The Plan

The Portland Short Documentary Festival (placeholder) will ideally be a collaboration between NW Documentary and the Portland State film program, designed to increase awareness of the resources available to Portland filmmakers and develop a better working relationship between them. By including works from a variety of Portland film students representing NW Documentary, Portland State University and the Northwest Film Center, the event will showcase the work being produced throughout the city, highlight the educational resources that made the films possible, and foster an active community between the various institutions.

I am still waiting to set up a meeting with the folks at NW Documentary, but earlier this week I spoke with Steve Amen (host and producer of OPB's Oregon Field Guide, and currently the instructor of a three-part documentary production course at PSU) about the possibility of his collaboration. Steve seemed enthusiastic about the project and suggested I talk to Ian McCluskey, a producer on NW Documentary's award-winning film Eloquent Nude. I'm hoping to visit NW Documentary this week and hopefully get a chance to discuss the festival with Ian and anyone else available, but in the meantime, Steve seems willing to host the event, which would be a terrific fit.

I will also hopefully get a chance to speak with the PSU film committee about booking 5th Avenue Cinema as the venue. A friend and recent graduate of the PSU film program, Bryn Hubbard, previously produced the 2009 edition of the annual Visuals Film Festival for his capstone, so I will also be discussing the project with him in order to better understand the logistical aspects of the project. This week will hopefully see a lot of progress in regard to the community partner(s) and determining the foundation of this project.