….will be showing at the Siskiyou Film Festival in Grants Pass, January 28th and 29th. This festival is a production of the Siskiyou Project, now in it’s 10th year. The festival has rounded up a really interesting collection of films, all of which focus on environmental issues and some specific to the Pacific Northwest. Continue reading... “An Interesting Environmental Film Collection”
This past week there were two news articles of note; one in the Eugene Register Guard and the other in the Ashland Daily Tidings. In Eugene writer Mark Baker profiled Katherine Wilson’s efforts to start a film museum in the Willamette Valley. For those of you who have seen Katherine’s photos from the days of “Animal House” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, you know she’s collected a lot of film history on her own – here’s the article. Continue reading... “Fun Film News out of Ashland and Eugene”
In the last few weeks there have been a number of projects that have applied for the Indigenous Oregon Production Investment Program (iOPIF), and now all the available funds have been fully committed. In total 13 projects have been qualified for the program and projects have been produced or are set to be produced in the Portland area, Central Oregon and Ashland. The first project was the Brothers Freeman film “Wake Before I Die” back in January of this year. Continue reading... “The iOPIF Program Does Its Job – Funds Fully Committed”
Today Portland announced that Shelley Midthun has taken over the position of the Liaison for the Mayor’s Office of Film and Video at the Portland Development commission. Here is the announcement from the Mayor’s office.
I’ve had the chance to meet Shelley a few times and I can promise you that she is coming into the office with a lot of enthusiasm and desire to help the industry continue to move forward. In the two years that I’ve been at the state film office, the city of Portland has been a great partner in bringing projects to the state and I’m sure that Shelley will do all she can to continue that positive partnership. Continue reading... “Welcome Shelley”
OMPA member Frank DiMarco has donated his well-traveled “Making Movies” exhibit to Film Action Oregon. http://www.filmactionoregon.org/ The collection of framed black and white images depict recent filmmaking in Oregon, with emphasis on the individual crafts that go into making a production. Film Action Oregon Artistic Director Richard Beer says, “We are honored that Frank decided to donate this lovely collection to Film Action Oregon. It is a wonderful testament to the talent that lives and works in Oregon.” “Making Movies” has been exhibited in Portland’s City Hall, The Art Institute of Portland, Portland Community Media and several restaurants in Portland. Continue reading... ““Making Movies” Exhibit Finds Permanent Home”
“The Mountain Crumbles”, a feature drama by Portland/New York based director Matt Jay, will see it’s home state premiere this sunday, October 17th, at the 2010 Salem Film Festival.
The film tracks the events of a weekend camping trip between two brothers who appear to have grown apart over the years. The already fragile relationship receives it’s real test when the brothers meet and are joined by a mysterious young woman, whose presence changes the dynamic of the trip.
“The Mountain Crumbles” was shot entirely on Mount Hood, and features a cast and crew of young Northwest based or originating talent. Continue reading... “The Mountain Crumbles at Salem Film Festival 2010”
Lauren Henry from Corvallis based Talented Animals was on KOIN’s show Studio 6 yesterday. Lauren has been a great resource for the Oregon Film community as she’s always out there plugging our state as a great place to film. I also happened to be in a meeting yesterday where I met John Sechrest from Corvallis and the one thing he mentioned relating to Oregon Film was this video. He helped the production secure a space for the video and spoke very highly of the experience. Continue reading... “Meet the trainer and dog behind the OK Go Video”
It’s always great to hear of projects choosing to shoot in Oregon and when we heard about the producers of the documentary, Half Way Home, choosing the Ashland area over their native LA for some of it’s scenes, we learned the reasons in this case were threefold; less expensive, less red tape and solid talent. Gary Kout, producer and executive director of the Southern Oregon Film and Television organization, connected the producers with talented auto-giro pilot, Shawn Adams (Rotor-Head) in southern Oregon to get their tricky arial scenes. Continue reading... “Documentary Chooses Ashland for Easy Shooting”
Variety film critic Justin Chang gave a rave review of Kelly Reichardt’s film “Meeks Cutoff” last week in Variety. He saw the film at the Venice film festival. Among the things he praised were the locations credited to location scout Roger Faires. How often does a location person get credit in a review? Here’s an excerpt from the review.
“Reichardt’s decision to shoot in the 1.33 aspect ratio enhances the docu-like feel and yields one majestic composition after another, the nearly square frame capturing the wide-openness of these harshly beautiful desert vistas (Roger Faires is credited for the film’s Oregon locations, which look utterly of the period). Continue reading... “Glowing review of "Meeks Cutoff" from Variety”
by Bob Schmaling, Senior Project Manager
I was very happy to get an opportunity to work with Nathan to put together a website about Oregon roads. With a landscape that includes deserts, mountains, forests, prairies and an ocean, there’s ample opportunity for engaging vistas. Oregon roads have played roles in feature films, TV series, documentaries, travelogues, but most often car commercials. Continue reading... ““The Roads of Oregon” – a New Addition to the Oregon Film Website”
