The 2017 PORTLAND FILM FESTIVAL, PRESENTED BY COMCAST, will screen 152 narrative and documentary films October 30th through November 5th, 2017, at Portland’s iconic Laurelhurst Theater.
The festival will include special opening and closing night screenings and parties, a Pittock Mansion Gala, educational panels, workshops, special presentations and daily networking events and opportunities throughout the festival.
This year’s fifth edition will present two opening and closing night films (a documentary and a narrative film on each night) and feature and short films in the following sections: Narrative and Documentary Competition Feature, Narrative and Documentary Spotlight, Shorts, Indigenous Voices, Portland Lens, and Special Screenings. This year, 89 of the films programmed (59%) were directed by women.
Said Josh Leake, Portland Film Festival Founder and Executive Director, “Hearing from independent voices has never been more important as it is today. This year’s movies, panels and programs are from engaging new filmmakers, the best of new indie film, and icons of classic cinema. We’re proud to present this year’s program - especially our Portland and Indigenous Voices sections, which will screen films each day to local audiences. In one week, we will present more independent cinema than most theaters screen in a year.”
Comcast is the Presenting Sponsor of the 2017 Portland Film Festival. Supporting Sponsors include: Koerner Camera, SAG-AFTRA, ABI Insurance, Whole Foods, Portland Monthly, Crank PDX, The Oregonian, Plum Tree Mortgage, KINK FM, Pro Photo Supply and others.
Established in 2013, the Portland Film Festival is one of Oregon’s largest film festivals, and was named “one of the coolest film festivals in the world,” by MovieMaker Magazine.
All screenings will take place at the historic Laurelhurst Theatre at 2735 E. Burnside Street. Tickets, general info and merchandise will be at the Laurelhurst throughout the festival.. Presenting Sponsor Comcast will host The Comcast VIP Lounge at the Cardinal Club, 18 NE 28th Ave.
Complete festival lineup, passes, and individual tickets available:
Festival Trailer:
This year’s festival highlights include:
· Oregon Governor Kate Brown has declared Oregon the State
of “Independent Film” and Mayor Ted Wheeler has proclaimed Portland the “City of Film” during the Festival. The festival will screen over 152 films from around the world, 89 of which were directed by women.
· You can catch a Portland made film every day.
· November is National American Indian Heritage Month. Each day, a film will be shown in a new section, Indigenous Voices.
· A percentage of this year’s ticket sales will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Portland and the Wild Salmon Center.
· Lead by award-winning professionals in their fields, this year’s festival will offer over a diverse selection of educational workshops, classes, panels and networking events for actors, screenwriters, and filmmakers.
· Special event highlights include the annual film industry speed networking event, a cinematic history walking tour of Portland, and an opening champagne toast.
· Special festival guests include: veteran filmmaker Joe Dante, Aisha Tyler, Shia LaBeouf, and screenwriters Sam Hamm, David Arata, Leslie Dixon, Miguel Tejada-Flores, Jeremy Lipp, and Randall Jahnson.
· Over ten short film programs and events, including screenings of work by local Portland filmmakers, and a special program of films created by youth in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Portland.
FEATURE FILM PROGRAM BELOW:
OPENING NIGHT FILM (Narrative)
ZILLA & ZOE
Zoe, age 10, is obsessed with directing horror films, but to win a filmmaking contest, she must shoot her next lm at her sister’s wedding.
Portland | 104min
Director: Jessica Scalise in attendance
OPENING NIGHT FILM (Documentary)
WHEN THEY AWAKE
A generation of established and emerging indigenous musicians in a moment of cultural and political resurgence. USA Premiere
Canada | 91min
Directors: P.J. Marcellino & Hermon Farahi in attendance. Special music guests in attendance.
CLOSING NIGHT FILM (Narrative)
CRASH PAD
About an eccentric misfit in love with an older married woman and his misadventures with her husband.
USA | 99min
Director: Kevin Tent in attendance.
Stars: Christina Applegate, Domhnall Gleeson, Thomas Haden Church
CLOSING NIGHT FILM (Documentary)
OUT OF STATE
Held thousands of miles from their island home, native Hawaiians inmates and their culture in an Arizona prison.
USA | 82min
Director: Ciara Lacy in attendance
OFFICIAL COMPETITION TITLES
A jury comprised of industry professionals and acclaimed filmmakers will present awards to films in both the Documentary Feature and Narrative Feature competition categories. There will also be an Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature, Best Narrative Feature, and Best Short Film.
NARRATIVE COMPETITION FEATURES
Six films showcasing fresh voices telling new stories with imagination and style.
#WANDERLUST
Two friends set out on a Hawaiian adventure for Instagram fame, but ultimately discover deeper meaning in their lives.
