The Gem Theatre is located in Athena—a small, community surrounded by wheat fields in the northeast corner of Oregon. The theatre showed its first “moving pictures” in 1909 and closed in 1968. Four decades of decay followed—an all too common tale of theatres lost forever. But, in the case of the Gem, a handful of determined volunteers intervened beginning in 2004.Continue reading... “Athena’s Gem Theatre – Getting A New Lease Of Life”
#OregonMade “Leave No Trace” – is out this week! Oregon looks fantastic and the film has collected some very positive reviews. Manohla Dargis of the @NewYorkTimes raves it’s “a deeply affecting story about a veteran and his teenage daughter – movingly played by Ben Foster and Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie.” See it in select theaters June 29! You won’t want to miss this movie, it is getting great reviews, including “100% fresh” on Rotten Tomotoes!
Spotlight on Roger Faires – Location Scout and Manager.
We caught up with Roger scouting a feature out in the field and asked him how he feels about living and working in Oregon. “I’ve been doing this long enough to not be surprised; about 31 years. Yet here in Oregon, I get surprised. Still. About once a project. Sometimes more. This is no one-trick pony state.Continue reading... “Spotlight On Location Professional – Roger Faires”
When a film crew arrives at a location it’s like a small army moving in. The industry in the northwest is vibrant and crews now are well versed even with the small market that exists here.
Portland and Oregon in general have great locations. They look lush with color and diversity. Within a 90 mile radius or Portland, we find the Pacific Ocean, an a 11,000 foot mountain, urban cities, rural farm land and high desert. Continue reading... “A Burns Adventure – “Lean On Pete””
“Bad Samaritan” shot in and around Portland and city landmarks figure prominently in the feature about, “a pair of burglars who stumble upon a woman being held captive in a home they intended to rob.”
To put it simply, there have been a lot of great movies made in Oregon. Going back more than 100 years to “The Fisherman’s Bride” in Astoria, through to Buster Keaton’s, “The General” shot in Cottage Grove; then moving into the westerns that took advantage of the diverse locations of Central Oregon and Mt. Hood – “True Grit”, “The Way West”, and “Bend of The River.” These were followed by musicals like, “Paint Your Wagon,” and classic indies like, “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Drugstore Cowboy,” and “Sometimes A Great Notion.” Continue reading... “#OregonMade 50th Anniversary Film Series – “My Own Private Idaho” April 2nd”
MovieMaker Magazine has annouced their “Best Places to Live and Work as a moviemaker” with Portland coming in at #11 in the “Big Cities” category, and Ashland at #5 in the “Small Cities” category. Ashalnd was beaten out by New Orleans, Savannah, Santa Fe, and Pittsburg, and Portland by Atlanta, Vancouver (BC), Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Albuquerque, Boston, Toronto, Austin and Montreal.
ACCLAIMED FILMMAKER ANDREW HAIGH RETURNS WITH AMERICANA ODYSSEY IN FIRST TRAILER AND POSTER FOR LEAN ON PETE, STARRING CHARLIE PLUMMER, STEVE BUSCEMI AND CHLOЁ SEVIGNY.
The film premiered to exceptional reviews at The Venice Film Festival in competition and also played Telluride and Toronto earlier this year.
– NOW IN THEATERS –
From acclaimed filmmaker Andrew Haigh (Weekend; 45 Years), and based on the beloved novel by Willy Vlautin, comes Lean on Pete—a deeply moving story about love, loneliness, family, and friendship, told through the unique prism of one boy’s connection to a very special racehorse. Continue reading... “#OregonMade “Lean On Pete” Now In Theaters”