Stories From The Oregon Film Trail – How Are The Oregon State Museum Of Mental Health, The Oregon Dept. of Corrections & Depoe Bay Harbor Linked?

Film Tourism is growing, becoming a more robust niche sector of cultural tourism every year, and remarkably Oregon has hundreds of incredible locations that have starred in films, TV series, and high-profile commercials since the silent movie days of 1904.  In order to build upon this growing tourism niche, the Oregon Film Trail has been slowly rolling out Trail stops over the past two years (currently at 33) all highlighting the State’s important contribution to the film and TV industry and (seemingly unlikely) community partnerships all across Oregon.

Continue reading... “Stories From The Oregon Film Trail – How Are The Oregon State Museum Of Mental Health, The Oregon Dept. of Corrections & Depoe Bay Harbor Linked?”

The Northwest Film Center’s 44th Annual Portland International Film Festival

The 44th Portland International Film Festival (PIFF 44) is proud to announce the first wave of titles and special events. Taking place March 5 – 14, 2021, PIFF 44 is a program of the Portland Art Museum’s Northwest Film Center, one of the oldest and most distinguished media arts centers in the country. The festival centers on both artists and cinematic storytellers who are bold enough to interrupt the status quo, and focuses on those changing for whom, by whom, and how cinematic stories are told. Continue reading... “The Northwest Film Center’s 44th Annual Portland International Film Festival”

Ashland & Portland Again On MovieMaker’s List – “Best Places To Live & Work 2021”

MovieMaker magazine published their 2021 rankings for “Best Places to Live and Work as a Filmmaker” – both Portland and Ashland made the list for the Large City and Small City categories respectively.

Here’s what they said about Portland: ” famous for all things handcrafted and artisanal, and that extends to filmmaking. The city is home to two stop-motion-animated films due in 2021: Guillermo del Toro’s bold new take on Pinocchio and the Key & Peele reunion Wendell and Wild, from Coraline director Henry Selick. Continue reading... “Ashland & Portland Again On MovieMaker’s List – “Best Places To Live & Work 2021””

Watch Deadline Hollywood’s “2021 Contenders” Panel With the “First Cow” Filmmakers

Not surprisingly, Deadline Hollywood’s “Contenders 2021” series went live online this year highlighting their contender picks for productions in this upcoming award season.  You can still see the interesting session with Todd McCarthy and the “First Cow” filmmakers that took place over the weekend.  The team gets into some of the foodie history behind the film, what Oregon was like in 1820 before it ever became a state, and how Jonathan Raymond’s novel, “The Half-Light” inspired Kelly Reichardt to bring this story to life.  Continue reading... “Watch Deadline Hollywood’s “2021 Contenders” Panel With the “First Cow” Filmmakers”

“Young Hearts” – #OregonMade Feature Film Coming Soon

#OregonMade “Young Hearts” (formerly “Thunderbolt in Mine Eye”) will be released Feb 12th on demand. Shot in around Portland pre-pandemic and screened at the Portland International Film Festival just before COVID stopped our movie-going experience, this love story will touch everyone.

 

The new trailer just dropped yesterday.

Continue reading... ““Young Hearts” – #OregonMade Feature Film Coming Soon”

New Eastern Oregon Filmmaker Residency Program Launches

The Eastern Oregon Film Festival (EOFF) UNVEILS THE EASTERN OREGON FILMMAKER RESIDENCY
LA GRANDE, OR – Eastern Oregon Film Festival, an La Grande based nonprofit, is excited to announce the inaugural year of its Filmmaker Residency program. The residency is a month-long retreat for writers and directors to receive designated time and space to work on feature-length screenplays.

The application for attendance opens on filmfreeway.com on January 17 and closes on February 21, with an early bird deadline of February 7. Continue reading... “New Eastern Oregon Filmmaker Residency Program Launches”

Video Game Writing Workshop Hosted Online By Soma Games & Willamette Writers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ever wondered what it would be like to write for a video games company? Did you even know that you could turn your stories into video game worlds?

Willamette Writers has partnered with Newberg, OR-based Soma Games to host an online no-cost workshop diving into the technical, craft, and business elements of writing for video games…and we want you to be there! Whether you’re considering a writing career in the games industry, or if you’re just intrigued about how stories shape the development of games, this 90-minute workshop will bring you into the minds of Oregon’s leading industry professionals who want to share their stories with you. Continue reading... “Video Game Writing Workshop Hosted Online By Soma Games & Willamette Writers”

Goodbye 2020! Reflecting On This Past Year? We Want To Hear! #OregonParkBenchStory

Park bench overlooking at the Painted Hills. Photo: traveloregon.com

2020 is almost over – have you been reflecting on the ups and downs of this unusual year? We want to know.  The Oregon Made Creative Foundation, Soma Games, Willamette Writers, and Travel Oregon have come together to create the #OregonParkBenchStory – a storytelling generator to help us unpack  2020.

How to join #OregonParkBenchStory – December 28th onwards

1. Imagine yourself sitting on your favorite Oregon park bench – whether it’s near or far – and reflect on the past year. Continue reading... “Goodbye 2020! Reflecting On This Past Year? We Want To Hear! #OregonParkBenchStory”

Ballet Fantastique’s “American Christmas Carol” – A Holiday Ballet Film

Eugene’s Ballet Fantastique has created a wonderful holiday “ballet film” called American Christmas Carol, based on the story by Charles Dickens. The film was conceived, choreographed, and staged by Donna Marisa Bontrager and Hannah Bontrager, co-founders of Ballet Fantastique. It was filmed and directed by Jeremy Bronson of Bronson Studios in Portland.    American Christmas Carol was shot at several location in Eugene-Springfield, Walker, Leaburg, and Portland, Oregon.

This is the first film Ballet Fantastique has ever made.

You really need to see this remarkable film to appreciate what the filmmakers, choreographers, company dancers and film crew have accomplished.  Continue reading... “Ballet Fantastique’s “American Christmas Carol” – A Holiday Ballet Film”

Stories From The Oregon Film Trail – Film Tourism Is Thriving In Brownsville

In recent years, Film Tourism is growing into a more robust niche sector of cultural tourism, and remarkably Oregon has hundreds of incredible locations that have starred in films, TV series, and shows, as well as commercials. The Oregon Film Trail has been slowly rolling out more and more trail stops that highlight our State’s contribution to the film industry.  Historic Brownsville was one of the first towns to welcome Oregon Film Trail signs in recognition of its contribution to the film, “Stand By Me “.   Continue reading... “Stories From The Oregon Film Trail – Film Tourism Is Thriving In Brownsville”