Film Fest and Chill

February 2, 2016 by Marketing

Klaus Härö’s “The Fencer,” the opening night film of the festival.

I get it, it’s cold and you don’t want to leave the cozy hibernation of home. Luckily you can cozy up with a lush assortment of international films starting February 11th, brought to you by the Northwest Film Center.

The Portland International Film Fest is the largest, most culturally diverse film event in Oregon, pulling together a multi-faceted experience with over 150 films (97 features and 62 shorts) and special events presenting a full spectrum of features, documentaries, and shorts – and featuring submissions for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar and works by both returning masters and emerging talents.

The Opening Night Party is sure to be a hit, with a screening of Klaus Härö’s “The Fencer” followed by a reception in the Hoffman Lobby and Schnitzer Sculpture Court. Opening Night tickets are on sale now at http://festivals.nwfilm.org/piff39/openingnight/. Co-hosts for this year’s party areUmpqua Bank, the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation, the Finlandia Foundation, Voodoo Doughnuts,Montinore Estate, Elk Cove Vineyards, and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

“Short Cuts V: Made in Oregon” a program of Oregon made short films. Feb. 20th.

Following Opening Night, PIFF retains a sizable presence downtown and throughout the city with screenings at the Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium, located inside the Portland Art Museum, Cinema 21, Regal Fox Tower, World Trade Center, OMSI, Moreland Theater, and Roseway Theater.

The Festival will host Tobias Lindholm’s A WAR (Denmark) and Ciro Guerra’s EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT (Columbia), both nominees for the 2016 Foreign Language Film Academy Award. As in past years, the Festival features an abundance of short films. This year’s lineup boasts eight discrete short film programs, including one devoted entirely to films made in Oregon, an animated shorts program curated by LAIKA’s Mark Shapiro, and others populated with shorts from around the world.

Filmstill from Lucile Hadžihalilović’s “Evolution,” a dark, feminist fairytale peppered with stylistic nods to David Lynch and the body horror of David Cronenberg.

This year’s festival also includes the return of the popular PIFF After Dark program, showcasing adventurous movies for the nocturnally inclined like Lucile Hadžihalilović’s EVOLUTION, Karyn Kusama’s (GIRLFIGHT) THE INVITATION, Andrew Seklir and Tim Kinzy’s MAN VS. SNAKE, Can Evrenol’sBASKIN, and Károly Ujj Mészáros’ LIZA THE FOX-FAIRY. As in past years, PIFFAfter Dark presents films chosen with adventurous festival attendees in mind. All eight PIFF After Dark shows are scheduled to happen at Cinema 21 (616 NW 21^st Ave.) and will, for the first time, include short films presented before the feature. The full PIFF 39 Program is available online at http://festivals.nwfilm.org/piff39/.

Advance tickets available online now at http://festivals.nwfilm.org/piff39/

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Let it Roll at Bike MS Willamette Valley 2015: July 31-August 2

June 16, 2015 by Jon Elias

Portland Pedal Power is proud to be partnered with Bike MS, a great program dedicated to creating a world free of Multiple Sclerosis. It’s a great ride for a great cause, and we’re telling everyone about it. Read on to learn more:

At Bike MS, the ride is just icing on the cake. You’ll also kick back and relax with old friends while you eat mouth-watering BBQ, down ice cold brews, watch a classic movie on our big outdoor screen, and share your adventures from the road.

Our weekend escape in gorgeous Monmouth, Oregon is for every kind of rider. From the “I haven’t been on a bike since uncle Merton repossessed my Schwinn” to “Sure, I can ride 100x faster than the speed of light, can’t you?”

Don’t feel like riding? No problem. You can volunteer, make a donation, or even sponsor the event.

And here’s the best part: The dollars you raise for Bike MS fund critical research, programs, and services that help people who live with multiple sclerosis right here in our neighborhood. How sweet is that?

Bike MS is more than an escape–it’s something you believe in.

People who love Portland Pedal Power love Bike MS. You will, too. So register, volunteer or make a donation today.

Bike MS Willamette Valley 2015
Friday, July 31 – Sunday, August 2
Western Oregon University
Monmouth, Oregon

Or contact [email protected] or 503.445.8361 for more info.

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Are you a Resident of Wattsmart, Oregon?

May 5, 2015 by Jon Elias

Let us tell you about a beautiful town in Oregon called Wattsmart. It’s a wonderful place, where everyone uses energy-efficient appliances, all homes are well insulated and hot apple pie shows up at your front door every day.

Well, that might be a stretch, but it doesn’t change the fact that we can all conserve more energy. That’s why Pacific Power has teamed up with Energy Trust of Oregon to offer cash incentives for energy-saving home upgrades. These upgrades will help you stay comfortable, plus save money.

While we can’t all live in Wattsmart, Oregon, Pacific Power is dedicated to ensuring we can learn to live wattsmart! Visit Pacific Power’s website and you’ll find simple and effective strategies to keep your energy use low:

Updating your lighting – Switching from traditional incandescent light bulbs to ENERGY STAR® qualified bulbs is the easiest and most affordable step you can take to reduce your electricity costs.

Recycling old refrigerators – Refrigerators built before 1993 can use three times more energy than new high-efficiency models. By getting rid of a second fridge in your garage or basement, you can save up to $150 annually.

Weatherization – From insulation to new windows, weatherization helps prevent unwanted air escape or intrusion, controls moisture and keeps pollutants out.

Pacific Power and Energy Trust offer energy efficiency incentives for businesses, too.

Ready to become energy efficient and save more? Take a look at bewattsmart.com to see how you can start conserving energy today.

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New Ventures Competition is Back!

