The Oregon Film Annual Governor’s Awards

Gordon Sondland, Governor Kitzhaber, Cheryl Strayed, Russell Hornsby (photo: Kim Oanh Nguyen)
Gordon Sondland, Governor Kitzhaber, Cheryl Strayed, Russell Hornsby (photo: Kim Oanh Nguyen)

There was a big turnout at the Eastside Exchange Ballroom last night for the Oregon Film’s Annual Governor’s Awards. Kicking off the event was Gordon Sondland (Oregon Film Board Chair, founder and chairman of Provenance Hotels, and co-founder of the merchant bank Aspen Capital) who introduced the evening and then actor Russell Hornsby (“Grimm“), who then declared himself now a Portland local! (“Grimm” is now shooting season 4 in the Portland Metro area).   Hornsby introduced Governor Kitzhaber, who has been a stalwart  supporter and advocate for film and production work in Oregon since 2011.  He went on to present the “Achievement in Film Service Award” to Sondland,  for integral behind-the-scenes work done over the past decade that has greatly furthered production in Oregon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJz7d04LeMQ

(Thank you Andy Mingo and the Clackamas Community College student team for the above video.)

After an impassioned speech, noting the important work done by Oregonians to assist in bringing “Wild”, and Oregon, to the screen, Cheryl Strayed presented two “Film Advocate Awards” to the Zigzag Ranger District, and Crater Lake National Park staff alike.   There to accept for Zigzag were, Bill Westbrook (Zigzag District Ranger), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald, Leanne Veldhuis, Kathleen Walker; and Craig Ackerman (Superintendent – Crater Lake National Park) and Carolyn Hill (Director of the Crater Lake Trust), for the Crater Lake staff.  Ms. Strayed read a letter from Senator Wyden’s office, that remarked upon the extraordinarily helpful lengths  taken by the Crater Lake National Park staff during the “Wild” production.  Wyden said, ” Their fantastic service to the producers of the movie “Wild” means the entire world can now share in witnessing the matchless beauty of one of Oregon’s “seven wonders”–the treasure we proudly call Crater Lake”…”They ensured the movie crew had the access — and the assistance they needed — to film in the national park…”.

Vince Porter presented the “Award for Innovation in Education” to Andy Mingo, director of the Clackamas Community College Digital Media Communications (DMC) program, for his work preparing students for careers in digital media and communications.  (Of note, on hand during the event were a group of CCC students who captured and documented the event with equipment from CCC.)

Tim Williams (Oregon Film Executive Director) introduced representatives from four production hubs around the state; Jeff Johnston and Mike Jones from Eugene (respectively Chapter Chair MOPAN and Head of Industry Relations, Indie Game Con); Ray Robison and Ginny Auer (respectively, Pres. of the Board of SOFAM, Board Member SOFAM); Chris Jennings (Eastern Oregon Film Festival Director); and Juli Hamdan (Board member, BendFilm).

We thank our beer and cider sponsors who helped make a great event happen: Base Camp Brewing Co., and cider through the NorthWest Cider Assoc.; Atlas Cider Co., Finnegan Cider, Portland Cider Co., Bull Run Cider and Rev. Nat’s Hard Cider.

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