The Confluence

Henry Selick’s “Wendell & Wild” was the only animated film to make the recently announced Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) lineup. It will premiere in the Special Presentations section of the festival. “Wendell & Wild” is directed by Henry Selick, (“Coraline“) and co-created with writer and filmmaker Jordan Peele (“Get Out, Us”), Keegan-Michael Key, and Lyric Ross star (voice.)

Read more.  TIFF runs September 8-18, 2022

Entertainment Partners explores building on Oregon’s cinema legacy and how improved tax incentives, job training, and production infrastructure are expanding the filmmaking industry in the Pacific Northwest.

Read all about it.

Award-winning Executive Producers and Portland-based production company team up for their second film project in Portland.

Horror TV pilot filming in Portland January 2022

John Sunshine’s Lost Rock ‘n’ Roll Tapes WINS ‘BEST HORROR’ Screenplay at L.A. Sci-Fi Film Festival

Portland, Oregon – 3 November  2021. For Immediate Release

Killer Joe is on the loose in new award-winning Portland-based TV Series

Fresh off their 13th international win at the Hollywood Script Awards for Best TV Screenplay, John Sunshine’s Lost Rock ‘n’ Roll Tapes, an exciting and outrageous half-hour horror, dark comedy, rock-mock, thriller, and fantasy TV series set in the 1970s and present day has been awarded ‘Best Horror Screenplay’ winning the H.G. Wells Gold Award 2021 at the L.A. Sci-fi Film Festival.

 Read More »

The upcoming animated music visual release, coming from internationally-acclaimed artist Big Wild in collaboration with design-driven animation studio Deep Sky, based in Portland, Oregon, is releasing alongside Big Wild’s new single “OMGarden” (due out on July 27.) The accompanying animated visual accentuates the song representing a vision of nostalgia filled with pure adventure, euphoria, and glitter as the characters find a sense of unbridled freedom and unlimited possibilities in a worry-free dimension. Deep Sky is an animation and live-action studio known for partnering with the world’s most influential creators and brands.

“When I first started creating the foundation for ‘OMGarden’ it immediately sparked an image of an ethereal and massively lush garden. Shameem (his wife and creative partner) sketched out a whole scene with a detailed storyline of our pet bunny, Mopsy, a magical slug, and companion butterflies as the lead characters of the story in a matter of minutes. Mopsy shows us the power of presence on a daily basis as a senior rabbit who starts every day with fresh excitement in his eyes and curiosity with everyone he meets. Every day he embodies youth as he defines it by his state of mind instead of the constructs of time.” – explains Big Wild

Critically-acclaimed recording artist and producer Big Wild (aka Jackson Stell) delivers a glittering new single “OMGarden,” accompanied by an equally enchanting animated music video in collaboration with design-driven animator group Deep Sky. The jovial record sees Big Wild experimenting with unique vocal manipulation and atmospheric production to create an ambiance of childlike wonder. The sonics embrace the best of times when your heart is light and your mind is utterly free.

 Read More »

Inside the locked walls of the Two Rivers Correctional Institution near Umatilla, Oregon, cell doors slide open and a group of inmates begins work with visiting theater director Johnny Stallings. Over the next few weeks, as they cast, rehearse and perform William Shakespeare’s comedic tale of love and reconciliation, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Iraqi-born Portland experimental filmmaker Bushra Azzouz is there among the costume fittings, meals on plastic lunch trays, and deeply personal side conversations to apply her deft hand as a cultural interpreter and activist storyteller. Through her watchful eye, in contrast with societal assumptions about crime and the incarcerated, what she finds is exterior personas softening, meaningful relationships forming and life stories being reimagined, taking us – as she has in her earlier films about ancestry, war and pain – to the roots of our common humanity and celebrating the hopes and dreams in us all.

The World Premiere of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will lift up the many individuals, artists, donors, and friends who have come together around the completion of the film and the life of its director, Bushra Azzouz (1955-2019). Producers will introduce the film and host a Q&A following. Invited guests include inmate participants (now released).

