For information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Rachel Record, Development Manager, at 503-276-4254 or email her.

Please direct all press inquiries to Nick Bruno, Publicity and Promotions Manager, at 503-276-4209 or email him.

Fresh Film Northwest is a juried survey of work by up-and-coming teen filmmakers living in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and British Columbia. Now in its 42nd year, the Festival recognizes individual talent, showcases model examples of how film arts can be taught in schools, and engages all of us in helping to build the Northwest regional youth media community of 13- to 19-year-olds.

Learn More

Lili Rodriguez is a programmer and festival organizer based in Palm Springs, California. She works year-round at the Palm Springs International Film Society where she is Festival Director for ShortFest (June) and Director of Programming for the Palm Springs International Film Festival (January). She gets her horror fill programming short films for the Overlook Film Festival (April).

Michael Almereyda
Steve Anker
Freude Bartlett
Ellen Bartow
James Benning
Phil Borsos
Ernest Callenbach
John Cooper
Karen Cooper
Jo Ann Danzker
Steve Dejarnett
Gill Dennis
Sam Green
Matt Groening
Andrea Grover
Todd Haynes
Jim Hoberman
Dan Ireland
Heike Kuehn
Edith Kramer
Stan Lawder
Ted Mahar
Jonathan Marlow
Leonard Maltin
David Milholland
Marv Newland
Pat O’Neill
Bill Plympton
Christopher Rauschenberg
Kelly Reichardt
B. Ruby Rich
Rachael Rosen
Norie Sato
Steve Seid
Maureen Selwood
Jill Spencer
Deborah Stratman
Amy Taubin
Kenneth Turan
Christine Vachon
Gus Van Sant
Jane Veeder
Carmen Vigil
Melinda Ward
Gene Youngblood

Thanks to our 45th Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival Sponsors

PRODUCING

    

            

                 

The Film Talkers’ Lounge is a place where both filmmakers and attendees can gather to talk about what they have seen or are excited to see. Located in the Andrée Stevens room near the Whitsell Auditorium inside the Portland Art Museum, this is the place to mingle and meet with fellow Festival-goers. Food sponsored by Carina Lounge, Addy’s Sandwiches, Ken’s Artisan Bakery, and Hoda’s Middle Eastern Cuisine. Drink sponsored by Rogue Ales, Portlandia Vinters, and Abacela Winery.

Wed. Oct. 31 4pm – 7pm with Carina Lounge and Abacela Wines

Fri. Nov. 2 3:30pm – 9:15pm with Addy’s Sandwiches

Sat. Nov. 3 10:30am – 7:15pm with Ken’s Artisan Bakery and Hoda’s Middle Eastern Cuisine

Sun. Nov. 4 11am – 9pm with Hoda’s Middle Eastern Cuisine and Ken’s Artisan Bakery

Mon. Nov. 5 4pm – 9pm with Addy’s Sandwiches

The 45th NW Filmmakers Festival is seeking volunteers!  

We’re always looking for fun, reliable people to help manage lines, take attendance, tear tickets, and more.  Volunteering at the festival is a great way to meet filmmakers and other members of the regional filmmaking community (and catch some of their great films for free) all while being a critical part of one of the longest-running regional film festivals in the state!  If you’re interested in volunteering, please sign up to attend one of our two upcoming volunteer orientations (on 10/17 from 6pm – 9pm and 10/21 from 1pm –4pm) by following the link here: http://signup.com/go/VqZpZmZ.  If you’ve got any questions, please feel free to reach out to RaChelle Schmidt (rachelle@nwfilm.org) the NW Fest Volunteer Coordinator, or give our offices a call at 503-221-1156.”  

