Inaugural Outdoor-Adventure Film Grant Opens Tomorrow!

 We are excited to announce, with our partners, our inaugural Outdoor-Adventure Film Grant!
Oregon Film, Travel Oregon, Danner Boots, and the Portland Film Office at Prosper Portland have partnered to bring funding for a new competitive grant, the Outdoor-Adventure Film Grant (OAFG). The OAFG will enable the selected applicant to create a short film that specifically showcases the spirit, passion, and excitement of the outdoor-adventure, or action sports film genres in the state of Oregon. $18,500 in funding as well as equipment, services, and support will be provided. Continue reading... “Inaugural Outdoor-Adventure Film Grant Opens Tomorrow!”

Outdoor Movies in Oregon State Parks Returns!


The Hollywood Theatre and Oregon State Parks join forces once again for Outdoor Movies in Oregon State Parks! Pack a picnic and bring your friends to a summer season of vintage blockbusters, paranormal thrillers, and cult favorites, screening under the stars at some of Oregon’s most beautiful parks.

Outdoor Movies in Oregon State Parks are free to attend and no ticket is required. Screenings begin at dusk. Free day-use parking after 7 p.m.

Find the full schedule below and here, then pack up the picnic blankets and lawn chairs for a summer full of fun! Continue reading... “Outdoor Movies in Oregon State Parks Returns!”

OregonLive Discovers Some Background To “Outdoor School”

Vin Shambry on the set of Outdoor School. (Photo: OregonLive)

Kristi Turnquist (OregonLive) spent a day last month on set of the independent film “Outdoor School” talking to the creative team about the inspiration behind the film. (Read here.)

The Film tells the story of, Vin Shambry, “a Black 12-year-old boy in Portland, Oregon. Homeless, Vin sleeps under a tree in the park with his mother and baby sister, by day palling around with his school-yard friend, the daughter of a famous shoe designer. Continue reading... “OregonLive Discovers Some Background To “Outdoor School””

“Any Oregon Sunday” – 3 Oregon Womens’ Extreme Motocross Adventures!

The winners of the third annual Outdoor Adventure Film Grant – “Oregon’s Outdoors Are For Everyone” – recently presented their winning project “Any Oregon Sunday.”

The Winning Team: Kanani Koster, Janie Faison, and Tiffany Lindquist – all based in Portland, OR, and dedicated to telling “diverse and authentic stories that are created by a majority of women and POC-identifying locally-sourced cast and crew” put together this inspiring and uplifting documentary project portraying Adventure MotorSports in Oregon, specifically told through the lens of diverse women riders. Continue reading... ““Any Oregon Sunday” – 3 Oregon Womens’ Extreme Motocross Adventures!”

Oregon Adventurers Set Out To Prove WHO’S ON TOP? In New Doc

Who’s on Top? is a feature-length documentary that shines a spotlight on a diverse group of the LGBTQ+ community to challenge stereotypes about gender and sexuality in outdoor recreation.
Historically excluded and ostracized as not belonging to the adventurer community, the climbers tackle not only a mountain but assumptions about who they are and how they belong to the world of outdoor sports.

The film portrays a journey like no other, a never-before-told story about what makes LGBTQ+ folks both distinct and connected, facing physical, mental, and societal obstacles. Continue reading... “Oregon Adventurers Set Out To Prove WHO’S ON TOP? In New Doc”

Adventures On Set – Bruce Lawson On “Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey”

Bruce Lawson, at the summit of Mount Howard with the canine co-stars of “Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey” – “Shadow” and “Chance.”

Disney’s, “Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey” has become a solid family favorite – it tells the story of three pets, two dogs and cat, “Shadow”, “Chance” and “Sassy,” who escape from a California ranch and travel together for miles over rough terrain in order to find their owners who had recently moved to San Francisco. Production started in 1992 and this feature shot most of its scenes at locations such as; Joseph, Eagle Cap, the Deschutes River, the Gorge, Portland and Central Oregon among others – all doing an admirable job standing in for the California Sierras and San Fransico. Continue reading... “Adventures On Set – Bruce Lawson On “Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey””

The Oregon Outdoors & Health Grant Announce Winner!

Opal Creek. (photo: John Waller)

Congratulations to, John Waller’s Uncage The Soul team with their winning pitch – “Teens In Trees”   – the Outdoors and Health Film Grant 2019-20 was awarded this week.  This new grant, provided by the #OregonMade Creative Foundation, and in conjunction with Travel Oregon,  offers $15,000 in funding to make a short film that explores the notion that spending time outdoors can improve health outcomes for us all.

Uncage The Soul’s team, lead by John Waller, in partnership with Expedition Old Growth, and assisted by Friends of Outdoor School, will create a short film that will, “follow three urban adolescents from Portland as they ditch their devices and adventure offline into Cascade old growth forest to spend the night high in a tree canopy. Continue reading... “The Oregon Outdoors & Health Grant Announce Winner!”

Who We Are and What We Do (June 2025)

Every year around this time we take a moment to reflect on the work we do and why we do it.

First of all, the basics: Oregon Film (a/k/a The Oregon Film & Video Office) is a four person semi-independent state agency that is focused on fostering the economic development potential of the film and media industry in Oregon. Established by Gov. Tom McCall in 1968 to aid the permitting process for “Paint Your Wagon,” Oregon Film, as far as we know, is the oldest state film commission in the US. Continue reading... “Who We Are and What We Do (June 2025)”

“What We Lost Along the Way” An #OregonMade Documentary

Travel Oregon recently highlighted a short doc that was funded as part of the Outdoor Adventure Film Grant awarded by both Travel Oregon and Oregon Film. The film, directed by Portlander Devin Boss, highlights friends’ Oregon Coast journey to experience nature and leave anxiety behind.

Devin Boss recalls watching the waves crash against the rocks at Thor’s Well on his recent Oregon Coast road trip with friends. “It’s probably like in the top five things I’ve ever witnessed in nature,” he says of the natural attraction in Yachats, just down the path from Cape Perpetua Visitors Center. Continue reading... ““What We Lost Along the Way” An #OregonMade Documentary”

Who We Are and What We Do – Oregon Film – January 2025

Happy New Year everyone. As we often do, we’d like to give you some highlights from the past year as well as a small dose of “Looking Forward.”

For those of you who don’t know, Oregon Film, sometimes called the Oregon Film & Video Office (OFVO) other times called the Governor’s Office of Film & Television, is the oldest US state film commission that we know of. Founded in 1968 our mission is to develop, grow and support the film and media industry here in Oregon. Continue reading... “Who We Are and What We Do – Oregon Film – January 2025”