A Midsummer Night’s Dream In Prison is the last film in the body of work by Iraqi-born, Portland experimental documentary filmmaker Bushra Azzouz. In her 30+ year quest to explore identity, transformation, and resilience through film and the arts, she also directed And Woman Wove It In a Basket (with Nettie and Marlene Farnum), about Klickitat traditional arts; No News, a meditation on the horrors of 9-11; and Women of Cypress (with Vassiliki Katrivanou), profiling two journeys through war and pain to reconciliation and common ground. As Lead Faculty at the Northwest Film Center School of Film  (now PAMCut) for more than two decades, she mentored hundreds of emerging artists in classroom and community settings throughout the State. She was a graduate of Reed College (BA, Theater) and San Francisco State University (MA, Film).

Tickets and more information.

To celebrate The Art of Makeup’s 10-year anniversary we decided to have a small meaningful gathering of those who are most important to us. We invited those who are close to us and those who have supported us along the way. We invited student graduates, and industry that has shown interest in hiring them. It’s not easy to own a business and keep it going strong for so many years, but the one thing we know that has kept us thriving is our supportive community.  We have had the privilege to train nearly 1,000 students from 35 different states around the country and 5 countries around the world. Program instructors and special guest speakers have included Emmy Award and Academy Award-winning makeup artists, as well as Todd Debreceni, author of one of the most popular makeup books used in the industry, “Special Makeup Effects”. We have met so many creative, accomplished, and interesting people over the last decade!

We are so grateful to our talented instructors that are our backbone in providing an excellent education and who also often offer students their first job doing makeup outside of school.

We are also grateful to the local community that has shown us appreciation and opportunities to work with our students. Because of this so many of our students have had success in many different industries that require makeup application. One job leads to another, and one relationship leads to many, many more, so much in fact, that we currently have a graduate, Jan Rooney, nominated for a Prime Time Emmy for Stranger Things Season 4! We are over our heads with excitement and can’t wait for the Emmy’s to broadcast this September.  I just know she’ll win!

We had some very special and very accomplished guests attend our celebration and one of them brought another very special surprise guest who quickly became the life of the party! His name is “Oscar” and every one of our student graduate guests got to hold him and take pictures with him, including me!  Jeff Dawn won the Academy Award for Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1991. And he was so generous to bring “Oscar” to our party and let everyone hold him. Jeff had come only a few days before to educate our students on a life working in film and television. Jeff has been department head for over 40 films and comes from a family of 3 generations of makeup artists. He is extremely knowledgeable. I received a phone call from Jeff within weeks of our humble existence in our basement, letting me know he was there if I needed his support.

Another guest who has shown us support from our early beginnings is Michael Key.  I have to admit the first time I met Michael I was star-struck.  I have been attending his makeup show IMATS for many years since the late 90’s when it began. IMATS inspired me and fueled my passion and love of the art and educated me further with the top stars of the industry. The creator of this monumental and gigantic event attended my first open house at our previous location in Vancouver, WA, and attended our 10-year anniversary. Michael has taught classes for us and has generously donated pictures for our walls, makeup for our students, and many of his incredible collection of Make-Up Artist Magazines that he also created along with IMATS. To have his support all these years means so much to me.

Finally, I must point out the Oregon Governor’s Film Office which has also supported me from the beginning and helped me pass the bill to allow makeup artists to work legally in Oregon without needing an esthetic license. The Executive Director at the time, Vince Porter, along with IATSE 488 Business Director Charlie Carlsen, met me at the Capitol to speak at the hearings and convince the legislative decision-makers why the change was important. This helped define makeup artistry apart from cosmetology, carving a new career in Oregon, and allowed me to open my school in the state.  Jane Ridley, from Oregon Film, frequently posts stories about our school on this blog, and showed her support as well by attending our party.

We look forward to what the future brings. We hope to bring new and exciting classes to the community, and create more relationships, partnerships, and work opportunities that help our students realize their dreams of becoming successful makeup artists!

Please contact us if you have any ideas or opportunities for our school and students. We often implement ideas that come our way and turn them into classes. After all, it is all about community.

Contact the Art of MakeUp:

Celena Rubin, Director – [email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/TheArtOfMakeupSchool/

https://www.instagram.com/theartofmakeupschool

We are excited to see that the Eastern Oregon Film Festival (EOFF) has made MovieMaker Magazine’s”Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the world” list!

