Hi everyone! Jeff Rutherford here. After eight years in New York, I’m glad to be returning to my former home of Portland. I’m very excited to offer a series of workshops starting this March. The first workshop is SCREENWRITING.
Whether you’re an experienced writer, a movie lover, someone looking for a creative outlet, and/or truly anyone, I’ll be happy to have you in this workshop. I’ll meet you where you are, and I’ll do my best to guide you toward your goals and the best versions of your ideas. Continue reading... “New Screenwriting Workshops starting soon with Jeff Rutherford”
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”
Linfield University is ready to host your next film project.
Capturing Timeless Charm: Filming at Linfield University’s Campuses
With a pair of campuses nestled in two very different Oregon landscapes, Linfield University offers filmmakers a lot of variety. Whether it’s the 189-acre residential campus in the heart of wine country with brick buildings and massive oak trees or the dynamic 20-acre urban campus with state-of-the-art lecture halls and healthcare facilities, there’s no shortage of captivating backdrops for your next project. We’re excited to announce that both Linfield University’s McMinnville and Portland campuses are now listed on the Oregon Film Locations website. Continue reading... “From Wine Country to City: Why Filmmakers Love Filming at Linfield”
Desert Island Studios will be offering their final, free, Level Up workshop. This one will focus on Film Festival Strategy. Join them on Thursday, December 5, 2024 from 6p to 9p. Further details and registration link below. Space is limited so sign up soon.
“Film Festival Strategy” with Bojana Sandic.
For anyone wondering if a film festival strategy matters, this workshop will answer the question with a strong affirmative! Through an overview of the film festival landscape, annual deadlines, and mapping a strategic plan for festival application, outreach, acceptance, attendance, and marketing, film professionals who attend this workshop can learn how to uplevel their chance at success on the festival circuit. Continue reading... “Level UP Workshops: Film Festival Strategy”
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.
The Portland shot thriller “Cellar Door” is out now in select theaters and on streaming platforms. In this suspenseful thriller, a city-dwelling couple (Jordana Brewster, Scott Speedman) is looking to relocate to the suburbs of Portland, Oregon. While visiting the grandiose home of Emmett (Laurence Fishburne), a mysterious man with a talent for pairing the right property with the right people, the couple is suddenly gifted the house of their dreams with one nonnegotiable condition — they must never open the cellar door. Continue reading... “#OregonMade “Cellar Door” Out Now”
“Home” transcends mere walls and roofs. Two short films explore the changing landscape of “home” through the eyes of Black Portlanders with the premiere of episode 2 of the award-winning series Where We Goin’ and the continuation of our Elder Anthologies series which features a moving letter from past Portland NAACP president Sharon Gary-Smith to the youth of the Rose City.
Where We Goin’ Episode II: The Power of Place follows art producer Intisar Abioto (Black Portlanders, Black Artists of Oregon) and Winta Yohannes of Albina Vision Trust the largest restorative redevelopment project in the country, we journey into the heart of neighborhoods once vibrant and thriving, now shadowed by a history of displacement and loss. Continue reading... ““Black Friday” Returns to The Hollywood Theatre on November 8”
Desert Islands Studios presents a Level UP Workshop:
The World of Production Design
Saturday, October 26, 2024; 10:00am – 1:00pm
Desert Island Studios, 1316 SE 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Join Desert Islands Studios as they host another Level Up workshop about “The World of Production Design” with Erin Eskila.
This next Level Up will be hosted by experienced Production Designer and Art Director @erineskila, and this workshop will give participants interested in a career in the Art Department a practical overview of its structure, procedures, and priorities through production across the spectrum of filmmaking formats. Continue reading... “Level UP Workshop: The World of Production Design”
Reel Ambitions: Films by youth who have experienced homelessness
The November 7th celebration will feature our best work yet (again), which we couldn’t do without your support!
The lineup includes “American Teenager,” a slice of life drama about a girl living in a motel and “The Spot,” a comedy about young people crammed into their first apartment. Reel Ambitions will also premiere “My Shoes,” a music video by OTF alumnus Talilo Marfil featuring legendary indie rapper Tech N9ne. Continue reading... “Outside the Frame Gala Screening – “Reel Ambitions” – Nov. 7”
Whether you’re an experienced writer, a movie lover, someone looking for a creative outlet, and/or truly anyone, I’ll be happy to have you in this workshop. I’ll meet you where you are, and I’ll do my best to guide you toward your goals and the best versions of your ideas. Continue reading... “New Screenwriting Workshops starting soon with Jeff Rutherford”
Portland Panorama
Desert Island Studios will be offering their final, free, Level Up workshop. This one will focus on Film Festival Strategy. Join them on Thursday, December 5, 2024 from 6p to 9p. Further details and registration link below. Space is limited so sign up soon.
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.
The Portland shot thriller “Cellar Door” is out now in select theaters and on streaming platforms. In this suspenseful thriller, a city-dwelling couple (Jordana Brewster, Scott Speedman) is looking to relocate to the suburbs of Portland, Oregon. While visiting the grandiose home of Emmett (Laurence Fishburne), a mysterious man with a talent for pairing the right property with the right people, the couple is suddenly gifted the house of their dreams with one nonnegotiable condition — they must never open the cellar door. 
“Home” transcends mere walls and roofs. Two short films explore the changing landscape of “home” through the eyes of Black Portlanders with the premiere of episode 2 of the award-winning series Where We Goin’ and the continuation of our Elder Anthologies series which features a moving letter from past Portland NAACP president Sharon Gary-Smith to the youth of the Rose City.
Desert Islands Studios presents a Level UP Workshop:
Come make a difference in our city