USA | 75min
Director: Maggie VandenBerghe in attendance
BROWN’S CANYON
Two life coaches set out to launch a mindfulness retreat, but soon discover that the Universe has other plans in mind.
USA | World Premiere | 95min Director: John Helde in attendance
A SIBLING MYSTERY
A brother and sister become consumed with investigating a mysterious woman they suspect has stolen their lottery ticket.
USA | 81min
Director: Dan Erickson in attendance
THIRSTY
A post-queer musical film as dramatic as it is entertaining.
USA | West Coast Premiere | 97min Director: Margo Pelletier
THE VALLEY
An immigrant entrepreneur’s seemingly idyllic life is shattered by the suicide of his daughter.
USA | 100min Director: Saila Kariat
WE WERE ÍSLANDS
Strangers to lovers to strangers again.
USA | 80min
Director: Amrita Pradhan in attendance
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION FEATURES
Six new films from around the world that tackle real life stories with bold vision and energy.
DAS WA$$UP
Follow the musical group ‘Yo Majesty’ through its trials and tribulations in the music industry.
UK | 96min
Director: Johannes Schaff in attendance
DIRT BAG: THE LEGEND OF FRED BUCKLEY
Fred Beckey is the iconic “Dirtbag” mountaineer who rebelliously conquered peaks and lived life on his own terms.
USA | 96min
Director: Dave O’Leske in attendance
MASHPEE NINE
Story of injustice and vindication that emboldened cultural pride and integrity for Mashpee Wampanoag 40 years ago.
USA | 55min
Director: Talia Landry in attendance
ON A KNIFE EDGE
A Lakota boy learns what it means to enter adulthood in a world where there are no sidelines.
USA | 90min
Director: Eli Cane in attendance
OUT OF STATE
Held thousands of miles from their island home, native Hawaiian inmates and their culture in an Arizona prison.
USA | 82min
Director: Ciara Lacy in attendance
STICKMAN
A homeless man’s passion for carving walking sticks launches him on an incredible journey of transformation.
USA | 103min
Director: Margaret Galbraith in attendance
NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT
Unique films, marquee names, and highlights of the best of modern film.
20 WEEKS
A couple must decide on how to move forward when their baby is diagnosed with a serious health condition at the 20 week scan.
USA | 89min
Director: Leena Pendharkar
200 HOURS
A group of graduate students conduct a sleep deprivation study in the 80s, but something goes terribly wrong with a test subject.
USA | 91min
Director: Phillip Guzman
AXIS
On the morning he is set to star in a career-changing film, an Irish actor trying to live down his rocky past confronts a series of events that threaten his sobriety.
USA | 85min Director: Aisha Tyler
D-LOVE
Not all who wander are lost.
USA | 97min
Director: Elena Beuca in attendance
DIM THE FLUORESCENTS
A struggling actor and playwright pour their creativity into the only work they
have: office role-playing demonstrations.
USA | 128min Director: Daniel Warth
DIRTY LAUNDRY
The search for a missing mob boss’ finger is on and laundromat employees Wim and Kevin are caught in the middle.
South Africa | International Premiere | 101min
Director: Morne du Toit
FIX IT! ALEXIS
When socially invisible Alexis’s “before” photo gets posted on Facebook, she’s mistaken for being pregnant.
USA | USA Premiere | 77min Director: Elizabeth Spear
FOR NOW
Four twenty somethings take a road-trip through California, only to confront their relationships with one another.
USA | 80 min
Director: Hannah Barlow in attendance
GUN
A washed up, ex-prize fighter makes a comeback to boxing after his top heavyweight contender son is blinded in the ring.
USA | 90 min
Director: Sam Upton in attendance
HER SIDE OF THE BED
When two best friends share an intimate night, everything changes.
USA | 102 min
Director: Bryn Woznicki in attendance
THE HOLLOW CHILD
A troubled foster teen, Samantha, works to expose a dangerous supernatural imposter in her new family.
Canadian | 88 min
Director: Jeremy Lutter in attendance
INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIVING
A depressed woman discovers the bucket list of her deceased fiancé and sets off on a journey to redeem his last wishes.
USA | West Coast Premiere | 76min Director: Sarah Heinss in Attendance
KHALI THE KILLER
When white kids jack his Hyundai full of cash, an East L.A. hit man must come out of retirement for one last job.
USA | World Premiere | 86min Director: Jon Matthews
KUPAL
You can’t be alone in this world!
IRAN | 81 min
Director: Kazem Mollaie
LAURA GETS A CAT
Laura tries to juggle an unexciting boyfriend, an affair with a performance artist, and a vivid imaginary life.
