Ashland Rates Again as One of MovieMaker’s “Best Places to Live & Work as a Filmmaker”
Southern Oregon’s Ashland was once again recognized as one of the Best Places to Live & Work as a Filmmaker by MovieMaker Magazine. Coming in at #7 in the Small Cities list, MMM says:
Stories ring out through the oak trees of Ashland, famous for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. This lushly gorgeous, very charming town of about 21,000 has recently welcomed independent films including Ernie and Emma, Pelican and Backseat Driver, shorts like “In a Pickle,” and a soon-to-be-announced HBO feature documentary.

















































Filmmaker Rosanna Peng Awarded Grant for Her narrative short film “Bowling Bao”.
MovieMaker magazine’s list of Best Places to Live and Work in as a Filmmaker in 2025″ is now out – Portland makes the cut at #14 on the Big Cities” list. Here is what they had to say, “Portland offers a blend of beauty and flexibility — both the ocean and mountains are close drives away, and parts of the city can easily double as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and a host of other cities. Residents’ emphasis on good food and good living also make it a pleasant place to decompress from industry stress, though it has its share of key players, including David Cress, producer of Nathan Fielder’s The Rehearsal,Portlandia actress and Sleater-Kinney band member Carrie Brownstein, and Good Will Hunting director Gus Van Sant.
Great things happened in 1992: MTV released the first Real World, Crystal Pepsi was introduced and Digital One started crafting sound in Portland. While the past 33 years have brought countless changes, one thing has remained the same: our devotion to Portland’s vibrant film and creative scene. Where else can you mix sound, creativity, and a little beer-fueled nostalgia?
Inspired by a true story, MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE (SXSW 2024 Audience Award, Woodstock Grand Jury Prize) is a dark comedy drama about a complicated friendship and a divided family. Merit, an Afghanistan veteran who’s engaged in a mysterious relationship with Zoe, her wise-cracking (dead) best friend from the Army, is summoned to the family’s ancestral lake house to care for her ailing Vietnam vet grandfather and, thanks to a persistent VA counselor and an unexpected love interest, is forced to confront her past once and for all.
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Coming May 14th-18th, The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival is a juried international competition in the cultural heritage film genre, bringing you the world’s best films relating to the human past and our shared cultural heritage. These are great films for the whole family!
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