March 10, 2015 by Jon Elias

Competition has a way of bringing out the best in students. That’s why we are very excited that the New Venture Championship is returning to the University of Oregon!

For those who are unaware, the New Venture Championship (NVC) is presented annually by the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business. It is the original six-round business competition for graduate students. NVC has evolved into the premiere international entrepreneurial investment competition since it was founded in 1992. The 16 accepted teams have an opportunity to share their ventures and grow as both entrepreneurs and students.

NVC’s mission is to develop skilled and knowledgeable entrepreneurial leaders who are able to present their ideas in concise and thoughtful ways, be open to construction, and adapt to the ever-changing business environment.

The competition takes place in Portland, Oregon every spring. Teams from around the world and the United States present and defend their business plans to a panel of esteemed judges for valuable feedback and a chance to win over $60,000 in cash prizes. All NVC competitors receive cash awards and advice from Northwest business entrepreneurs and executives to help their goals flourish.

Take a look at the NVC video for an in-depth look at what happens at the competition:

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Bad Case of the Munchies? We can Help!

November 11, 2014 by Jon Elias

With recent developments in Oregon, there might be a time in the future where you start to get suuuuuper hungry and have a strong urge to watch Adventure Time.

Or maybe you just started synching Dark Side of the Moon with The Wizard of Oz, and it seems like the perfect time to get something delicious in front of you. (If you haven’t done it yet, try it.)

Frankly, I can think of 91 reasons why you might get a bad case of the munchies during the next couple of months.

I was going for subtle, but it kind of devolved there.

Even if you don’t plan on taking advantage of Measure 91, sometimes you get an urge for something tasty without needing the full sized meal. If only there were some way you could get delicious food delivered to your location so you can stay inside and take care of business.

Oh right, there is a way! Portland Pedal Power has just what you need to cure the afternoon/evening munchies:

Big Ass Sandwiches lives up to its name, creating ample sandwiches filled with home roasted meats and homemade ingredients, sure to squash big hunger in its tracks. Best of all, Big Ass uses bread baked locally by Fleur De Lis, meats from Northwest, family owned stock yards & hot sauce made locally by Secret Aardvark Trading Co.

Whiffies Fried Pies creates savory and sweet fried pies sure to knock you off your feet, like their BBQ Beef Brisket, Tofu Pot Pie, and their Oregon Mixed Berry. Whiffies has been featured on Food Network, Travel Channel, Rachel Ray Magazine, Sunset Magazine, and more!

The Dump Truck serves a menu that mixes the traditions of China with the funk of Portland to bring you some of the best dumplings you will ever taste. Check out their menu, and you will find everything from your traditional pork dumplings to the remarkable! Seriously, who else would even attempt to create a Bacon Cheeseburger wrapped in a dumpling?

Pacific Pie Co. whips up some of the best pies this side of the galaxy, and does so with an Aussie flair few can imitate. All of the pies at Pacific Pie Co. feature local, humanely raised meat and organic veggies as well as vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free alternatives for any diet out there.

So when you have an overwhelming urge to eat something delicious, don’t fret! Portland Pedal Power has your back. We have more than 30 varieties to choose from on our lunch menu, and we are happy to do the heavy lifting for you.

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Bike MS Willamette Valley is Celebrating its 30th Anniversary!

July 21, 2014 by Jon Elias

Portland Pedal Power is a proud supporter of Bike MS, a program dedicated to raising money to find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. The coming 2014 Bike MS Willamette Valley takes you through an incredible two-day recreational ride for cyclists of all abilities. Feast your eyes on wineries, waterfalls, rolling hills and farmlands.

To make your ride a safe and memorable one, Bike MS is fully supported with SAG vehicles, bike mechanics, and rest stops. After the ride, we invite all of our registered cyclists to celebrate and enjoy great food and festivities at Rider Village.

Bike MS is for every kind of rider: casual, commuter, the “I only ride once a year” and on the rare occasion, bionic. People who work hard, raise families, enjoy good music and watch TV. And surprisingly, very few are big-time cyclists. In fact, most of our riders are pretty casual. Which is perfect, because Bike MS Willamette Valley is a great weekend escape.

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Celebrate Spring with the CCC

May 23, 2013 by Brook

You may not be able to tell by the weather over the past couple of days, but it’s springtime! And there’s no better way to celebrate spring than by hanging out with the amazing people at Portland’s Community Cycling Center (CCC).

The CCC is hosting a spring fundraising party on Friday, May 31st, from 7:00 to 10:00pm at their new workshop location at 1805 NE 2nd Ave. Tickets to the event are only $10, and that low price will help the CCC move towards their spring campaign goal of $20,000. Your ticket also gets you delicious food from Russell St. Bar-B-Que and Bipartisan Café, as well as beer from Hopworks Urban Brewery, which will be flowing out of the famous Metrofiets beer bike.

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Bicycling Hub – The Smile Project

February 12, 2013 by Brook

Bicycling Hub Logo In case you didn’t realize, Sunday was the Worst Day of the Year. Sure, the weather was nice, but we’re talking about a bike ride, of course! The Worst Day of the Year Ride, put on by Good Sport Promotion as a fundraiser for the Community Cycling Center! And as a local, bicycle based business, how could Portland Pedal Power not be involved? As an official sponsor of the CCC, we’re closely tied to the Portand bicycling community. Jenn Dederich, one of our co-founders, sits on the Community Connections Board of the CCC, which raises funds for the agency by connecting individual and corporate donors.

And we couldn’t let a local bike ride pass us by without teaming up with another local bicycle business. So we leased one of our Pyxis-equipped Portland Pedal Power bikes to Doug Duguay, owner of BicyclingHub.com, to promote smiles and the CCC on the Worst Day of the Year Ride.

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