SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
(RE)DISCOVERIES: NEW RESTORATIONS, NEW PRINTS
VOICES
IN ACTION: HUMAN RIGHTS ON FILM
School of Film
FALL CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
martin scorsese presents :
MASTERPIECES OF
POLISH CINEMA
PORTLAND, OR PERMIT NO. 664
NORTHWEST FILM CENTER 1219 SW PARK AVENUE PORTLAND,OR 97205
PAID NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE
STAFF
WELCOME
NORTHWEST FILM CENTER
SUMMER AND CINEMA AT THE NORTHWEST FILM CENTER
DIRECTOR: BILL FOSTER EDUCATION DIRECTOR: ELLEN THOMAS
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FILMMAKER SERVICES MANAGER: THOMAS PHILLIPSON HARRY & ROSE MOYER ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES & NORTHWEST FILM CENTER SCHOOL OF FILM 934 SW SALMON STREET
EXHIBITION PROGRAM ASSISTANT: MORGEN RUFF
ALL SCREENINGS TAKE PLACE, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, AT THE
SPONSORSHIP AND EVENTS MANAGER: RACHEL RECORD
NORTHWEST FILM CENTER WHITSELL AUDITORIUM PORTLAND ART MUSEUM 1219 SW PARK AVENUE
MAILING ADDRESS (FOR ALL) 1219 SW PARK AVENUE PORTLAND, OR 97205
PUBLICITY AND PROMOTIONS MANAGER: NICK BRUNO EDUCATION PROGRAMS MANAGER: ANNA CRANDALL
EQUIPMENT & FACILITIES MANAGER: DAVE HANAGAN MEMBERSHIP AND INDIVIDUAL GIVING COORDINATOR: BAILEY CAIN
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ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR: KAREN WENNSTROM EDUCATION SERVICES COORDINATORS: STEPHANIE HOUGH ANDREW PRICE MILES SPRIETSMA EDUCATION PROGRAM ASSISTANTS: FELISHA LEDESMA HAZEL MALONE GEOFF PETERSON JARRATT TAYLOR HEAD THEATRE MANAGER & PROJECTIONIST: MELINDA KOWALSKA
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT P.18 SPECIAL SCREENINGS/ NORTHWEST TRACKING PAGE 3
MARTIN SCORSESE PRESENTS: MASTERPIECES OF POLISH CINEMA PAGE 4
REEL MUSIC FESTIVAL 32 PAGES 5 – 6, 15 – 16
SCHOOL OF FILM PAGES 7 – 14
VOICES IN ACTION: HUMAN RIGHTS ON FILM PAGE 17
RECENT RESTORATIONS PAGES 18 – 19
G ENERA L ADM I S S I ON $9 GENERAL $8 PAM MEMBERS, STUDENTS, SENIORS $6 SILVER SCREEN CLUB FRIENDS
THEATRE STAFF: KATIE BURKART ERIK MCCLANAHAN ARIKA OGLESBEE TONY OLSEN-CARDELLO ALEX SMITH ILANA SOL LISA TRAN VERONICA VICHIT-VADAKAN LARISA ZIMMERMAN OFFICE INTERNS & VOLUNTEERS: BLAINE BAILEY EMILY CRAFT KATHERINE DINH DANIELLE DUHAIME HANNAH FLEMING NOAH HALE EMILY MERCER JOHN PINNEY ELISE SMART IAN WESTMORLAND THEATRE VOLUNTEERS: LIS COOPER RYAN FITZ CONNIE GUIST DOUGLAS HANES PAT HOLMES JESSE IIAMS-HAUSER LEAH ISAAC INGEBORG MUSSCHE KAY OLSEN PHYLLIS OSTER WARREN OSTER NANDINI RANGANATHAN LAUREL SAGER ELISE SMART DEBBIE STOLLER HANNAH VAN LOON KRISTEN WALKER AND MANY MORE…
SPECIAL ADMISSION PRICES AS NOTED. ALL PROGRAMS ARE SINGLE ADMISSION, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SILVER SCREEN CLUB DIRECTORS, PRODUCERS, BENEFACTORS & SUSTAINERS RECEIVE FREE ADMISSION TO ALL REGULAR ADMISSION PROGRAMS, INCLUDING FESTIVALS. SEATS FOR ADVANCE TICKET HOLDERS AND SILVER SCREEN CLUB MEMBERS ARE HELD UNTIL 10 MINUTES BEFORE SHOWTIME, AT WHICH POINT ANY UNFILLED SEATS ARE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC. BOX OFFICE OPENS ONE-HALF HOUR BEFORE SHOWTIME.
