The Confluence – Page 79 – The Oregon film community's official blog.

Ashland & Portland Again On MovieMaker’s List – “Best Places To Live & Work 2021”

MovieMaker magazine published their 2021 rankings for “Best Places to Live and Work as a Filmmaker” – both Portland and Ashland made the list for the Large City and Small City categories respectively.

Here’s what they said about Portland: ” famous for all things handcrafted and artisanal, and that extends to filmmaking. The city is home to two stop-motion-animated films due in 2021: Guillermo del Toro’s bold new take on Pinocchio and the Key & Peele reunion Wendell and Wild, from Coraline director Henry Selick.

Tag! Queer Shorts Festival 2021 Set For February 18-28

The Tag! Queer Shorts Festival (formerly Corvallis Queer Film Festival) presents its 7th season in a virtual format from February 18-28. Tag! features shorts of all genres (15 minutes and under) made exclusively by trans- and queer-identifying filmmakers from around the world with an emphasis on stories from queer communities of color. This year’s festival includes 41 shorts divided into four blocks that trace a thematic pathway toward enlightenment and happiness: Isolation; Impulse; Ritual; and Ecstasy. Viewers can choose programs separately or purchase a festival pass to see all four blocks of shorts.

Watch Deadline Hollywood’s “2021 Contenders” Panel With the “First Cow” Filmmakers

Not surprisingly, Deadline Hollywood’s “Contenders 2021” series went live online this year highlighting their contender picks for productions in this upcoming award season. You can still see the interesting session with Todd McCarthy and the “First Cow” filmmakers that took place over the weekend. The team gets into some of the foodie history behind the film, what Oregon was like in 1820 before it ever became a state, and how Jonathan Raymond’s novel, “The Half-Light” inspired Kelly Reichardt to bring this story to life.

“Young Hearts” – #OregonMade Feature Film Coming Soon

#OregonMade “Young Hearts” (formerly “Thunderbolt in Mine Eye”) will be released Feb 12th on demand. Shot in around Portland pre-pandemic and screened at the Portland International Film Festival just before COVID stopped our movie-going experience, this love story will touch everyone.

The new trailer just dropped yesterday.

Come together with your community! 2021 OMPA Annual Showcase & Awards—Jan. 28

Tune in with the Oregon production community for OMPA’s Annual Showcase & Awards, live next Thursday, January 28 from 5-7pm.

Watch new work produced by your peers
Hear about what’s happening to support a thriving industry
See OMPA’s new Board of Directors
Learn the state of the industry from various perspectives
Meet those driving diversity and inclusion initiatives
Hear from OMPA’s leadership team about the org’s trajectory
Honor this year’s Awards of Excellence winners

Speakers

This is a rare opportunity to hear from more than a dozen local industry leaders in one night!

New Eastern Oregon Filmmaker Residency Program Launches

The Eastern Oregon Film Festival (EOFF) UNVEILS THE EASTERN OREGON FILMMAKER RESIDENCY
LA GRANDE, OR – Eastern Oregon Film Festival, an La Grande based nonprofit, is excited to announce the inaugural year of its Filmmaker Residency program. The residency is a month-long retreat for writers and directors to receive designated time and space to work on feature-length screenplays.

The application for attendance opens on filmfreeway.com on January 17 and closes on February 21, with an early bird deadline of February 7.

Video Game Writing Workshop Hosted Online By Soma Games & Willamette Writers

Ever wondered what it would be like to write for a video games company? Did you even know that you could turn your stories into video game worlds?

Willamette Writers has partnered with Newberg, OR-based Soma Games to host an online no-cost workshop diving into the technical, craft, and business elements of writing for video games…and we want you to be there! Whether you’re considering a writing career in the games industry, or if you’re just intrigued about how stories shape the development of games, this 90-minute workshop will bring you into the minds of Oregon’s leading industry professionals who want to share their stories with you.

Kenji Sugahara Appointed By US Dept. Of Transportation To Serve On FAA Drone Advisory Committee

This week, Oregonian, Kenji Sugahara, President and Chief Executive Officer, Drone Service Providers Alliance and founder of Ariascend, was appointed by the US Department of Transportation to serve on the FAA Drone Advisory Committee.

Kenji is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the University of Oregon School of Law. As an attorney, he played a critical role in the FAA’s 2017 Remote ID and Tracking Aviation Rulemaking Committee. As a full member he helped author the Technology Workgroup’s report and helped write the final report.

“Sixes” Director’s Cut Released After 15 Year – Filmed in the Rogue Valley

“Sixes” is an independent feature directed by Ray Nomoto Robison. It was shot over 15 years ago primarily in a warehouse in southern Oregon. It is one of the first totally digital feature films.

The 15th anniversary edition of Sixes releases this month. The film premiered at Dance with Films in Hollywood in 2006 to rave reviews – including this one from the late Todd David Schwartz of CBS Radio.

“A postmodern film noir masterpiece. If Rod Serling were alive,
this is the kind of film he’d be making.

Goodbye 2020! Reflecting On This Past Year? We Want To Hear! #OregonParkBenchStory

Park bench overlooking at the Painted Hills. Photo: traveloregon.com

2020 is almost over – have you been reflecting on the ups and downs of this unusual year? We want to know. The Oregon Made Creative Foundation, Soma Games, Willamette Writers, and Travel Oregon have come together to create the #OregonParkBenchStory – a storytelling generator to help us unpack 2020.

How to join #OregonParkBenchStory – December 28th onwards

1. Imagine yourself sitting on your favorite Oregon park bench – whether it’s near or far – and reflect on the past year.

Recent Posts

Speakers

Ever wondered what it would be like to write for a video games company? Did you even know that you could turn your stories into video game worlds?