Southern Oregon’s Ashland was once again recognized as one of the Best Places to Live & Work as a Filmmaker by MovieMaker Magazine. Coming in at #7 in the Small Cities list, MMM says:
Filmmaker Rosanna Peng Awarded Grant for Her narrative short film “Bowling Bao”.
BendFilm, Inc announced the winner of its annual $10,000 BIPOC Woman Filmmaker Grant. This annual program created by BendFilm awards a filmmaking grant to a woman of color to promote diversity and inclusion in the film industry. The 2024 winner is director Rosanna Peng for her project ‘Bowling Bao’: a short film that captures the internal struggles of identity, belonging, and self-expression, offering a raw, authentic look at how societal expectations—rooted in class, gender, and culture—can stifle one’s sense of self. Continue reading... “BendFilm Announces Winner of BIPOC Woman Filmmaker Grant”
Inspired by a true story, MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE (SXSW 2024 Audience Award, Woodstock Grand Jury Prize) is a dark comedy drama about a complicated friendship and a divided family. Merit, an Afghanistan veteran who’s engaged in a mysterious relationship with Zoe, her wise-cracking (dead) best friend from the Army, is summoned to the family’s ancestral lake house to care for her ailing Vietnam vet grandfather and, thanks to a persistent VA counselor and an unexpected love interest, is forced to confront her past once and for all. Continue reading... “#OregonMade “My Dead Friend Zoe” to be Released on February 28”
2024’s film selection for the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry now includes Oregonian Gus Van Sant’s “My Own Private Idaho“. According to the Library of Congress website, to be considered for this prestigious recognition, films must exhibit “cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage”.
Other #oregonmade films directed by Van sant include, “Drugstore Cowboy,” “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” and “Elephant”.
Portland Panorama is a new festival for Portland, Oregon opening in April 2025 that draws from a team that spent years garnering festival experience and producing countless other events of all sizes. In addition to a larger celebration of the arts, at its heart, Portland Panorama is a two-part film festival bringing important international cinema to our well-informed and cinematically adventurous audiences and then pivoting mid-week to a celebration of the work of our beloved filmmakers living right here in Northwest North America. Continue reading... “Portland Panorama Open for Submissions”
WIF-PDX is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Vision Grants for Narrative and Documentary projects.
This year Fuschia Lin and the filmmaking team Nisha Burton & Jessica Daugherty were each awarded $5,000 for their projects “Future Cosmos Flow” and the documentary “Over the Kitchen Table.”
Up-and-comers Orlando Norman and Spence Moore II along with Heidi Grace Engerman and Cassady McClincy Zhang are starring in “Out Come the Wolves,” an indie drama which is marking the directorial debut of producer Danny Peykoff.
Sam Rechner, West Mulholland and Curran Walters are also cast in the feature that began shooting in Portland, Oregon this week. Big Newport Studios, founded by Peykoff, is financing and backing the production, which is also the company’s inaugural project.
In partnership with Travel Portland the Portland Events and Film Office announced today the three recipients of the 2024 Amplify Portland grant. This grant was created to uplift filmmakers who use local talent, crews and vendors – building opportunities for professional growth and bringing exposure to Portland through unique, diverse storytelling both on screen and behind the scenes.
Two years ago, in the thick of winter, Mischa Webley filmed the first episode of what would become “Hasaan Hates Portland,” an eight-episode web series starring Hasaan Thomas as its titular character. The show premiered Oct. 3 and has since garnered hundreds of thousands of views across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.
The series is Webley’s first venture into comedy, a genre choice that felt necessary given the material, he said.
A local production team led by New York University graduate-turned-Ashland-based screenwriter Monica Lynn Cortez is shooting a film placing Ashland’s sister city of Guanajuato, Mexico, at center stage. The project also has help from SOU’s Digital Cinema students and a star-studded local cast featuring Oregon Shakespeare Festival actors.
Filming started Friday morning at the Lithia Park pickleball courts, continuing Saturday, including at Hannon Library, with plans to shoot at SOU’s Digital Media Center over the weekend. Filming is slated to wrap up by mid-November. Continue reading... “Short Film Shooting in Ashland”
Southern Oregon’s Ashland was once again recognized as one of the Best Places to Live & Work as a Filmmaker by MovieMaker Magazine. Coming in at #7 in the Small Cities list, MMM says:
Filmmaker Rosanna Peng Awarded Grant for Her narrative short film “Bowling Bao”.
Inspired by a true story, MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE (SXSW 2024 Audience Award, Woodstock Grand Jury Prize) is a dark comedy drama about a complicated friendship and a divided family. Merit, an Afghanistan veteran who’s engaged in a mysterious relationship with Zoe, her wise-cracking (dead) best friend from the Army, is summoned to the family’s ancestral lake house to care for her ailing Vietnam vet grandfather and, thanks to a persistent VA counselor and an unexpected love interest, is forced to confront her past once and for all. 
Portland Panorama
WIF-PDX is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Vision Grants for Narrative and Documentary projects.
Up-and-comers Orlando Norman and Spence Moore II along with Heidi Grace Engerman and Cassady McClincy Zhang are starring in “Out Come the Wolves,” an indie drama which is marking the directorial debut of producer Danny Peykoff.
In partnership with Travel Portland the Portland Events and Film Office 
Two years ago, in the thick of winter, Mischa Webley filmed the first episode of what would become “Hasaan Hates Portland,” an eight-episode web series starring Hasaan Thomas as its titular character. The show premiered Oct. 3 and has since garnered hundreds of thousands of views across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.
A local production team led by New York University graduate-turned-Ashland-based screenwriter Monica Lynn Cortez is shooting a film placing Ashland’s sister city of Guanajuato, Mexico, at center stage. The project also has help from SOU’s Digital Cinema students and a star-studded local cast featuring Oregon Shakespeare Festival actors.