The Confluence

We recently asked Pathways participant and @desertislandstudiospdx member, filmmaker DJ Schaller, to interview some DIS members and past Pathways participants and mentors.

DJ’s interviews include filmmaker Roberta Cumbianchera, Writer/Director/Gaffer Haley McCoy, Production Designer Erin Eskila, Filmmaker & DIS co-founder Devin Febbroriello and filmmaking team Fran Bittakis & Betty Alcaraz.

Check out the things they are all up to and help support their work in every way you can.

See them all in November and December on IG @OregonFilm. You can also check them out on our YouTube and Vimeo pages.

The PDX Rotating Art Program is featuring a new mural commissioned by Oregon Film that honors more than a century of filmmaking in Oregon. Digitally created by artist Nick Stokes and printed as a large-scale mural, the work salutes the state’s film history, the crews and creatives who power production, and the Oregon locations that bring stories to life.

The mural is now on view at Portland International Airport, post-security within Concourse B (Level 2). Travelers encounter a visual timeline that spans seasons, eras, and landscapes.

Salem Cinema presents a Reel Change For Our Community Benefit Screening for the OSH Museum of Mental Health!

FILMED IN OREGON! When Randle Patrick McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) gets transferred for evaluation from a prison farm to a mental institution, he assumes it will be a less restrictive environment. But the martinet Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher) runs the psychiatric ward with an iron fist, keeping her patients cowed through abuse, medication and sessions of electroconvulsive therapy. The battle of wills between the rebellious McMurphy and the inflexible Ratched soon affects all the ward’s patients.

Part 2: MAKING THE MOVIE

I was fortunate to have support from angel investors for my first film. And yes, I know how incredibly lucky it was that this came together easily on the financial side, I’ve seen the fundraising process from many angles (crowd funding, studio films, independent financing with massive strings attached, impossible budgets from streamers). Wherever the money comes from, remember these people (or companies or family members) signed on to support YOU. And frankly, this is the theme of this entire section regarding the creative process.

Join Creatives of Color Oregon (COCO) for an engaging evening with content creator Jonathan Riley, whose creative storytelling and entrepreneurial spirit have helped shape Portland’s cultural and visual landscape.

In this session, we’ll get to know Jonathan beyond the lens—exploring the businesses he’s developed, the vibrant community he continues to build, and his approach to authentic content creation.

Together, we’ll view an episode of The Portlanders, a project Jonathan produced in collaboration with Travel Portland, offering a fresh perspective on the city’s creative scene.

The #OregonMade documentary “Over the Kitchen Table” created by filmmaker and “Tell Your Story” grant winner Nisha Burton will have its Portland premiere at the Tomorrow Theater on December 6 at 7pm.

This is a documentary that exposes the untold story of the battered women’s movement. Director, Nisha Burton, uncovers the truth through a conversation with her mother, Norma Burton, one of the key founders of the movement. Produced by Jessica Daughtery at Shrine13.

Find out more and get tickets here.

Part 1: Why Coming Home Matters

They say that if you actually knew what it took to make a movie, you would never do it.

Filmmaking is not for the faint of heart. Many of my incredibly talented team members work day jobs, reaching for security and also ready to leave it in a heartbeat when the right industry job comes up.

Why do we keep doing it? Well, it’s a calling. A need, the solution to the artistic self doubt.

Athena’s Gem Theatre officially opened its doors last month after two decades of dedicated and meticulous refurbishment. The weekend long celebration culminated with a screening of locally shot “City Girl” coming home to premiere at the theatre in the town where it was shot 97 years ago. The screening featured a live quartet accompanying the silent film playing before a sold out crowd. In addition, host and Chief Renovator, Rob McIntyre, showed a 20 minute documentary highlighting the people and the projects that have taken place to open the doors to this wonderful little theatre over the last 20 years.

The Rise 2025 Program for the December 4 Screening at the Tomorrow Theater Is Here!

We are so excited to bring you this unforgettable night of shorts:

• Cockroach– Heather Older (Writer, Director)

• Controlling The Narrative– Eva Moss (Writer, Director)

• House On Fire– Heather Hawksford (Director)

• Leaders of Men– Lorenzo Lowe III (Director, Cinematographer)

• There’s A Devil Inside Me– Karina Lomelin Ripper (Writer, Director)

• Help Solve A Murder– Mary Matthews (Director)

• Salt And Pepper– Cheryl Willis (Director)

• Rash– Lyssa Samuel (Writer, Director, Star)

The fill Rise line up screens on December 4 at the Tomorrow Theatre.

Step inside LAIKA’s world of “Wildwood,” where a powerful golden eagle commands the skies and magic takes flight.

In this first look, meet The General, voiced by Honorary Academy Award® recipient Angela Bassett, a fierce warrior and leader of the skies. Behind the scenes, the brilliant artists at LAIKA Studios are hand-crafting a character that soars beyond the screen through breathtaking stop-motion animation.

From director Travis Knight, “Wildwood” is LAIKA’s next stop-motion animated feature film, based on the bestselling novel by Colin Meloy (lead singer of The Decemberists) and illustrated by Carson Ellis.