Northwest Film Center Offers Two New Community Meet-Up Groups

The Northwest Film Center’s School of Film (934 SW Salmon Street, Portland) has long been a hub on the Portland arts scene, where students interested in creating media come together to network, share tips and techniques, and support each other’s work.  In addition to its roster of film production courses and workshops, the School of Film has hosted the long-running Sisters in Cinema group, a quarterly gathering of local women mediamakers which provides a forum for the voices of women as artists and storytellers.  New for 2011, the School of Film introduces two new community meet-up groups, DocMakers and the Hand Painted Film Society.

DocMakers was an idea born in November 2010, at the Film Center’s fourth annual BarCamp conference for regional filmmakers.  In BarCamp panel discussions, the documentary as an art form—its subject matter, production logistics, and other issues—was a recurring topic, clearly demonstrating the presence of a strong documentary filmmaking sensibility in Portland.  DocMakers aims to continue and expand the conversations begun at BarCamp—to provide a community where local documentary filmmakers can convene to share works-in-progress, talk about their production experiences, and support their peers.  This attendee-driven group is open to participants of all experience levels and will meet at the School of Film on the last Wednesday of every month from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Drop-in is free.

The Hand Painted Film Society, inspired by the Direct Animation movement, offers participants the opportunity to approach filmmaking as a craft, with each film frame a canvas waiting to happen.  For a $10 drop-in fee, participants will be provided with 16mm leader, markers, paints, brushes, projectors, splicers, and other materials and will work directly on film stock to create their own hands-on experimental film art.  Society gatherings are facilitated by School of Film faculty member Pam Minty, who will offer tutorials on technique and projection.  The Society is open to participants of all art backgrounds and experience levels and will meet at the School of Film on the second Wednesday of every month from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.  In June, a free public screening will premiere the Society’s works. Details to come.

More information at http://www.nwfilm.org/school/events/latest/.