The Confluence

With over 38,000 farms in Oregon, both large and small, growing more than 250 products from wheat and beef, to salmon and berries, there are many delicious reasons to make a stop somewhere on the road from the farm to the market. In fact, Oregon is the number one U.S. producer of blackberries, hazelnuts, peppermint, cranberries, rhubarb, grass seed, florist azaleas and Christmas trees.

All these products, and more, have seasons and stories that make the perennial journey from the farmer’s fields to farmer’s markets interesting, moving, and sometimes even epic and entertaining.  In many cultures across the world, stories about our growers and producers are often recounted and handed down generations.

The winning grant from Faith Briggs and Kenny Hamlett is titled, “From Farm to Bottle” and follows the “life of the grains used to produce spirits, which binds family, traditions and culture. It is a story of immigration and finding home by making home – the journey starts with the conflict of being uprooted from a land considered home, being displaced and finally, planting new roots.”

Faith Briggs is a documentary film producer and outdoor enthusiast with a focus on diversity and representation. Both behind and in front of the camera, she works with brands, non-profit organizations, institutions and individual creatives to create media representative of the world we live in and the better one we are working together to create. Faith previously worked at the Discovery Channel and Columbia Sportswear. She has extensive social media management experience and has produced documentary projects for clients including REI, Peak Design and Merrell.

Kenny Hamlett is a full-time creative with a background in photography and outdoor pursuits. He is passionate about creating stories that he can relate to, those from marginalized communities featuring people like those he grew up with. His love of the conversations that comes from good food and good wine drove first interested him in sharing food stories. The transition from photography to documentary film follows the urge to share stories that matter from underrepresented communities. Kenny has worked with clients including Travel Oregon, Marmot, Vasque Footwear, The Access Fund, Distillery Row, Westward Whiskey, and Wanderback Whiskey.

The “Food Stories Grant” is being provided by the #OregonMade Creative Foundation in conjunction with Travel Oregon. This grant will offer $20,000 in funding to enable the selected applicant to explore the notion that Oregon’s foodie culture is not just about the end products we enjoy eating, tasting and drinking, but also encompasses the stories that create the products.

We’re going “Where No Man Has Gone Before” at ISA THIRD THURSDAYS PDX, November 21^st with guest speaker GRANT ROSENBERG — TV Exec and writer/showrunner whose credits include STAR TREK, MACGYVER, CHEERS, LOST GIRL, BITTEN and more!

WHEN: Thursday, November 21^st– 7pm

WHERE: NW Film Center Office & South Park *

934 SW Salmon, Portland OR, 97205

* We begin at NW Film then migrate across the street to South Park.

Register for this FREE event at:

https://www.networkisa.org/events/individual/view/ttportland

Aidy Bryant in Season 2 of “Shrill.” (Photo by: Allyson Riggs/Hulu)

Hulu announced their the second season of “Shrill” (based on Lindy West’s bestselling 2016 memoir, Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman) will premiere January 24th, 2020 for 8 more episodes.  Aidy Bryant stars as Annie, “a fat young woman who wants to change her life — but not her body.”

Here’s a description of what to expect in Season of “Shrill,” according to Hulu:

“Annie starts the season on a high. She has faced her demons head on—her mom, her boss and her troll—and she’s feeling pretty good. She also has her boyfriend Ryan by her side. But the high doesn’t last long. Annie realizes that quitting her job was a hasty move.

Things aren’t perfect with Annie’s mom either. She cleared the air, but the old problems are still there and there is way more to deal with.”

More on OregonLive.com

Sometimes you need to go to the darkside to see the light…

After an award-winning,  multi-city festival run, Little Miss Anomaly Productions is proud to announce that Tara Johnson-Medinger’s directorial debut film, My Summer as a Goth will be returning to Portland November 18-21st as the next selection of The Portland Circuit.

Tara Johnson-Medinger is an American film director, producer and champion of gender equality in the entertainment industry. Co-producer of the award-winning, music documentary The Winding Stream and feature film City Baby, her feature film directorial debut My Summer as a Goth is scooping up awards on the festival circuit in 2019. 

An advocate for women in film, Johnson-Medinger honors groundbreaking  female and non-binary filmmakers as Executive Director of the international Power of Women Film Festival (POW Film Fest), while developing the next generation of media makers through the youth education forum she founded, POWGirls.  She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two children.  

