors, producers, studio executives, filmmakers, financial decision makers, and their guests.
You can join in filmmaking forums at the lounge, enjoy live music, ask our amazing volunteers for help and information, or just hang out. We expect about 2,000 people to wander through over the week.
Ringler’s sits beneath the floating-floored Crystal Ballroom and Lola's Room in downtown Portland. It’s named for the ballroom’s founder, dance aficionado and entrepreneur Montrose Ringler, and features a high wood-beamed ceiling, massive mosaic-tiled bar, and the familiar crack of pool cues in the background.
The hospitality of our Lounge echoes the founding principles of accessibility, openness and play that put the Portland Film Festival in a class of its own.
LIVE MUSIC (4-5pm): Live Local Band
TO BE A LOUNGE PARTNER, CONTACT US: support@portlandfilmfestival.com
TRAILER: http://myshanghaifilm.com/trailer/
CAST & CREW
SUBJECT OF FILM: Virginia Lumsdaine McCutcheon
DIRECTOR: P.H. Wells
PRODUCERS: P.H. Wells, Joan Macbeth, Tierney Boorboor
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ron Macbeth
COMPOSER: Jonathan Geer
TRAILER: http://vimeo.com/64847457
CAST & CREW
SUBJECT OF FILM: BC Wild Salmon plight
DIRECTOR: Twyla Roscovich
PRODUCERS: Twyla Roscovich
“Big in Japan” is a semi-fictionalized rock-and-roll road movie about a struggling Seattle band determined to not fade away. The film, which is based loosely on actual events, follows real life rockers, Tennis Pro, as they travel to Japan- a last ditch attempt to prevent their day jobs from becoming their careers. Director John Jeffcoat (Outsourced) utilizes a fresh narrative approach, guerrilla production style mixed with an international storyline to craft a dynamic and entertaining story where music and film intersect on two continents and cultures to reveal simple - and oftentimes hilarious universal truths.
CAST & CREW
CAST: Phillip Peterson, Sean Lowry, David Drury, Alex Vincent, Adam Powers
DIRECTOR: John Jeffcoat
PRODUCERS: Jannat Gargi, John Jeffcoat
MUSIC: Phillip Peterson, Tennis Pro band
TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyO4SRNE47Q
CAST & CREW
CAST: Carter Roy, Rachael Carpani, Abbie Cobb, Rich Williams, Kevin, Crowley
DIRECTOR: Michael Gasso
PRODUCERS: Phillip Barnett, Travis W. Cox, Joe Grasso, Michael Grasso, Robert A. Miller
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Phillip Edelmann, Ronald Lindblom, Brenda Markstein, Barbara Polous, Troy Rydalch
COMPOSER: Alexander Janko
A talk with directors currently in development on their projects. Bring your project video or something to show. Limit of time may dictacte length of presentation. Email programming@portlandfilmfestival.com to get on the list.
FREE ADMISSION.
UNITING STORY STRUCTURE & CHARACTER ARC
with
Michael Dunaway movies editor at Past Magazine
Sophia Savage former writer at IndieWire
Topics covered will include:
If you want to elevate your storytelling and filmmaking to the highest possible level, this event is a must.
Boredom and bad decisions are a part of life in far-off places like BFE. Young and old struggle to live free or die trying. Including Grampa who has a terminal illness but won’t go down without a fight. His grandson Ian, on the other hand, tries to teach the old man how to live, while at the same time, catch the eye of the troubled and angelic Ellie, whose feelings for Ian may be more than mutual. The problem is, Ellie’s popular boyfriend Zack, who like everyone else in this isolated town on the edge of nowhere, doesn’t want to be the last virgin.
TRAILER: http://youtu.be/NVwxAAkpKB0TRAILER: http://youtu.be/vBXXshkRDL8
CAST & CREW
CAST: Robyn Ross, Gregory Konow, Lacy Marie Meyer
DIRECTOR: Malindi Fickle
PRODUCERS: Malindi Fickle, Beth O'Neill
HOTLINE is a documentary about the people who call and work for telephone hotlines and an exploration of the ways human conversation and connection can fight isolation and alienation in an increasingly digital world.
