The Film Center has been celebrating filmmakers from our region for 45 years. At the center of its Northwest programming is the annual Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival which screens films made in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and British Columbia. As part of the 45th Festival (October 31-November 5), Northwest Film Center brings a Northwest Survey to the Whitsell Auditorium. Guest curators from around the Pacific Northwest will present short film programs from their respective state or province. There will also be a panel on what it means to be a filmmaker and make film in each section of our region.
How does the filmmaking community in your state contribute to our region?
Courtney Sheehan
Former Executive Director, Northwest Film Forum
Washington
Director Megan Griffiths (SADIE, LUCKY THEM, EDEN) once coined the term “crewtopia” to describe the close-knit, supportive vibe among independent filmmakers who are constantly helping each other out, working on each other’s projects for the love of the art (and each other)…Such a cultural atmosphere is critical for generative, creative, sustainable art-making!
Buy Tickets for Washington: Intrepid Layers, screening on Wed. Oct. 31 at 5pm.
Pat Race
Director, Juneau Underground Motion Picture Society
Alaska
Alaska is story rich. We’re a state full of strange tales and unthinkable adventures. The long, dark winters are conducive to editing and creative pursuits while the long summer days illuminate some of the most scenic lands in the world.
Buy Tickets for Alaska: ALASKA, screening on Mon. Nov. 5 at 5pm.
Curtis Woloschuk
Vancouver International Film Festival, Associate Director of Programming
British Columbia
As the lone Canadian entry in the Northwest Survey, I suspect that the British Columbia films will offer slightly different sensibilities and perspectives. That said, a number of the emerging filmmakers from this province have been influenced by international cinema from a formative and have proven themselves politically and culturally engaged.
Buy Tickets for British Columbia: Let Us Be Restless, screening on Thurs. Nov. 1 at 5pm.
Gita Saedi Kiely
Director of Development, University of Montana School of Journalism & Independent Filmmaker
Montana
There is a particular flavor that is the Montana media community – it is real and tough and connected to place. Montana is vast and epic in scope and lifestyle, our film community captures that essence and frames the experience through its stories – both narrative and documentary work.
Buy Tickets for Montana: Wide Open Stories, screening on Sun. Nov. 4 at Noon.
Nora Colie
Independent Filmmaker & Organizer
Oregon
Right now in Oregon, people of color, women, non-binary, and queer filmmakers are making a conscious effort to hire, recommend, and promote one another for TV and film productions. They are also forming coalitions to facilitate collaboration and creative community. These voices, underrepresented in the film history of Oregon, are enhancing the quality of filmmaking in the region and are contributing fascinating stories that rarely have been told.
Buy Tickets for Oregon: Change, Love, & Rage, screening on Sat. Nov. 3 at 1:45pm.
Christian Lybrook
Screen Writer & Filmmaker
Idaho
Idaho’s filmmaking community is small but mighty. Our state’s dramatic landscapes, unique history, and overall unfamiliarity for most audiences means we have a perspective that is new for most people (viewers or filmmakers). You can tell stories in Idaho that can be told nowhere else.
Buy Tickets for Idaho: IDentity, screening on Fri. Nov. 2 at 4:30pm.