My Summer as a Goth has screened at several film festivals since debuting as the opening night feature at the 45th Annual Northwest Filmmaker’s Festival and has picked up awards for Best Actor for Natalie Shershow (KC FilmFest), Best Director for Tara Johnson-Medinger (Covellite Film Festival), Best Score for Composer Jana Cushman (Downtown LA Film Festival), and received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Rachelle Henry at the 2019 Young Artist Awards.

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The Portland Film Office, in partnership with the #OregonMade Creative Foundation, has announced the recipients of its second Portland Post Production Grant Program.  Selected from a pool of twenty-seven applicants, four local filmmakers will receive $5,000 for their respective projects.

The grant program is intended to support the professional development of local Portland filmmakers by providing funds for such activities as sound, picture editing, color matching, color grading, closed caption, tech specs for distributors, and music clearances using local post-production houses. A total of $20,000 is being awarded in this second year.

Brian Lord, manager of the Portland Film Office, said, “The second year of the Post Production Grant program was even more successful and robust than last years.  The quality of the submitted projects rose and the fact that two of the four winners were a part of last year’s applicants shows that this program has strong local support.  The range of projects from communities of color, women, and young filmmakers show the local industry is creatively wrestling with profound human concerns.”

The selected projects are:

“Who’s on Top? LGBTQs Summit Mt. Hood” – Devin Fei-Fan Tau (Director/Producer). A feature-length documentary which shines a spotlight on members of the LGBTQ community – including those with a range of mountaineering experience – who challenge stereotypes about gender and sexuality in the outdoor arena.

“Sophie Jones” – Lindsay Guerrero (Producer), Jessie Barr (Director).  A feature film inspired by true experiences of grief, girlhood and growing up, in Portland Oregon 2018. Sophie Jones is a 16-year-old girl trying everything she can to feel something again, and to make it through high school after the recent death of her mother.

“The Buffalo Soldiers of the Pacific Northwest” – Dru Holley (Producer/Director), Jerry Bell Jr ( Co-Director/Associate Producer).  This upcoming documentary film explores the sacrifices and contributions made by the six all-black cavalry & infantry regiments created after the Army Organization Act in 1866 in the name of building a better America.

“Space” – David Poulshock (Producer/Director/Editor) – When one landlord sees a way to revitalize his community by transforming an aging industrial complex into artist lofts, he opens the door for the chaos, beauty, and wonder that happens when an artist finds a space to create and an audience finds a place to witness it.

Housed at and supported by Prosper Portland, the Portland Film Office is committed to the economic vitality of a Portland-centered production ecosystem and seeks to build the local supply chain and industry capacity.

Oregon Film Trail continues at Ecola State Park with two signs and a map panel that were installed last week and officially unveiled yesterday.  They honor Ecola State Park’s starring role as a location in Twilight, Point Break, The Goonies and Kindergarten Cop. The Oregon Film Trail is designed to showcase iconic and interesting film locations in the state.   The signs at Ecola and Indian Beach mark four different filming locations related to the now-classic feature films; Twilight, Point Break, The Goonies and Kindergarten Cop. The signs feature facts and anecdotes about the films. Some visual cues have been added to the map panel and they link Astoria and the north coast to the Ecola locations, to encourage visitors to travel the Trail to see other areas.

Dating back to 1909, Oregon has a rich and interesting film history with over 450 feature films & television shows that have utilized thousands of locations around the state for a wide variety of production backdrops. Today, Oregon continues to be a destination for creative media producers from around the world. From Emmy winning television productions, to Oscar nominated feature films; world-class animated films to award winning interactive games – Oregon is a brand unto itself.

Oregon Film, in partnership with the Oregon Made Creative Foundation, and the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce developed the initial Oregon Film Trail concept and identified the Astoria movie locations as the first signs to be rolled out on the Trail earlier this year with help from the Oregon Film Museum.  The Trail features signage located at strategic points around the state. The creation of the Trail aims to strengthen the correlation between the film/TV industry, economic development, and tourism. The signs at Ecola State Park were a collaborative partnership between the Oregon Film Office (partnered with the Oregon Made Creative Foundation) and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, and were funded by Oregon Coast Visitors Association.

Fans of Twilight, Point Break and The Goonies have been coming to the coast since the movies released in 2008, 1991 and 1985, respectively.