USA | 83min
Director: Michael Ferrell
SECRET SANTA
When a Xmas gift unleashes her family’s inner demons, April will try to save those she can and survive those she can’t.
USA | USA Premiere | 89min Director: Adam Marcus in attendance
THE VELOCIPASTOR
A priest gains a mysterious ability that allows him to turn into a dinosaur, which he uses to fight crime and ninjas.
USA | World Premiere | 71min Director: Brendan Steere in attendance
WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT (‘AK-ZIL’)
2 Guys 1 Camera.
South Korea | World Premiere | 100min Director: James Hutson in attendance
WOL-HA :
VERY BAD MOON RISING
The tombstone of the kisaeng (Korean Mistress) Wol-ha, who dies under a false accusation, is found!
South Korea | 80min
Director: Inchun Oh in attendance
WOMEN & SOMETIMES MEN
Sara has some questions.
USA | West Coast Premiere | 87min Director: Lesley Demetriades
in attendance
DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT
Celebrating the best in contemporary documentary filmmaking.
#TAKEMEANYWHERE
Shia LaBeouf embarks on his latest performance art project by roadtripping across the United States.
USA | min
LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner
BREAK THE CHAIN
Survivors of human trafficking provide a harrowing look at how this overly sensationalized issue hides in plain sight.
USA | 65min
Director: Laura Swanson in attendance
CATCHING SIGHT OF THELMA & LOUISE
Revisit the extraordinary journey of Thelma & Louise through the lens of viewers who saw the namesake film in 1991.
USA | 87min
Director: Jennifer Townsend in attendance
CURTSY, MISTER
Ronnie Grant shares his misadventures through the fashion and beauty industries, overcoming drug addiction, and eventually, becoming a fashion editor at Essence Magazine.
USA | 60min
Director: Angela Robinson Witherspoon
DRIFTING TOWARDS
THE CRESCENT
As the diesel barges ply the Mississippi River, the river no longer needs the towns, but the towns still need the river.
USA | 84min
Director Laura Stewart
FAKE BLOOD
Rob Grant and Mike Kovac investigate their responsibility creating violent movies after receiving a creepy fan video.
USA | 81min
Directors: Rob Grant in attendance
KIM SWIMS
An inspiring story of a swimmer’s attempt to become the first woman to swim the world’s hardest open water swim.
USA | 75min
Director: Kate Webber in attendance
LAST SONG TO XENITIA
Centenarian poet journeys to Greece, endeavouring to pass on an ancient oral tradition to the next generation.
USA | 74min
Director: Athena Scotes
LIVING ART
A captivating sensory
journey into the art practices
& aesthetics of seven African contemporary artists in Maputo, Mozambique.
Mozambique | 52min Director: Tina Krüger
LIYANA
Five children in Swaziland collaborate to create an original African tale about a young girl on a dangerous quest.
USA | 76min
Director: Amanda Kopp & Aaron Kopp
NOT A WAR STORY
Hollywood collides with a group of veterans who decide to make an original lm without any experience.
USA | 83min
Director: Tim O’Donnell
RUN WHILE YOU CAN
Sam Fox’s quest to run the 2,650 mile-long Pacific Crest Trail for Parkinson’s Disease becomes a test of character.
USA | 78min
Director: Marion Mauran
ZERO WEEKS
Weaving powerful personal stories with insightful interviews, explore America’s paid leave crisis and the cost of doing nothing.
USA | 87min
Director: Ky Dickens in attendance
INDIGENOUS VOICES
Films that document, highlight, and celebrate Indigenous voices in contemporary cinema.
MASHPEE NINE
Story of injustice and vindication that emboldened cultural pride and integrity. West Coast Premiere. DOCUMENTARY
USA | 55min
Directors: Talia Landry & William Nay in attendance. Special music guests in attendance.
ON A KNIFE EDGE
A Lakota boy learns what it means to enter adulthood in a world where there are no sidelines. DOCUMENTARY
USA | 90min
Director: Jeremy Williams in attendance
UNAUTHORIZED! THE FIGHTING SIOUX
When the NCAA bans a small hockey town’s Native American name and logo, a battle begins to save the college icon. World Premiere. DOCUMENTARY
USA | 88min
Director: Matt Fern in attendance
THE WATCHMAN’S CANOE
A young girl of mixed Caucasian and Indigenous descent moves to a reservation where she struggles with local bullies. NARRATIVE
USA | 101min
Director: Barri Chase in attendance
WHEN THEY AWAKE
A generation of established and emerging Indigenous musicians in a moment of cultural and political resurgence. USA Premiere. DOCUMENTARY
Canada | 91min
Directors: P.J. Marcellino & Hermon Farahi in attendance. Special music guests in attendance.
