The Confluence

Outside The Frame invites you to a special gala screening of their new documentary Leaving Home, and new films by and with youth experiencing homelessness in the city.

Monday, November 13, 2017, 6:30 p.m.
(doors open 5:30 p.m. with free snacks and cash bar)
The Armory, 128 Northwest 11th Avenue, Portland
Free, all ages admitted. Reserve your seat http://bit.ly/otfgala

More info at outsidetheframe.org

This week’s Horrregon Edition of our Raiders of the Lost Archive series rightly celebrates an icon of Oregon’s rich cartoon and comic history: Dark Horse Comics and Mike Richardson. It’s easy to argue that Mike is one of, if not the most successful and lucrative film producers here in the state, and we’re proud of that. Our RotLA post this week takes us back to the very first film Mike produced which twists the proverbial knife into many iconic Portland locations in a fun, unique and ultimately horrific fashion (and you may never look at Franklin High in the same way again).

Raider/Contributor Phil Oppenheim takes us deeper into the twisted waiting room of…

When little monsters dressed as Hellboy, Conan the Barbarian, The Mask, zombies and plants from Plants Vs. Zombies, samurai bunnies or any one of hundreds of characters made famous in the pages of comic books start banging on your door demanding Pop Rocks and miniature Kit Kat bars in a couple of weeks, feel free to blame Mike Richardson.  As the publisher and founder of Dark Horse Comics, Richardson has introduced readers to uncountable pages of fantastic characters and universes — from homegrown anti-heroes like The Mask and Boris the Bear to licensed franchise icons like Star Wars, Aliens, Predator, and Godzilla — and helped to transform Oregon’s creative community, making Portland the creative capital of the comic book industry (currently home to some of the medium’s best creators as well as companies like Oni, Image, and IDW).  Richardson has been a fiercely independent publisher, flying on his own wings between the two publishing behemoths DC and Marvel Comics, becoming an inspirational superhero to likeminded comics creators along the way.  Read More »

Doxx Magazine is a new digital publication dedicated to women documentarians. The online hub is a designated and creative place for the stories, work, and thoughts of female and non-binary nonfiction media makers. To enrich the local and national documentary communities, the magazine will archive filmmakers from Oregon and beyond.

Each issue will include interviews, profiles of historic documentary legends, field notes (submit here), industry-relevant articles, and a watch-list. A short teaser issue was launched last week, and includes conversations with Directors Lana Wilson (After Tiller, The Departure) and Amy Nicholson (Beauty School, Muskrat Lovely, The Zipper, Pickle). Content will be released monthly.

Please visit doxxmagazine.com and sign up to stay in the doxx loop. Email [email protected] if you’d like to contribute, comment, offer suggestions, or just to say hi.

On Thursday, Oct. 19, at 7:00 PM, NWFC premieres Dan Miller’s new documentary about Oregon’s first Oscar nominated filmmaker, James Blue. Ben Popp leads the post film discussion with Dan Miller, Sheldon Renan, Richard N. Blue, Brooke Jacobson, Anne Richardson.

For more info: https://nwfilm.org/films/citizen-blue/

James Blue (1930-1980) was on the founding faculty of AFI and was the founding director of Rice Media Center in Houston, where he also founded SWAMP (Southwest Alternative Media Project) and The Territory, a KUHT public television showcase for independent film.

Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater were born in a city James Blue had equipped with resources/inspiration for independent filmmakers.

For more info on Blue: https://jamesbluetribute.com

Thora Birch (American Beauty), and Chris Klein (American Pie) star in this #OregonMade indie feature that shot last year.  A new website has just been released and now is gearing up for a release. KPTV’s More Good Day Oregon has a first look.  #thecompetitionthefilm

 Read More »

Game developers and indie game enthusiasts, you won’t want to miss this.  When it is over, then check out the future of immersive gaming on October 23rd, with this event brought to you by PigSquad, Intel, New Relic, PANOGS, The Khronos Group,   360 Labs, and Perkins Cole.

“Who Killed Jim Thompson The Thai Silk King” premieres at LCC, Friday, October 20th, 7:00 PM, Ragozzino Performance Hall.  Paris based Director Neil Hollander will be present as will Seattle based Producer Barry Broman.  Be sure to read the BBC and Newsweek stories linked below.

Jim Thompson, The Thai Silk King

OSS agent Jim Thompson was rich.  He founded the Thai Silk Company following WWII and in 1967 disappeared without a trace.  The company he founded continues today as Jim Thompson Fabrics.  But his mysterious disappearance has never been solved, until now.

 Read More »

Continuing on under the sub-heading “Hooray for Horregon,” our intrepid Raider/Contributor leads us up to the top of the SW Hills over Portland to celebrate an #OregonMade Filmmaker who the Willamette Week called “Portland’s most important forgotten filmmaker:” Don Gonquist.

The trailer pretty much sets the tone from there. “It began as an idyllic outing….”

On a clear day you can see for miles, or on the darkest night you can encounter Hitchcock-esque dysfuntionality in a true 80’s fashion. Scream-like slasher rules apply.

Phil Oppenheim takes us from here:

VHS box art — note the Pittock Mansion in the background!

Maybe it’s a good thing that the Pittock Mansion closes at 4 pm on October 31, preventing any stray Trick-or-Treaters from innocently wandering up to its stately front doors.  Thirty-five years ago three young women found themselves in the mansion, after driving their car into a ditch during a rainstorm — and were never heard from again.  Read More »

Help Save MovieMadness!

Help the Hollywood Theatre save legendary Portland video store Movie Madness and its world-class collection of 80,000+ titles.

The Kickstarter page outlines the plan: “Movie Madness is a Portland institution. Known for its vast collection, knowledgeable staff, and display cases full of legendary film props, the iconic Belmont storefront has a deserved reputation as one of the best video stores in the country.

But now Movie Madness is in danger of closing forever. The Hollywood Theatre has the chance to purchase Movie Madness and fold it into our nonprofit, ensuring that this invaluable collection remains available to Oregonians for years to come. We must raise $250,000 by November 10 or Movie Madness will close and the collection will be sold.

With your help, we can save this important piece of Portland’s culture and ensure its collection of 80,000+ titles remains accessible to movie lovers everywhere.

 Read More »

Through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation’s On Screen/In Person program provides all-expense-paid touring grants for filmmakers from across the country to screen their work, connect with new audiences, and participate in related community engagement events at venues throughout the mid-Atlantic region. I am writing today to share information about the program in the hope that Oregon Arts Commission will assist in spreading awareness of this opportunity as it may be of interest to filmmakers in your state.

Filmmakers selected to tour receive:

• Six-to-ten screenings at presenting organizations across the mid-Atlantic 
• All travel expenses associated with the cost of the filmmaker participation in the screenings are paid by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation
• A $200 per diem for each calendar day the filmmaker is on tour
• A $400 stipend from each host site/screening engagement

There is no submission fee to be considered.  All films are evaluated and selected by representatives from the organizations working with Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation as screening partners who, in turn, host the touring filmmakers in their communities. 

 Applications are being accepted for the 2018-2019 season of the program through November 20^th.

To learn more about the program and connect to the online application, please visit here.