A Tale in Two  Minutes: How to Pitch Your Film Idea

Friday November 2nd, 10am – 3pm

Taught by David Poulshock and Nancy Froeschle

Whether you’re in an elevator or a boardroom, pitching your big idea is part writing, part strategy, part performance … and above all, it’s storytelling. So your pitch simply boils down to telling a good tale, right? If only it were so easy.  Whether you’re proposing a feature, documentary, commercial or other creative project, you need an engaging, suspenseful and tight pitch of 60-120 seconds at the ready.  Like filmmaking, pitching involves knowing your audience (prospective buyer), but it also involves a whole lot more. How the heck can you describe a feature length film in ninety seconds? What do you reveal and what do you not?  How do you avoid getting mired in detail or lost along the way? How do you get your audience excited enough to actually buy your story? We’ll explore all this and more in a high energy, informal, safe and welcoming environment. The material is helpful not just for in-person pitching, but for proposal writing and other forms of marketing.

Topics include:

• The art & science of storytelling (where Aristotle meets neuroscience)
• Finding the essential elements of your story
• Creating an effective log line
• Writing and structuring your pitch
• Memorizing vs. telling
• Engaging your audience
• Prepping for the unexpected
• Tools for overcoming performance anxiety
• And much more

Tentative Schedule:

10:00 – Fear & Loathing in the Pitch Room: everybody stumbles, pitch demonstration
10:15 – The Art & Science of Storytelling: activating the sensory cortex in three acts
10:30 – Pitch Breakdown: story essence, hook, character, structure, hook, payoff
11:00 – Performance Tools: how to relax and enjoy telling your your story.
11:15 -1^st Round: 6 pitches receive critiques and suggestions from instructors
12:15 – Lunch (on your own)
1:00 – 2^nd Round: 6 pitches receive critiques and suggestions from instructors
2:15 – Re-write & Rehearse: instructors rotate to help as you rework and hone your pitch
3:00 – PITCH FOR THE PRIZE in the Whitsell Auditorium: final round to a panel
4:00 – Prizes awarded

Register one of two ways. Pitching Participants ($60, limited to 12) will be actively guided in working on one or two of their film ideas, receive expert feedback from instructors and may compete for prizes during PITCH FOR THE PRIZE. Observers ($20, limited to 15) will attend the lectures and watch the in-class pitching practices and critiques.

No previous experience is required.  All levels of filmmaking experience are welcome.

Welcome to the 45^th Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival

For over 45 years, the Northwest Film Center has presented a regional film festival—now the longest running film festival on the West Coast. What first began as the Northwest Film and Video Festival in 1973 became the Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival in 2011. Regardless of name, the Festival has continued to be a true celebration of regional cinema from (what we like to call) the best corner of the planet. True to form, the Festival continually strives to push forth the voices and visions of filmmakers engaging in new and personal work.

One big challenge from the past few years has been to provide a full representation of work coming out of the various locations around the region. This year we decided to create the Regional Survey, six short film programs curated by guest curators from each of the states and provinces that make up the Northwest: Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Alaska, and British Columbia. The programs will screen throughout the Festival and, along with all other programming and the day-long Northwest Filmmakers’ Summit, provide audiences with a well-rounded glimpse into the hearts and minds of filmmakers from around the region.

The Northwest Film Center owes many thanks to individuals and organizations that helped produce this year’s Festival. First, a big thank you to Festival judge Lilli Rodriguez for her thoughtful decisions in selecting works deserving of special recognition and compiling them into the two shorts block programs. Thank you to Courtney Sheehan, Christian Lybrook, Curtis Woloschuk, Pat Race, Gita Saedi Kiely, and Nora Colie for taking the time to curate the programs that make up the Regional Survey. Thank you to interns Lexi Pierson and Brian Lake for helping to view submissions. Thank you to graphic designer Josh Lunden for his Festival design and Alicia J. Rose who wrote and directed the Festival trailer. And on top of all the hard-working Northwest Film Center staff members, a big thank you to Assistant Festival Producer Michelle M. Matthews.

The Festival also appreciates the longtime support of the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, LAIKA, the Regional Arts & Culture Council, and the citizens of Portland through the Arts Access and Education Fund.

All these friends, and so many more recognized in the program, have helped create an event we hope will open your imagination, minds, and eyes to the amazing stories from the many filmmakers living and working in the great Northwest.

Ben Popp, Festival Manager