October 31 – November 5, 2018
The Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival is the Northwest’s premiere showcase of new work by leading regional filmmakers. This touchstone annual event brings artists and audiences together for a community celebration including current northwest film exhibition, and Northwest Filmmakers’ Summit. Annually, Northwest Fest draws more than 400 entries from Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.
Festival artwork by Josh Lunden
Festival Highlights

42nd Fresh Film Northwest Winning Program
Directed by Various
JUROR STATEMENT In this year's entries to Fresh Film Northwest, we found a very broad range of styles, themes, and …

Alaska: ALASKA
Curated by: Pat Race Director, Juneau Underground Motion Picture Society Alaska Alaska is story rich. We're a state full of …

British Columbia – Let Us Be Restless
Curated by: Curtis Woloschuk Vancouver International Film Festival, Associate Director of Programming British Columbia As the lone Canadian entry in …

Essays of a City
Directed by Stuart Eagon
Shot on super 16mm, Eagon’s black and white love letter to cinema and place is constructed of three parts, each …

Idaho: IDentity
Curated by: Christian Lybrook Screen Writer & Filmmaker Idaho Idaho's filmmaking community is small but mighty. Our state's dramatic landscapes, …

Lost Division
Directed by Edward Pack Davee
Shot on glorious super 16mm, director Edward Pack Davee's second feature film brings together a chaplain, an infantryman, and a …

Luk’Luk’I
Directed by Wayne Wapeemukwa
Luk’Luk’I is the Coast-Salish name for the swampy area known today as Vancouver’s downtown Eastside, an area known for its …

Man Proposes, God Disposes
Directed by Daniel Leo
Photographer-turned-filmmaker Daniel Leo’s first feature is a trans-Atlantic tale of culture shock and miscommunication, as a young Polish man named …

Montana: Wide Open Stories
Directed by Various
Curated by: Gita Saedi Kiely Director of Development, University of Montana School of Journalism & Independent Filmmaker Montana There is …

My Summer As A Goth
Directed by Tara Johnson-Medinger
The OregonMade Creative Foundation has teamed up with four of the best independent cinemas in Portland, The Northwest Film Center, …

North of Blue
Directed by Joanna Priestley
Long-time animator Joanna Priestley, known for her fantastic shorts, has created her first feature inspired by winter landscapes of the …

NW Exposure
Seven scriptwriting contest finalists will have their work read live by professional actors. The winner will receive a production package …

Oregon – Change, Love, & Rage
Curated by: Nora Colie Independent Filmmaker & Organizer Oregon Right now in Oregon, people of color, women, non-binary, and queer …

Sadie
Directed by Megan Griffiths
Seattle-based director Megan Griffiths’ sixth feature is both a coming-of-age tale and a glimpse into the heartache of loneliness. Young …

Scary-Oke: A Singalong Séance
Join us for an extra special 45th Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival Opening Night celebration at the Portland Art Museum’s Fields (Sunken) …

Shorts Block A
From modern anxieties about talking on phones to deeply personal journeys, this program weaves together documentaries, atmospheric tales, comedies, and …

Shorts Block B
A collection of films that has a little something for everyone, from familial drama, environmental and personal documentaries, and a …

Strictly Professional
Directed by Sean Brown
In this satirical farce, three extremely privileged, affluent white women in unhappy marriages decide that hiring non-white gigolos is the …

Washington: Intrepid Layers
Curated by: Courtney Sheehan Former Executive Director, Northwest Film Forum Washington Director Megan Griffiths (SADIE, LUCKY THEM, EDEN) once coined …

Wicked Wednesday
Directed by Andy Ridgway
For over 20 years, DJ Wicked has hosted a weekly celebration of all things hip-hop. In a city not …

Zilla and Zoe
Directed by Jessica Scalise
Filmmaker Jessica Scalise's second feature film tells the comedic story of young Zoe, a 10-year-old obsessed with gore and horror. …