It’s great to watch movies set in your hometown.For many of us, Free Willyis a childhood favorite. This Sept. 22nd, when attending the #OregonMade film event, pay close attention to the implicit biases that show up in this film. The last time I watched “Free Willy” two scenes left me shaking my head in disbelief.How had I not noticed these scenes before?Today, it’s my job to turn a critical eye toward all media and unpack biases. Continue reading... “Media Bias? Creator Bias?: “Free Willy””
PassinArt Theatre is having their second biennial Pacific Northwest Multicultural Readers Series & Film Festival Thursday – Sunday, August 17-20, 2023 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Portland, Oregon.
The festival will be a jam-packed, four-day whirlwind of wall-to-wall readings, screenings, masterclasses and panel discussions addressing the issues of the day as they shape theaters of color, television, and film.
In attendance, we will have celebrity co-hosts Javon Johnson [The Oval, Boo! Madea Halloween] and Bobby Yan
[Stalker, K Love] welcome industry luminaries including Regina Taylor [I’ll Fly Away, CSI Vegas, Justified]; Rose Bianco [Cobra Kai, East New York, Minx]; Rhavynn Drummer [Tyler Perry/national casting director]; Ted Lange [The Love Boat]; Stephanie Frederic [film/tv producer Girls’ Trip, All Eyez on Me, Night School, American Gangster]; Professor Vera J.Continue reading... “PassinArt Theatre: Pacific Northwest Multi Cultural Readers Series & Film Festival”
Learn some of the needed skills and ways to write for video games. This retreat is for established or aspiring authors who are interested in exploring the exciting world of writing for video games. Taught by award-winning pros amidst the natural beauty of Oregon’s wine country, you’ll come away with an enriching introduction to this growing sector.
Join us for the official launch of Top Secret Club 2023! An evening for us to gather, workshop new projects, network, and celebrate our writing, acting, filmmaking, and theater communities. Monday 2/27 @portlandcenterstage at the armory in the Ellen Bye Studio. Free to attend! Doors at 6:30!
We are thrilled to announce our first two writers and their projects: Ajai Tripathi’s play “The Rainbow Passage” and AR Nicholas screenplay “Old Ladies Find Money” will be featured through a live table read and facilitated feedback session.
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)”
July 29-August 1, 2021. Now in its 52nd year, the Willamette Writers Annual Conference returns online this summer, helping writers connect with their community, develop their craft, and expand their careers!
Take workshops and Q&A sessions in the craft and business of writing for TV and film with established industry writers, Joel Anderson Thompson and Grant Rosenberg. Pitch your TV show ideas to literary managers, Brent Paxton from Kreativ Artists, and Angelina Chen from Energy Entertainment. We are also offering Advanced Manuscript Critiques, where Brent will review the first 15 pages of your script and provide extensive feedback to you at the conference. Continue reading... “Launch Your Screenwriting Career At The 2021 Willamette Writers Online Conference”
A bunch of broke nobodies making a film in rural Oregon isn’t an easy proposition…
Sometime in 2016 I spoke to a group of confidants about making a movie on the sly. The plan was to keep expectations low and develop something we could be proud of but not, per se, something that should or would be released. I was at a pretty low place at the time, honestly. My previous filmmaking endeavors hadn’t exactly set the world on fire and I was now a parent supporting himself and family with manual labor jobs and barely scraping by. Continue reading... ““CONTACTEE” is now streaming on Amazon”
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”