La Grande, Oregon, October 2024 – The Oregon Film Trail, renowned for marking iconic Oregon film locations, is set to unveil its newest sign located near the historical downtown mural at 1315 Adams Ave. This sign celebrates the movie Breakup Season, making it the 43rd marker on the Oregon Film Trail. To commemorate this exciting addition, partners held a ribbon cutting on October 19th in downtown La Grande. Attendees enjoyed sharing stories from the movie’s filming and more. This new sign location comes at the same time as the announcement that Breakup Season will have a limited theatrical release beginning on Nov. 15 in select cities, including Los Angeles, Tulsa, Portland, Oklahoma City and more. After the theatrical run, it is slated for a TVOD release on Dec. 6 across major streaming services and cable operators, with Buffalo 8 handling worldwide VOD and streaming rights. Static Films is producing the film.
This latest sign addition joins the “Eastern Loop” of the Oregon Film Trail, alongside markers in Baker City, Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort, Hines, Burns, Joseph, Wallowa Lake State Park, Athena, and soon, Richland. This project is a collaboration between the Union County Chamber of Commerce, the City of La Grande, the Eastern Oregon Visitors Association, and the OregonMade Creative Foundation. Representatives from these organizations were present at the ribbon cutting.
Breakup Season, is an independent feature film written and directed by H. Nelson Tracey. Filmed in the picturesque setting of La Grande, the film showcases the town’s rich natural beauty and historic landmarks. It tells a heartfelt story of personal growth and transformation, made even more poignant by its scenic Eastern Oregon backdrop. The addition of this marker further strengthens La Grande’s ties to Oregon’s long and vibrant history in film.
Breakup Season is a feature length film shot entirely in La Grande Oregon in the winter of 2023. The film stars, Chandler Riggs, Samantha Isler, and James Urbaniak, Brook Hogan, Carly Stewart, and Jacob Wysocki, and is written and directed by H. Nelson Tracey, who developed the screenplay through the Eastern Oregon Film Festival’s annual residency program. Selected attendees engage with the community, Eastern Oregon University Students and Faculty, local businesses, and more as they focus on writing screenplays that are informed and enriched by their time in the Grande Ronde Valley. This residency is supported by the Creative Opportunity Fund. Attendees develop their screenplays and explore Eastern Oregon. “One of the festival’s primary goals has been and will continue to be, building industry interest in our area while nurturing local projects and professional career pathways,” says Festival Director Christopher Jennings. “Over the past 13 years, Eastern Oregon Film Festival has brought hundreds of filmmakers to La Grande for our annual flagship event each October and nearly every one of them has expressed a desire to visit again.”Breakup Season partnered with the Eastern Oregon Film Festival and worked closely with the Union County Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Department of the City of La Grande to connect with local resources and support for this 35-person production, composed mainly of local Oregonians. Nelson says, “Directing and producing a movie in Eastern Oregon has been a goal since my first visit to La Grande in 2019.”
Film tourism is growing and in 2023, its global market size was estimated at 66.9M U.S. dollars, this figure has been forecast to increase to almost 119M U.S. dollars by 2033 (2023 Future Market Insights Study). The Oregon Film Trail connects significant filming locations across the state through recognizable markers, stitching together communities, locations, and notable films. This initiative serves as a framework for promoting travel, cultivating local economic development, and celebrating Oregon’s rich filmmaking history. The Oregon Film Trail celebrates this vibrant history while also expanding opportunities to market communities to the thriving film tourism sector through its partnership with the global film tourism app, SetJetters.
For over a century, Oregon’s diverse towns and regions have been backdrops for more than 700 films and television shows, contributing to recognition and economic gains. Oregon’s contribution to film began with silent-era films and it continues to be a destination for creative media producers from around the world to this day. The Oregon Film Trail began as a unique partnership between Oregon Film, the OregonMade Creative Foundation, and in collaboration
with the Astoria-Warrenton Chamber of Commerce, with grant help from Travel Oregon, the Oregon Coast Visitors Association, the Willamette Valley Visitors Association, and now has partnerships with multiple other communities and travel entities.
More information about the Oregon Film Trail .
More information on the Union County Chamber of Commerce.
More information on the City of La Grande.