The Confluence

Portland filmmaker Vu Pham has long been known for his work in the arena of narrative fiction.

During a 2020 trip to Juneau, Alaska, which coincided with the start of COVID-19 lockdowns in the U.S., Pham began to formulate the idea for his foray into feature-length documentary.

Oregon Art Beat highlights Vu’s journey and the project, “Sea Rose Ashes,” which explores Pham’s family history, including he and his mother’s escape from communist Vietnam and his mother’s murder in 1983.

“There was sort of the wellspring of a motivation to somehow seize control and regain agency of my life,” Pham said.

“Spilled Milk” the acclaimed 2025 horror short film produced by Monkeypaw Productions and directed by Portlander Jared Leaf,  won the prestigious HBO Short Film Award at the American Black Film Festival (ABFF).

“What really happened to all those deadbeat dads who went to the store to get milk? A father’s innocent errand leads him to an encounter with an enigmatic figure called ‘The Milk Man,’ where things quickly go sour.”

Portland shot “Horsegirls” has released a trailer and announced a release date of July 17. The film tells the story of Margarita, a young woman with autism, discovering the world of hobbyhorsing and the she sets out to prove her independence to her mother—stick horse and all.

Horsegirls premiered at last year’s Tribeca Festival. It was among the winners at the Seattle Film Festival and Cordillera International Film Festival.

Only in theaters July 17.

Submissions are now open for the inaugural Northwest Youth Film Festival
Presented by Northwest Children’s Theater and The Judy Kafoury Center for Youth Arts

Film Submission Deadline: Friday, June 19

The Northwest Youth Film Festival is a new film festival celebrating young filmmakers in Oregon and SW Washington*. Produced through Northwest Children’s Theater and The Judy Kafoury Center for Youth Arts, NWYFF is looking for original films under 10 minutes from youth filmmakers in grades 6-12.

NWYFF will screen it’s selected final films in person, August 15th and 16th, at The Judy.

Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) received nine Northwest Regional Emmy® Awards for excellence in television and media arts, following a record 33 nominations earlier this year.

OPB executive producers, producers, videographers, editors, reporters and photographers were recognized during the 63rd Annual Northwest Regional Emmy® Awards Gala on May 30 in Seattle, hosted by the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS).

Winners are selected by a peer judging panel composed of volunteer media professionals from NATAS chapters from around the country, who evaluate entries based on creativity, content and creation.

Whether you’re building your first project or your next one, PFCAT’s Creator Expo brings together the organizations shaping film, animation and creativity in and around Portland.

Meet collaborators, discover resources, and get a clearer sense of where your work fits. This is a chance to see who’s working, what’s possible, and where you can plug in, whether you’re just starting out or already in the field.

The Creator Expo is part of the Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology (PFCAT), running August 18–23 at OMSI and Tomorrow Theater.

Set and shot in beautiful Eugene, Oregon “American Flake” is a gritty look into late adolescence in the Pacific Northwest. The film is written and directed by Andrew David Paterson, a native Oregonian and CEO of B-Team Studios. The story was heavily inspired by Paterson’s time growing up in Oregon and the hypnotic lure of mediocrity that the rainy landscape provides.

The film will premiere at the Dances with Films Festival in LA later this month.

Purchase tickets here and read more about the film here.

The team behind the award-winning animated documentary “Pour the Water as I Leave” has partnered with Pacific Refugee Support Group for a day of celebration, including free events and two screenings of the film – one in Portland and one in Eugene.

Check out the links below and get your tickets for the screening near you.

Proceeds from ticket sales will directly support the development of the “Pour the Water as I Leave” Animation Workshop, a storytelling workshop designed in collaboration with PRSG to benefit refugee and immigrant families.

Eastern Oregon Film Festival recently announced that “Bad Day for Bigfoot” will begin filming in the backwoods of Eastern Oregon this June!

Following the path forged by “Breakup Season” — also filmed in La Grande — this highly anticipated production is set to bring an unparalleled surge of creative fun and high-energy excitement directly to the Grande Ronde Valley. The genre-bending journey, which masterfully weaves humor, suspense, and heart, will leverage the region’s dynamic creative scene and stunning natural backdrop.

Beyond the creative buzz, this film production is making a tangible commitment to Eastern Oregon’s economy by investing directly into the local community throughout every stage of filming.

The McMinnville Short Film Festival was recognized this week by MovieMaker Magazine as one of 50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee in the world.

MovieMaker goes on to say:

This small-town film festival has an inviting submission-to-acceptance ratio and impressive track record in terms of curation: Last year’s selections included several Oscar shortlisted films, as well as Sam Davis’ aforementioned Oscar winner “The Singers.” In the past three years, more than 70% of selected filmmakers have attended. Two-thirds travel from out of state, and they represent all budgets, genres, and levels of experience.