HOTLINE looks at the intensely intimate conversations that occur between anonymous strangers. From phone sex operators that buck industry standards by advertising their services with their real photos, to New York City's only suicide hotline that doesn't trace its calls, to the iconic spokeswoman of the Psychic Readers Network, Ms. Cleo, HOTLINE takes viewers behind the scenes and lets them eavesdrop on conversations that are intensely personal. At a time when we are told that the telephone is an obsolete technology, many hotlines are experiencing record high numbers of calls. HOTLINE seeks to open up a conversation about how we deal with loneliness and isolation… and how sometimes the help and support we need can only come from a stranger.
website: www.hotlinedoc.com
CREW
Directed and Produced by Tony Shaff
Produced by Lauren Ashley Belfer and Bryce Renninger
Edited by Charles Dugan
Filmed by Tony Shaff and Lauren Ashley Belfer
Audio by Bryce Renninger
Music by Jess Stroup
Associate Editor, Tara Brochon
FREE TO ATTEND.
Have you got a great idea for a movie?
This is it! Your chance to pitch your movie idea directly to a panel of film executives. These are the people who matter. They are the people who buy scripts – they are the people who decide what will be made and what won’t.
To pitch, just drop $5 in the hat, and the floor is yours. You have two minutes to convince the panelists your script is great, and maybe to read it. They can and will gong you off if you are boring.
Improve your pitching skills and get instant feedback.
Book your seat quickly in order to ensure entry, it's going to be packed.
When Louis Ortiz shaved off his goatee one day in 2008, his life changed forever. He looked in the mirror and he didn’t see himself – a middle-aged, unemployed Puerto Rican father from the Bronx. He saw the face of change, of hope… of money. BRONX OBAMA tells the strange and improbable tale of a Barack Obama impersonator who tries to cash in on the “look of a lifetime” and chases a fevered American dream from opportunity to oblivion.
Filmmaker Ryan Murdock’s debut feature film has been in the making for nearly 3 years, as he intimately documented Mr. Ortiz’s transformation during Obama’s first term and the 2012 election season. Murdock has rolled out this story in multiple parts – first as a 36-minute radio piece for NPR’s This American Life, then as a short film for The New York Times. The 90-minute feature documentary reveals a host of new characters; a manager who pushes Louis hard to “become Obama,” a seasoned “Bill Clinton” who dispenses advice, and a hard-working “Mitt Romney” who bets it all on his newfound career. Murdock captures unexpectedly hilarious moments along this Twilight-Zone-esque campaign trail while delving deep into the question of what it means to be someone you’re not.
TEASER TRAILER: http://youtu.be/tavgN-2M0YI
Divide in Concord is a documentary that follows the entertaining tale of banning bottled water in small town America. In 1775, Concord patriots fired the infamous 'shot heard round the world' that began a Revolution and defined a nation. Now a local eighty-four year-old woman has waged another seemingly unwinnable battle. For three years Jean Hill has been trying to rid the town of single-serve plastic bottles of water. Complete with strong opposition from local merchants and the bottled water industry, Jean is once again leading the controversial crusade.
The Immortalists is the story of two eccentric scientists struggling to discover medical breakthroughs to create eternal youth. And yet they fight to gain support for their cause in our world, which they call a world “blind to the tragedy of old age.” Bill Andrews is a lab biologist and famed long-distance runner racing against the ultimate clock. Aubrey de Grey is a genius theoretical biologist who conducts his research with a beer in hand. They differ in style and substance, but are united in their common crusade: to cure aging or die trying. They publicly brawl with the old guard of biology who argue that curing aging is neither possible nor desirable. As Andrews and de Grey battle their own aging and suffer the loss of loved ones, their journeys toward life without end ultimately become personal.
