“Free Willy” Coming Next to #OregonMade Film Series

A street kid gets caught vandalizing (in Portland or Astoria or even Seattle, it’s never actually clear except for the SuperSonics baseball cap) and sent to clean up his creative tagging at the fish tanks at (thanks to creative editing) Oaks Park. It is here that Jesse befriends the eponymous angry-at-his-captivity Orca and the rest is cinematic history – right on up thru the Killer Whale in a car wash and on to Willy’s dramatic flying escape over the breakwater at Hammond Marina in Warrenton. Continue reading... ““Free Willy” Coming Next to #OregonMade Film Series”

Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting On Two Fronts will be Broadcast Nationally on PBS in June

Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting On Two Fronts will be broadcast nationally on PBS June 12th at 10pm ET and as part of a Juneteenth special for WORLD Channel’s series ‘Local, USA’ on June 19th at 8pm ET.

The iconic Buffalo Soldiers fought on two very different sets of front lines: military conflicts abroad and civil rights struggles at home. Though the 14th Amendment promised citizenship in exchange for enlistment, Black men were denied this right due to Jim Crow laws. The award-winning documentary, Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting on Two Fronts, explores the profound and often contradictory roles played by Black soldiers in the United States military. Continue reading... “Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting On Two Fronts will be Broadcast Nationally on PBS in June”

“Stories from the Canoe” Premieres

Canoes have always been integral to our region’s Indigenous cultures and they still are today. That’s the focus of a new film collaboration between Confluence and Tule Films. Stories from the Canoe is the new documentary short by filmmaker Woodrow Hunt (Klamath/Modoc/Cherokee). It explores the history and ongoing development of Canoe Journey. NW Documentary also contributed to the project. This week, Tribal Canoe Families gathered to celebrate the release of the new film at a screening in collaboration with PAM CUT and the Portland Art Museum. Continue reading... ““Stories from the Canoe” Premieres”

New Journal Highlights Indigenous Voices of the Columbia River

Left to right: Confluence Digital Manager Lily Hart, author Emily Washines (Yakama), author Sean Smith (Chinook), poet Ed Edmo (Shoshone-Bannock), author Rachel Cushman (Chinook), author Chance White Eyes (Oneida), and Confluence Executive Director Colin Fogarty.

A new journal by the nonprofit Confluence is designed to elevate Indigenous perspectives in how people understand the Columbia River and its tributaries. Voices of the River features articles, stories, poetry and artwork by Native American writers and artists from Northwest Tribes. Confluence and its supporters celebrated the release of the inaugural issue of the journal during a launch party and panel discussion on November 18, 2022 at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland.

Continue reading... “New Journal Highlights Indigenous Voices of the Columbia River”

“The Road” is the Next #OregonMade Screening at The Hollywood Theatre

On Monday October 24, 2022, Viggo Mortensen walks the titular path with son Kodi Smit McPhee trying escape fires, famine, road warriors, cannibals and the memory of Charlize Theron in this post-apocalyptic road movie adapted from the Cormac McCarthy Novel as part of the #OregonMade Film Series at the Hollywood Theatre.

John Hillcoat directs the long trek of “the good guys” that takes in parts of Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Mount St. Helens and the Columbia River Gorge culminating on the Oregon coast at the moody wreck of the Peter Iredale at Ft. Continue reading... ““The Road” is the Next #OregonMade Screening at The Hollywood Theatre”

“Mean Creek” in 35mm with Filmmaker Q&A

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. Continue reading... ““Mean Creek” in 35mm with Filmmaker Q&A”

Oregon Film: Who We Are & What We Do (Update 2022)

What has Oregon Film been up to? – After assuring our industry worked so well through the turbulent pandemic period with several projects of all sizes, 2022 started off with a slow down. Needless to say, Oregon is still attractive and a great place to bring your creative production. Recently we worked with the state legislature and partners like the OMPA and the IATSE and SAG-AFTRA unions to increase the film and media cash rebate percentages from 18% to 25%. In addition, the annual funding for the OPIF program increased from $14M to $20M. Continue reading... “Oregon Film: Who We Are & What We Do (Update 2022)”

#OregonMade “Buffalo Soldiers Fighting on Two Fronts” to Premiere at SIFF

The #OregonMade documentary Feature “Buffalo Soldiers Fighting on Two Fronts” will be part of the Seattle International Film Festival. Come to an in-person screening April 16th or 17th, or see it in the virtual cinema from April 14th-24th.

Saturday, April 16th at 4:15pm
SIFF Cinema Egyptian (805 E Pine St, Seattle, WA 98122)

Sunday, April 17th at 3:30pm
Ark Lodge Cinemas (4816 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118)

You can also watch the film online (US residents only)!
Read about virtual cinema streaming

Get your tickets now. Continue reading... “#OregonMade “Buffalo Soldiers Fighting on Two Fronts” to Premiere at SIFF”

Lighthouses of Oregon: A History of Aiding Maritime Navigation Doc By Matt Cook

After half a year or so of hard work, I have completed a full documentary about Oregon’s lighthouses. This movie tells the story of each Oregon lighthouse. These lifesaving structures helped Oregon grow in the early days of the state. Today they stand as very photogenic monuments of our history.

I took on this project because of a love for both my home state and outdoor filmmaking. I find the outdoors to be an escape from everyday life, and I try to show that in videos. Continue reading... “Lighthouses of Oregon: A History of Aiding Maritime Navigation Doc By Matt Cook”

University of Oregon Coeds Made The Very First Student Feature Film

Filming of “Ed’s Coed” on the University of Oregon campus, with student actors sitting on the Senior Bench during a break between scenes.

It is a forgotten piece of film history for all but the staunchest of aficionados, and its box office draw was almost nonexistent; yet a little-known feature film in the last thralls of the silent film era stands as a remarkable footnote in history as the first feature-length student film ever made – completed by University of Oregon students. Continue reading... “University of Oregon Coeds Made The Very First Student Feature Film”