SCRIP BOOKS: $50 (10 TICKETS) PURCHASE ADVANCE TICKETS AT NWFILM.ORG. IDENTIFICATION STATEMENT PUBLICATION TITLE:
NORTHWE ST FI LM CENTER ISSUE DATE: SEPTEM BER
201 4
STATEMENT OF FREQUENCY:
PUBLISHE D 6 TI M ES PER YEAR AUTHORIZED ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS:
PORTLAND ART MUSEUM BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIR: WILLIAM WHITSELL VICE CHAIR: RICHARD LOUIS BROWN SECRETARY: LAURA MEIER TREASURER: JIM WINKLER NW FILM CENTER COMMITTEE: LINDA ANDREWS, CHAIRMAN MARK FRANDSEN MARY HINCKLEY BOB WARREN ALICE WIEWEL DON VAN WART PORTLAND ART MUSEUM MARILYN H. & DR. ROBERT B. PAMPLIN JR. DIRECTOR: BRIAN FERRISO NW FILM CENTER CORRESPONDENCE TO: NORTHWEST FILM CENTER 1219 SW PARK AVENUE PORTLAND, OR 97205
NORTHWE ST FI LM CENTER PORTLAND ART M USEUM 1219 SW PARK AVENUE PORTLAND, OR 97205
EMAIL: INFO@NWFILM.ORG PHONE: 503-221-1156 FAX: 503-294-0874
ISSUE NUMBER: VOL.
NWFILM.ORG
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NORTHWEST FILM CENTER
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6 Clockwise from top left: 1) Silver Screen Club member Paul Sher and Northwest Film Center director Bill Foster at our Community Open House event. 2) One of the Project Viewfinder participants works in tandem with a staff advisor on location. 3) Our setup crew prepares for the 2nd annual Drive-in at Zidell Yards event. 4) Directors Chapman and Maclain Way introduce THE BATTERED BASTARDS OF BASEBALL at our joint presentation of the film with the Oregon Historical Society. Also pictured: OHS executive director Kerry Tymchuk. 5) Local indie folk act St. Even plays before the film on opening night of Top Down: Rooftop Cinema at the Hotel deLuxe. 6) After enjoying music, food from Gracie’s and beverages from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Honest Tea, the crowd thrills to Alfred Hitchcock’s NOTORIOUS on opening night of Top Down.
MISSION
The Northwest Film Center is a regional media arts resource and service organization founded to encourage the study, appreciation, and utilization of the moving image arts; to foster their artistic and professional excellence; and to help create a climate in which they may flourish.
PRESENTING
The Film Center’s year-round exhibition program surveys the full range of cinema past and present. From classic silent film to the avant-garde, thematic series, director retrospectives, national cinema surveys, visiting artists, and the latest in regional, independent, and foreign film, the Film Center’s programs open the world of diverse moving image expression.
TEACHING
The Film Center’s School of Film is one of the oldest and largest community-based media arts education programs in the country. The School of Film offers intensive hands-on classes and workshops in film production for adults and youth, taught by faculty members who are accomplished working media artists. Students may earn the Film Center’s non-degree Certificate in Film as well as obtain optional college credit through partnering higher education institutions. In K-12 classrooms, after-school, and community settings, in partnership with many other organizations, the School of Film advances media literacy and expression as core skills for the next generation through screenings, production camps, and other innovative programs and collaborations.
