The Confluence

Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) received nine Northwest Regional Emmy® Awards for excellence in television and media arts, following a record 33 nominations earlier this year.

OPB executive producers, producers, videographers, editors, reporters and photographers were recognized during the 63rd Annual Northwest Regional Emmy® Awards Gala on May 30 in Seattle, hosted by the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS).

Winners are selected by a peer judging panel composed of volunteer media professionals from NATAS chapters from around the country, who evaluate entries based on creativity, content and creation.

Whether you’re building your first project or your next one, PFCAT’s Creator Expo brings together the organizations shaping film, animation and creativity in and around Portland.

Meet collaborators, discover resources, and get a clearer sense of where your work fits. This is a chance to see who’s working, what’s possible, and where you can plug in, whether you’re just starting out or already in the field.

The Creator Expo is part of the Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology (PFCAT), running August 18–23 at OMSI and Tomorrow Theater.

Set and shot in beautiful Eugene, Oregon “American Flake” is a gritty look into late adolescence in the Pacific Northwest. The film is written and directed by Andrew David Paterson, a native Oregonian and CEO of B-Team Studios. The story was heavily inspired by Paterson’s time growing up in Oregon and the hypnotic lure of mediocrity that the rainy landscape provides.

The film will premiere at the Dances with Films Festival in LA later this month.

Purchase tickets here and read more about the film here.

The team behind the award-winning animated documentary “Pour the Water as I Leave” has partnered with Pacific Refugee Support Group for a day of celebration, including free events and two screenings of the film – one in Portland and one in Eugene.

Check out the links below and get your tickets for the screening near you.

Proceeds from ticket sales will directly support the development of the “Pour the Water as I Leave” Animation Workshop, a storytelling workshop designed in collaboration with PRSG to benefit refugee and immigrant families.

Eastern Oregon Film Festival recently announced that “Bad Day for Bigfoot” will begin filming in the backwoods of Eastern Oregon this June!

Following the path forged by “Breakup Season” — also filmed in La Grande — this highly anticipated production is set to bring an unparalleled surge of creative fun and high-energy excitement directly to the Grande Ronde Valley. The genre-bending journey, which masterfully weaves humor, suspense, and heart, will leverage the region’s dynamic creative scene and stunning natural backdrop.

Beyond the creative buzz, this film production is making a tangible commitment to Eastern Oregon’s economy by investing directly into the local community throughout every stage of filming.

The McMinnville Short Film Festival was recognized this week by MovieMaker Magazine as one of 50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee in the world.

MovieMaker goes on to say:

This small-town film festival has an inviting submission-to-acceptance ratio and impressive track record in terms of curation: Last year’s selections included several Oscar shortlisted films, as well as Sam Davis’ aforementioned Oscar winner “The Singers.” In the past three years, more than 70% of selected filmmakers have attended. Two-thirds travel from out of state, and they represent all budgets, genres, and levels of experience.

Oregon Film through its Creative Opportunity Program is offering two $15,000 grants to Oregon-based creators. This grant is designed to support a non-project specific virtual residency, allowing filmmakers to develop, explore, and/or shoot the stories they want to tell, in any format they choose. All filmmakers are welcome to apply, with special emphasis on applicants from historically underserved communities and projects that center or uplift those communities.

Tell Your Story Grant(s) looks to support early or mid-career filmmakers (not entry level) looking to move forward in the film, media, and entertainment fields in Oregon and offer a variety of resources to aid in career development, including connections,  insights, and strategies from Oregon Film.

Oregon based filmmaker Jess Barr was recently announced as one of the selected filmmakers for “Proof of Concept” and accelerator program supporting women, trans and non-binary filmmakers founded by Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, Emmy-nominated producer Coco Francini and Dr. Stacy L. Smith and supported by Netflix.

Read more about the program here.

Blue Ox Films, an independent production company known for bold, character-driven storytelling, has achieved a significant milestone: both of its debut feature-length documentaries have been nominated for Emmy Awards.

Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds, nominated for Outstanding Cinematography: Documentary alongside an exceptional group of contenders, offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, one of the most elite aerial demonstration teams in the world. Produced in partnership with Netflix, Supper Club, and Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions; directed by Matt Wilcox; and with cinematography by Zach Osterhout, the film delivers unprecedented access to the pilots, revealing the intense training, precision, and personal sacrifice required to perform at the highest level.

Now entering its third year, Basecamp is taking place October 4–8, 2026 in the Cascade Mountains of Central Oregon. The program brings together around 30 early-to-mid career filmmakers for four days of intensive creative development, mentorship, and industry conversation.

What makes Basecamp different is the environment itself. Fellows and mentors live together in the woods with limited cell service, shared meals, late-night conversations, and no industry velvet rope. Documentary and narrative filmmakers – directors, producers, and screenwriters are all part of the same cohort.