PORTLAND LENS
Celebrating narrative and documentary films made in Portland and/or by Portland filmmakers.
ALIEN BOY
One man’s struggle with schizophrenia and examines the actions of the police officers responsible for his death. DOCUMENTARY
Portland | 90min
Director: Brian Lindstrom in attendance
BENEFITS OF GUSBANDRY
One woman, one man, a lot of weed, a little crying, and no sexual attraction whatsoever. NARRATIVE
Portland | 99min
Director: Alicia J. Rose in attendance
BUZZ ONE FOUR
The mystery of two thermonuclear bombs crashing 90 miles from Washington DC explored by the grandson of the pilot. DOCUMENTARY
Portland | 60min
Director: Matt McCormick in attend.
DRYLAND
The fate of rural America reveals a paradoxical struggle between technological advancement and the dwindling family farm. DOCUMENTARY
Portland | 65min
Director: Sue Arbuthnot in attendance
ORACLE
A trio of sisters make a documentary film about the true nature of the world, on the eve of a possible apocalypse. NARRATIVE
USA | World Premiere | 89min Director: Hale Mednick in attendance
SOAR OREGON
Take pride in this lush, green, beautiful state with this wonderful new perspective of touring Oregon! DOCUMENTARY
Portland | 50min
Director: Ryan Ao in attendance
TOMORROW, MAYBE
An ex-con father reconnects with his daughter, who might not be so willing if her life wasn’t suddenly falling apart. NARRATIVE
Portland | 84min
Director: Jace Daniel in attendance
THE WATCHMAN’S CANOE
A young girl of mixed Caucasian and Indigenous descent moves to a reservation where she struggles with local bullies. NARRATIVE
USA | 101min
Director: Barri Chase in attendance
WOODSRIDER
An introspective young snowboarder camps alone, anticipating a winter of adventure and self-renewal. NARRATIVE
Portland | 83min
Director: Cambria Matlow in attendance
ZILLA & ZOE
Zoe, age 10, turns her sister’s wedding week into a horror film to win a filmmaking contest. OPENING NIGHT NARRATIVE
Portland | 104min
Director: Jessica Scalise in attendance
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
A curated selection of special-event new films, classics and surprises.
DARKEST HOUR
During the early days of World War II, the fate of Europe hangs on the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Hitler, or fight on against incredible odds.
UK | 2017 | 125 min Director: Joe Wright
CTHULHU
A Seattle history professor discovers aspects of his father’s New Age cult, which take on a dangerous and apocalyptic significance.
USA | 2007 | 100 min Director: Daniel Gildark
OVERBOARD
A cruel and beautiful heiress cheats over a hired carpenter. When she gets amnesia, he decides to introduce her to working-class life by convincing her they’re husband and wife.
Screenwriter Leslie Dixon in attendance
USA | 106 min
Director: Garry Marshall
THE SINS OF MY FATHER
The incredible story of Pablo Escobar, the infamous boss of Colombia’s Medellin
drug cartel, told by his son Sebastian and his widow Maria Isabel Santos.
Argentina & Columbia | 94min Director: Nicolas Entel in attendance
About the Portland Film Festival
Established in 2013, the Portland Film Festival is Oregon’s largest film festival, and was named “one of the coolest film festivals in the world,” by MovieMaker Magazine in 2014. It is a non-profit, year round organization dedicated to nurturing filmmakers and audiences, and to celebrating the power of a good story. The festival focuses on the people, ideas, technology, skills and artistry behind filmmaking, and provides both entertaining and educational opportunities for the public.
Specal thanks to Comcast and all of our sponsors including Koerner Camera, SAG-AFTRA, ABI Insurance, Whole Foods, Portland Monthly, Crank PDX, The Oregonian, Plum Tree Mortgage, KINK FM, Pro Photo Supply and others.
Previous and current festival partners include the City of Portland, Portland Parks & Recreation, Art Institute of Portland, Oregon Film: Canon, Oregon Governor’s Office of Film and Television, Women in Film, Oregon Media Production Association (OMPA), Willamette Writers, SAG Aftra (Actor’s Guild/Union), I.A.T.S.E. (Film Union), Directed by Women, and others.
Although the festival began in 2013, its history goes back to 2009, when the Portland Film Club was founded as a film club to bring film lovers together to view and discuss films. The club now boasts over 3500 members and is one of the largest movie clubs on the west coast. It screens typically one movie a week including new and independent features.
About Presenting Sponsor Comcast
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation’s largest video, high- speed internet, and phone providers to residential customers under the XFINITY brand, and also provides these services to businesses. It also provides wireless and security and automation services to residential customers under the XFINITY brand. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.c
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