Here’s what they had to say: Every film festival has films, but how many can offer an experience like this? “The programming team took us all out to the woods to drink White Russians and throw hatchets and shoot BB guns,” says Jim Cummings. “We ended up attaching an inflatable canoe to a 4-Wheeler and sledding with all of the filmmakers. There are moments from Eastern Oregon that are seared into my memory as the high-water mark of how fun a festival can be.” This year’s 13th annual edition aims to open at the historic Liberty Theater and include virtual presentations and satellite screenings throughout the rural Grande Ronde Valley. “This year’s hybrid event will see to it that hot spring huddles, hatchet throwing and Albino Bumblebees are, again, key components for the visiting filmmaker experience.” What’s an Albino Bumblebee? It’s the festival’s signature drink, made with whiskey, raw honey, and fresh warm goat’s milk. 

The EOFF takes place every October in La Grande, Eastern Oregon.

Next up at our #OregonMade Film Series at The Hollywood Theatre is Spirit Award winning “Mean Creek.” The screening is August 17 at 730p. Writer/Director Jacob Estes and Producer Susan Johnson will be in attendance for a Q+A after the film and we will be screening their personal 35mm print. This screening is free to all Hollywood Theatre members.

Four guys and a gal set off in a row boat on the Clackamas River with the school bully to teach him a lesson. What could go wrong?

Deftly moving between moralism and outrage this tight thriller from Jacob Estes makes you feel sympathy, judgement and everything in between. Starring the likes of Rory Culkin and Josh Peck (both looking and playing characters that are miles away from “Under the Banner of Heaven” and “The Wackness”), some might even call this the tense counterpart to that other #OregonMade kids-banding-together-on-a-surprising-journey stalwart “Stand by Me.”

Filmed in and around Estacada in 2003, the summer-snowy peaks of Mt. Hood remind us of where we are even if the tides of your emotions keep shifting.

More info and tickets here.

With less than a month to go until Stand By Me Day 2022 (July 23^rd),  the Linn County Historical Museum and the historic town of Brownville are busy putting the final touches on its biggest celebration yet.  In honor of the 36^th anniversary of the release of this movie classic, they are pulling out all the stops!  Stand By Me Day falls on a Saturday this year giving the town the opportunity to welcome fans from all over the world.  “The Pandemic slowed us down for two years, but we are back and better than ever!”  (Linn County Historical Museum.)

The always popular guided walking tours start at 11:00 am, along with a Geocache Challenge, 1950’s children’s games, a cruise-in featuring classic 50’s autos, and maybe even one or two from the movie!  There will be a Fan Forum at 1:00 pm, and a Costume Contest at 3:00 pm just before the Blueberry Pie Eating Contest, all on the Main Stage in Brownsville’s beautiful Pioneer Park.  You will be able to visit three Oregon Film Trail markers (let us know if you find them all) and discover the actual location of many “Stand By Me” scenes by downloading the SetJetters film tourism app to your smartphone.   At 4:00 pm live music will begin from the Uncaged Locals and from 7:00 – 9:00 pm The Easy Targets will be turning out the fifties classics for the Sock Hop in the Dance Pavilion.  All that will be topped off by the showing of the movie in the park at dusk, around 9:00 pm.

All day there will be several food trucks as well as the Castle Rock Kitchen turning out their delicious “Verno Burgers”…remember how the boys had to wrap their hamburgers around a stick to cook them over the fire?  There will be extraordinary blueberry pie and a favorite farmer will be there with his tractor churning out delicious vanilla ice cream.

Memorabilia will be for sale (including the brand new t-shirt design.)

The fun all happens in Pioneer Park in Brownsville, Oregon on Saturday, July 23^rd from 11:00 am until 11:00 pm.

For more information, you can call the Linn County Historical Museum at 541-466-3390 or follow the museum on Facebook.

Photo: Peter Campbell-Thompson​

#Nostrana Restaurant PDX is giving a portion of pizza sales to MARDA’S GIFT, a documentary short about one woman in one small town (Bend, OR) who has changed lives for her students, their families and communities — by teaching European baking.

Head out to Nostrana before July 14 and support our fundraising to complete the film. All you have to do is eat the best pizza in Portland!

We’re almost at the finish line and will go into post production in the fall with $10,000 raised. Two PBS stations are broadcasting our ~5-minute trailer! Watch it here.

Can’t make it to Nostrana? Click over to Kickstarter. We’re raising last funds needed to complete the film.

Thanks for your support!

Sheila Rittenberg, Executive Producer, MARDA’S GIFT Film