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Film Fest and Chill

Fencer

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.

“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.

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 21st 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/


Filmmakers Gather for Showcase of Northwest Films

NWFF42_Series
This year’s Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival (Nov. 12-18) presents 45+ short and feature films from filmmakers across the Northwest, selected by guest Festival judge Steve Anker. Anker is the former Dean of the California Institute of the Arts School of Film/Video and formerly served as director of the San Francisco Cinematheque as well as artistic director of the Foundation for Art in Cinema.

_J4xIydnJMRULqhXpHmkdSJZdxxP1z48CHFUDVzYHJ4Festival film highlights include director Lewis Bennett’s THE SANDWICH NAZI, a feature-length expansion of his short film, which screened to much audience acclaim at the 39th Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival; Zach Weintraub’s SLACKJAW makes its Portland debut after premiering earlier this year at the Locarno Film Festival; WELCOME TO THE CIRCUS, Courtney Coulson’s involving portrait of a mobile, cross-cultural circus for children in Palestine; Michael Turner’s THE WAY WE TALK investigates one of medical science’s most baffling and enduring disabilities — stuttering — through the personal experience of its director.

Eqw0UPZcb3chZOY8JJ2JsmfLxFLKx0S9K2AzF2KvKQUIn addition to features, the Festival offers three programs of short films. Shorts I: Fantasies and Diversions — a collection of films from makers based in Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, Tacoma, WA, and Vancouver, BC — will kick off the Festival on Opening Night at 7 p.m. with filmmakers in attendance. Shorts II: Tracing Space and Shorts III: Intimate Portraits are collections of films by makers throughout the NW region, ranging from the experimental to animation to narrative and non-fiction.

Beyond the numerous screenings on offer, the Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival also provides opportunities for aspiring and working filmmakers to interact directly with peers and industry professionals through events such as the Northwest Filmmakers’ Un-Conference, previously BarCamp, an opportunity for the regional filmmaking community to gather together and explore the issues and challenges facing today’s independent filmmaker.

pak67Dl9SQxvcfk-IzD7dvynuAhG5XRBLuQTqa7zSgETo compliment the festival, the very first Northwest Filmmakers’ Expo (Thursday, Nov. 12, 10am-5pm) will bring together buyers and users of filmmaking equipment and services with top regional and international vendors offering a hands-on look at their latest technology and the multitude of filmmaking resources available. Already confirmed vendors include Canon, Zeiss, JVC, Panasonic, and Sony among many others.

While drawing heavily from film and video industry professionals, the Expo — held in the Portland Art Museum’s Sunken Ballroom — will also be a different breed of Expo with many of the top creative agencies in the Northwest also contributing their time and ideas to make this a trade show like no other, one uniquely suited to Portland’s creative film community.

Q9DaYm10iZ3qunI-SQT70Ev0YT3jJs1UWHUPY8HkliY,4Z-Hbgg4C8j_G-BTQ5se1PLLgInoI3gEm173isxR-tY,KyKrm_gNjRUCOm_71Vyb-vG4hL-aKWKq4mbovhGYmIA,eD1OQw9_zxSekM-vThis year’s Opening Night party, sponsored by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and the Oregon Cultural Trust, will also be held in the Portland Art Museum’s Sunken Ballroom. Both the entirety of the Expo and the Opening Night Party will feature music provided by XRAY.FM’s DJs.  With the exception of one film, all Festival screenings will take place at the Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium.

For more information, visit The 42nd Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival microsite, where you can access film descriptions, ticketing links, and more.

The Northwest Film Center is a regional media arts organization offering a variety of exhibition, education programs, and artist services throughout the region.  The Center presents a program of foreign, classic, experimental, and independent works year-round at the Whitsell Auditorium, located in the Portland Art Museum.  For more information, visit www.nwfilm.org.