SUPPORTING FILMMAKERS AND COMMUNITY
In addition to exhibition and teaching opportunities, the Film Center circulates traveling exhibition programs featuring work by regional artists, administers the Oregon Media Arts Fellowship, offers fiscal agent services for independent producers in need of non-profit sponsorship, provides low-cost equipment access, and engages in consulting services to community producers and organizations. THE NORTHWEST FILM CENTER IS FUNDED IN PART BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, OREGON ARTS COMMISSION, OREGON CULTURAL TRUST, REGIONAL ARTS & CULTURE COUNCIL, THE TED R. GAMBLE FILM ENDOWMENT, THE PAUL G. ALLEN FAMILY FOUNDATION, THE JAMES F. AND MARION L. MILLER FOUNDATION, AND THE SUPPORT OF NUMEROUS CORPORATE AND EDUCATION PROGRAM SPONSORS, MEMBERS, & FRIENDS.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 503-221-1156 NWFILM.ORG
NORTHWEST TRACKING
I AM NOT A ROCK STAR
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
MANAKAMANA
Northwest Tracking showcases the work of independent filmmakers living and working in the Northwest—Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington—whose work reflects the vibrant cinematic culture of the region. Whether presenting single-artist retrospectives, new features, documentaries, or inspired collections of short works, this ongoing showcase offers testimony to the creativity and talent in our flourishing media arts community.
LEVITATED MASS
SEP 10 WED 7 PM—VISITING ARTIST
EVERGREEN S EATTLE 20 13
DIRECTOR: RILEY MORTON
The passage of I-502—the ballot initiative that legalized recreational marijuana usage in Washington State—attracted national attention. EVERGREEN follows the successful campaign in detail and provides an overview of the debates involved in pushing the initiative to the finish line. “Morton captures the crucial moment when plenty of people agree on the general idea of legalization, but differ wildly on its specifics. The dissenting voices come not from those opposed to the legalization, but rather the terms of regulation set fort in the initiative. Rather than viewing the cause exclusively through the stoned proclamations of the movement’s base, most of the people featured are levelheaded advocates of fair policies.”—Indiewire. (86 mins.) Director Riley Morton will be in attendance.
SEP 18 THURS 7 PM—VISITING ARTIST
I AM NOT A ROCK STAR CANADA 20 13
DIRECTOR: BOBBI JO HART
The sacrifice of self, the acclaim, the adoring crowds… classical pianist Marika Bournaki fits the role. But the title of Oregon-born Bobbi Jo Hart’s award-winning portrait speaks to the contradictions of Bournaki’s life. Made over a span of eight years–following the classical phenom from age 12 to 20–the experience amounts to a front-row seat in the transition from child to adult and the forming of a personality. Shot in vérité style in concert halls and on the road around the world, Bournaki’s experience and stunning performances reveal both the rewards and costs of a life dedicated to music. (85 mins.) Director Bobbi Jo Hart will be in attendance.
SEP 25 THURS 7 PM—VISITING ARTIST
I LIVE FOR ART EU G EN E 20 14
DIRECTORS: RI STEWART, RENEE SLADE
“I LIVE FOR ART examines creativity from both a philosophical and first-hand perspective. The creatives are composer Brian McWhorter, whose latest project involves a creativity machine borne of a bathtub; Mark Applebaum, working through all manner of different creative musical endeavors; and Mark Gould of Pink Baby Monster, who is often seen working alongside, and creatively antagonizing, McWhorter. As the three go about explaining their work, theoretical quantum physicist and philosopher Amit Goswami, storyteller Michael Meade, and event producer Elliot Rasenick offer a grander narrative of human existence and history, their insights serving to connect the individual acts of creativity to the collective whole of life.”—Film Threat. (73 mins.) Directors Ri Stewart and Renee Slade and artists Brian McWorder and Mark Applebaum will be in attendance.
