The Confluence – Page 30 – The Oregon film community's official blog.

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.

Gus Van Sant’s Oregon-made “My Own Private Idaho” Selected For National Film Registry

2024’s film selection for the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry now includes Oregonian Gus Van Sant’s “My Own Private Idaho“. According to the Library of Congress website, to be considered for this prestigious recognition, films must exhibit “cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage”.

Other #oregonmade films directed by Van sant include, “Drugstore Cowboy,” “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” and “Elephant”.

Read more about this story in Oregon Live.

Portland Panorama Open for Submissions

Portland Panorama is a new festival for Portland, Oregon opening in April 2025 that draws from a team that spent years garnering festival experience and producing countless other events of all sizes. In addition to a larger celebration of the arts, at its heart, Portland Panorama is a two-part film festival bringing important international cinema to our well-informed and cinematically adventurous audiences and then pivoting mid-week to a celebration of the work of our beloved filmmakers living right here in Northwest North America.

Women in Film PDX Announces Vision Grant Winners

WIF-PDX is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Vision Grants for Narrative and Documentary projects.

This year Fuschia Lin and the filmmaking team Nisha Burton & Jessica Daugherty were each awarded $5,000 for their projects “Future Cosmos Flow” and the documentary “Over the Kitchen Table.”

Find out more on WIFPDX.org

From Wine Country to City: Why Filmmakers Love Filming at Linfield

A building on the Linfield McMinnville, Oregon campus with the text "Linfield University welcomes your film project" — Linfield University is ready to host your next film project.

Capturing Timeless Charm: Filming at Linfield University’s Campuses

With a pair of campuses nestled in two very different Oregon landscapes, Linfield University offers filmmakers a lot of variety. Whether it’s the 189-acre residential campus in the heart of wine country with brick buildings and massive oak trees or the dynamic 20-acre urban campus with state-of-the-art lecture halls and healthcare facilities, there’s no shortage of captivating backdrops for your next project. We’re excited to announce that both Linfield University’s McMinnville and Portland campuses are now listed on the Oregon Film Locations website.

Level UP Workshops: Film Festival Strategy

Desert Island Studios will be offering their final, free, Level Up workshop. This one will focus on Film Festival Strategy. Join them on Thursday, December 5, 2024 from 6p to 9p. Further details and registration link below. Space is limited so sign up soon.

“Film Festival Strategy” with Bojana Sandic.

For anyone wondering if a film festival strategy matters, this workshop will answer the question with a strong affirmative! Through an overview of the film festival landscape, annual deadlines, and mapping a strategic plan for festival application, outreach, acceptance, attendance, and marketing, film professionals who attend this workshop can learn how to uplevel their chance at success on the festival circuit.

#OregonMade “Out Come the Wolves” Announces Cast

Up-and-comers Orlando Norman and Spence Moore II along with Heidi Grace Engerman and Cassady McClincy Zhang are starring in “Out Come the Wolves,” an indie drama which is marking the directorial debut of producer Danny Peykoff.

Sam Rechner, West Mulholland and Curran Walters are also cast in the feature that began shooting in Portland, Oregon this week. Big Newport Studios, founded by Peykoff, is financing and backing the production, which is also the company’s inaugural project.

Set against the East Bay punk music scene in the mid 1990s, Wolves is a story of grit and dreams in a world of violence and desperation.

“Amplify Portland” Announces Grant Winners

In partnership with Travel Portland the Portland Events and Film Office announced today the three recipients of the 2024 Amplify Portland grant. This grant was created to uplift filmmakers who use local talent, crews and vendors – building opportunities for professional growth and bringing exposure to Portland through unique, diverse storytelling both on screen and behind the scenes.

After a thought provoking and spirited review process led by industry professionals, three top scoring productions were awarded $10,000 each to bring their visions to life.

“Hasaan Hates Portland” Garners Accolades

Two years ago, in the thick of winter, Mischa Webley filmed the first episode of what would become “Hasaan Hates Portland,” an eight-episode web series starring Hasaan Thomas as its titular character. The show premiered Oct. 3 and has since garnered hundreds of thousands of views across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.

The series is Webley’s first venture into comedy, a genre choice that felt necessary given the material, he said.

Race, Thomas said, is an issue inundated with shame, guilt and negativity, truths that make open conversation difficult.

Short Film Shooting in Ashland

A local production team led by New York University graduate-turned-Ashland-based screenwriter Monica Lynn Cortez is shooting a film placing Ashland’s sister city of Guanajuato, Mexico, at center stage. The project also has help from SOU’s Digital Cinema students and a star-studded local cast featuring Oregon Shakespeare Festival actors.

Filming started Friday morning at the Lithia Park pickleball courts, continuing Saturday, including at Hannon Library, with plans to shoot at SOU’s Digital Media Center over the weekend. Filming is slated to wrap up by mid-November.

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