The Confluence

#OregonMade “A Simple Machine” was written up in MovieMaker magazine recently. Directed by Mark Huffman and based on a book by Portland writer Evan P. Schneider it tells the story of a young man who adopts radical thrift to try to get out of debt.

According to MovieMaker “The film fascinatingly addresses, with precision and detail, something that most movies gloss over: the finances of its protagonist. Nick’s biggest early move is to sell his car in favor of a bike, which becomes a metaphor for self-sufficiency.”

#OregonMade “Ernie and Emma,” directed and starring Southern Oregon’s Bruce Campbell, has released a trailer. You can check out the film at the Holly Theater in Medford on Feb. 14.

Get tickets at the Holly Theatre box office but check out the trailer below:

Erich Cannon’s thriller, “His Monster,” story follows a struggling alcoholic, played by “Killers of the Flower Moon” actor Gabe Casdorph, whose daughter is attacked and mysteriously swept into the ocean, Casdorph’s James Streeter, remains living in the woods, alone, hunting for what he believes is responsible.

The feature was shot in Mt. Hood, Astoria, Hug Point and parts of Portland. Local cast and crew had a large part of the production, including a lead role for Ashley Song, and creature design by Scott Foster, a local sculptor with production design by Andee Hess of Osmose Design.

Over the course of a single day, the lives of innocent and not-so-innocent individuals collide in a web of misfortune and redemption. All over the city, people are making plans to change their lives — only to see those plans get derailed by others doing the same: Can Kyle steal from his old drug-dealing friend Jimmy so that he and his girlfriend can make a fresh start? When Derek, a man running away from his life by living in a van, is confronted by a violent stranger, will he make a stand or turn and run?

The Graham Parkes directed “Wishful Thinking” will premiere at SXSW.

Shot in Portland last year “Wishful Thinking” tells the story of a volatile couple discovering their emotional state has supernatural consequences on the world around them, and they must decide whether to fight for their relationship or accept that their powerful connection might be doing more harm than good.

Starring Lewis Pullman, Maya Hawke, Randall Park, Jake Shane, Kate Berlant, Amita Rao and Eric Rahill.

“Wildwood” is set to arrive in theaters on October 23, 2026. Producer LAIKA has partnered with Fathom Entertainment for U.S. theatrical distribution and FilmNation Entertainment for international sales, marking a new phase in the studio’s global release strategy.

“Wildwood” is a handcrafted epic fantasy that transports audiences into a secret, dangerously alive world. A girl’s desperate quest to save her baby brother becomes a high-stakes journey into a forbidden forest filled with enchanted creatures, unlikely allies, and formidable adversaries, where an entire hidden realm hangs in the balance.

The McMinnville Short Film Festival (MSFF) runs February 26 – March 1, 2026. Founded in 2011 to celebrate the art of independent film with the goal of introducing emerging creative voices to one another and to our audiences, the internationally recognized MSFF, focuses on a range of narrative topics, including Native American, Drama, LGBTQ, Comedy, Horror, Experimental, Animation and Documentary films.

Check out the “Locals” block on Thursday and the “Oregon” block on Friday. And, spend the whole weekend in Oregon Wine Country!

LAIKA recently released a new trailer for their upcoming feature film “Wildwood” that feature the iconic Pittock Mansion in Portland. The Mansion, one of Portland’s most iconic landmarks, has been reimagined from the ground up for the film. In this exclusive behind-the-scenes featurette, LAIKA’s artists and artisans reveal how they transformed a historic home into a symbol of mystery, power, and magic.

For more than a decade, LAIKA’s craftspeople have been shaping the world of Wildwood through meticulous hand-built sets, intricate animation, and boundless imagination.

MIXED* is a first-of-its-kind storytelling showcase in Portland that brings this question to the big screen: “How will Portland’s creative community help shape the future of global storytelling—in the age of AI?”

Drawn from 211 film submissions representing 44 countries, the event presents a curated selection of hybrid films exploring the messy middle between traditional cinema and generative AI—placing Portland at the center of a global creative conversation.

At a moment when film and creative industries are experiencing rapid technological change, MIXED* offers a grounded examination of how artists are actually working today.

Both Ashland and Portland were once again named to MovieMaker’s “Best Places to Live & Work as a Filmmaker” lists for 2026. Ashland is on the small cities list and Portland is on the large cities list. We are proud of the consistently recognized quality of these cities for creative work and thank their local communities for making them such a great place to live for filmmakers.

As for the process, MovieMaker says it created this list by asking cities about factors like their industry spend, tax incentives, crews, sound stages, local film scenes, and recent productions.