The Confluence

Portland Indie Film & Networking returns to the McMenamins Kennedy School Theater on Thursday, December 17th. Join filmmakers, actors, writers, producers and film lovers for an evening celebrating independent films and Portland’s creative community. Following the screenings, participating filmmakers will join us for a Q&A with the audience.

EVENT DETAILS
Thursday, December 17, 2026
McMenamins Kennedy School Theater
5736 NE 33rd Avenue, Portland, Oregon
Doors 6:00 PM • Screenings 7:00 PM
Filmmaker Q&A to follow
Tickets $15 adults • $8 kids 12 and under • All ages welcome

Buy tickets here.

Women in Film Portland recently announced their Vision Grant finalists. The three finalists are Nora Colie, Marisa Woo Grattan and Blaire Mackenzie. The three finalists will present their projects to the WIF- PDX Jury Panel and one will be awarded the $10,000 prize. The winning project will be announced at the 2026 WIF-PDX Holiday Party on November 20 at ADX Portland.

Reserve your free tickets now for RISE, December 9 at the Tomorrow Theater.

The film line up includes:

Raven Steals the Sun (Sydney Renee): A young Native woman coping with grief has to convince her family members to set her grandmother’s spirit free. Based on a Coast Salish legend, this film explores loss, family, and disrupting the status quo.

Swoon* (Allison Moon): A cynical woman with cerebral palsy hires the voice behind her favorite erotica podcast to help her recreate a scene—not for sex, but for something that’s even harder for her: relaxation.

The Clinton Street Theater in Portland is running a Made in Oregon series in November. The line up includes “Wild,” “Pig,” “Sometimes a Great Notion” and Rachel Lambert’s “Sometimes I Think About Dying.” It all happens November 27-December 3.

See the calendar here for specific screening dates and links to book your tickets.

The creative community in Bend is gathering for a Holiday Happy Hour at Hi Vis Studio on Thursday, December 3 from 530-730p. Organized in partnership with Bend Production Society and Central Oregon Film Office.

The Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti has named the third cohort of its annual PEAK Writers Fellowship.

This year’s cohort includes Kanani Koster, Erin Lau, Sean Oketani, Neil Tinkham and Pouariʻi Tanne. Supported by Netflix, the fellowship selects five up-and-coming writers whose work honors Pasifika (people of Pacific Islander descent) experiences, providing them with mentorship, professional development and networking opportunities as they continue to expand their professional television careers.

Read more about it here.

A red carpet, themed displays and a celebration of Portland’s creative community welcomed moviegoers to the Hollywood Theatre Friday for the opening-day screening of LAIKA’s “Wildwood.”

KOIN 6 was there.

The new stop-motion animated film brings recognizable Portland landmarks and neighborhood character to the big screen, offering a distinctly local setting for a story years in the making.

The screening also brought the story’s creators, author Colin Meloy and illustrator Carson Ellis, into the spotlight as audiences got their first chance to see the adaptation in theaters.

A revitalized Oregon Arts & Culture Awards and Summit returns December 1 and December 2, 2026.

Join this two-day convening at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland to celebrate excellence across Oregon’s arts, culture, heritage and humanities sectors, innovate ways to uplift our communities, and collaborate on strengthening our statewide cultural infrastructure.

The Arts & Culture Summit is an effort of Oregon’s Arts and Culture Program, which supports the state’s cultural infrastructure through the Oregon Arts Commission and Oregon Cultural Trust.

Filmmaker Karina Ripper recently won the Harold Matzner Impact Award for her film “Silver Blankets.” The Harold Matzner Impact Award is a $25,000 finishing grant presented by the Palm Springs International Film Society (PSIFS) to support U.S.-based emerging filmmakers tackling social issues. All recipients will attend and be recognized at the Palm Springs Honors event on October 19 at Soho House West Hollywood in Los Angeles. They will also receive recognition at the Palm Springs International Film Awards on January 7, 2027.

Portland is one of America’s great food cities. But there’s another side of its food story waiting to be explored.

Step inside the kitchens, farms, and late-night spots of Black Portland with filmmaker Jared Leaf. Meet the chefs, farmers, and entrepreneurs creating incredible food, building businesses, and bringing people together.

Big flavors. Unforgettable personalities. Plenty of surprises.

Come hungry. Leave connected.

Food is the vehicle. Portland is the world. Home is the destination.

Get more info and watch a trailer here.