 “Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is a proud partner of the Oregon Film Trail. This collaborative effort with Oregon Coast Visitor’s Association and Oregon Film highlights how some of Oregon’s most special places have been immortalized in iconic productions spanning decades. We welcome everyone to celebrate the journey as we highlight this next stop on the trail.” Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

Three Oregon Film Trail signs have been installed at two key locations and points of interest within Ecola State Park – the first sign, at Ecola Point parking lot, points out locations from Kindergarten Cop and The Goonies. A covered interpretive display at Indian Beach Day-use Area near the Clatsop Loop trailhead is now home to a map panel and a sign indicating locations from Point Break Twilight and Kindergarten Cop, with fun visual references to The Goonies and Free Willy.

“We continue to be amazed by the response this program is having,” said Tim Williams, Executive Director of Oregon Film, “we get new suggestions every week and we keep adding them to our fast growing list. Oregon has so many iconic locations that this Film Trail will continue to grow.”

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Join us for an in-depth workshop about successful small to no crew production with Jem Schofield of theC47.

• Date: Friday, November 1
• Time: 10am-4pm
• Location: Pacific Grip & Lighting, 6550 NE Portland Hwy, Portland
• Admission: $99 for OMPA members; $199 for non-members. Coffee and lunch included.

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If you’re an aspiring or working professional looking to up your game in terms of both technical knowledge and craft, then this is the event for you. This full-day workshop by Jem Schofield of theC47 will focus on small crew video production, including effective planning for your productions, small crew production gear (cameras, lenses, support & grip), audio tips & tricks, and lighting techniques that are best suited for small to no crew productions.

Corporate video production is changing in terms of both company structure and the gear and resources that are being used. More and more companies are also building in-house production teams to create ongoing content for their brands, products, and services. In both scenarios this is generally accomplished with small crews that are tasked with everything—the entire project from production to post.

Jem will prepare you by covering:

• How to Choose the Right Equipment
• Scouting your Locations
• Setting Up your Camera System
• Properly Exposing Your Images
• Lighting & Shooting Interviews (interior & exterior set ups)
• Lighting for On Location Table Top Shoots
• Working effectively as small crews, with great results

ADMISSION

$99 for OMPA members, $199 for non-members. Coffee and lunch included. Space is very limited, so register early.

REGISTER NOW ►

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Jem Schofield is a producer, DP, and educator and the founder of theC47—a full-service production company that focuses on video production, filmmaking, consulting & education. He spends most of his time producing content, educating others, and otherwise being borderline obsessed with cameras, production, and the craft of lighting.

Find Jem online: YouTube | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Website

MEET OUR EVENT SPONSORS

Pacific Grip & Lighting is your source for lighting and grip equipment, expendables, and stages.

FujiFilm offers a wide product lineup ranging from the cine lenses to TV lenses for high-definition broadcasting, including sports broadcasting and studio production.

Join us for a special conversation moderated by Wieden+Kennedy Creative Producer Tiffany Golden on the unique hurdles and obstacles faced by women and people of color in the creative/production industry. Networking to follow. Food & drinks included.

• Date: Thursday, October 24
• Time: 5:30-8:30pm
• Location: Wieden+Kennedy, 224 NW 13th Avenue, Portland, OR 97209
• Cost: Free, but please RSVP

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In our continued efforts to foster a more diverse industry, we’ve realized that even with the best of intentions, many of the people we have come to revere have completely different hurdles and obstacles to navigating this industry. Any efforts to diversify need to take that into perspective.

So, on the evening of October 24th we will turn up the mic and give voice to those who are seasoned yet unseen. This discussion is like no other: you will leave with the truth, you will have actionable items to work with, and you will grow as a person.

Meet the discussion participants:

• Jerry Bell Jr., Director, Producer, & Actor, JBJR Productions
• Fran Bittakis, Founder & Creative Director, JOOP JOOP
• Adolfo Cantú-Villarreal, Director & Cinematographer, TZOM Films
• Maribel De Leon, Producer, TZOM Films
• Eva Moss, Director, Editor, & Producer; President, Couch Film Collective

*Please read before registering: Getting real about diversity requires us to embrace discomfort. With that in mind, please read OMPA’s Code of Conduct and commit to following it. 

RSVP NOW ►

MEET OUR EVENT SPONSOR

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is a team of dedicated attorneys across eight locations (including Portland) who provide day-to-day legal support to streaming services, film studios, production companies, digital studios, documentarians, animation studios, video game publishers, and other content creators and distributors. DWT’s team adjusts to fit your needs with the ability to provide all levels of service.