OCT 9 THU 7 PM—VISITING ARTIST
HOMESKILLET PO RTLAN D 20 14
DIRECTOR: PHIAMMA ELIAS
While volunteering at a homeless shelter, Maggie’s upper-middle-class world shifts when Alysha, a teen mom, barges into her life. Awakened to the issues of homelessness, Maggie becomes determined to try to make a difference. When a congressman reintroduces a bill called “4 Walls and a Roof,” which makes it a right of every American to have shelter, Maggie decides to take action and goes on a fast. As her health declines, family and friends grow desperate to understand her extreme action and save her. First-time director Elias also wrote this timely story and is spearheading a movement to create a real 4 Walls bill to address the homeless problem in America. (88 mins.) Director Phiamma Elias will be in attendance.
OCT 3 4 FRI 7 PM, SAT 7 PM
MANAKAMANA N EPAL/U S 20 13
DIRECTOR STEPHANIE SPRAY, PACHO VELEZ
“Spray and Velez’s (literally) transporting film—shot inside a cable car that carries pilgrims and tourists to and from a mountaintop temple in Nepal—is radically simple in conception. Each of its shots lasts as long as a one-way ride, which corresponds to the duration of a roll of 16mm film. This newest work from Harvard’s Sensory Ethnography Lab—which previously produced SWEETGRASS and LEVIATHAN—is thrillingly mysterious in its effects: a staged documentary, a cross between science fiction and ethnography, an airborne version of an Andy Warhol screen test. As with the richest structural films, MANAKAMANA is a kind of head movie that viewers are invited to complete as they watch. An endlessly suggestive film that both describes and transcends the bounds of time and space.”—New York Film Festival. “The must-see cinematic experience of the year.” –Indiewire. (118 mins.)
OCT 5 6 SUN 2 PM, MON 7 PM
LEVITATED MASS U S 20 13
DIRECTOR: DOUG PRAY
LEVITATED MASS chronicles the journey of a 340-ton granite boulder that was moved from a quarry in Riverside, Calif., to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and mounted upon the walls of a 456-foot-long concrete slot. First attempted in 1968, the 2012 permanent installation “Levitated Mass” is the latest land sculpture by one of America’s most misunderstood and exciting artists, Michael Heizer. His rock’s 105-mile transport captured international media attention and challenged the imagination of thousands of southern Californians over 10 nights as it crawled through four counties on a football-field-long transport. As fascinating is the dramatic story of Heizer’s past and present work, the ambitions of a major metropolitan museum, and the public’s reaction to this massive display of modern (yet ancient-feeling) conceptual art. (88 mins.) Presented in association with Design Week Portland, October 4-11, 2014.
Included in this year’s REEL MUSIC FESTIVAL 32 (p.5-6, 15-16) are several films by Northwest filmmakers, including THE WINDING STREAM by Beth Harrington, VELVET GOLDMINE by Todd Haynes, BREADCRUMB TRAIL by Lance Bangs, RAZING THE BAR by Ryan Worsley, STRICTLY SACRED by Isaac Olsen, and LADY BE GOOD by Kay Ray. NWFILM.ORG 503-221-1156 SEPTEMBER/0CTOBER 2014
NORTHWEST FILM CENTER
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martin scorsese presents : MASTERPIECES OF POLISH CINEMA CAMOUFLAGE
ASHES AND DIAMONDS
OCT 2 THUR 7 PM
THE CONSTANT FACTOR PO LAN D 1 9 8 0
DIRECTOR: KRZYSZTOF ZANUSSI
This retrospective of modern Polish Cinema features works produced from the 1950s through the 1980s—an era marked by a loosening of political strictures and striking personal expression. The series is curated by Martin Scorsese and organized by his non-profit Film Foundation along with Milestone Films. Each film in the program has been digitally remastered and newly subtitled. Circulation of the program has been made possible with the assistance of the Propaganda Foundation, DI Factory, CRF, Kino RP, Tor, Zebra, and Kadr, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland, the Polish Film Institute, and the Polish National Audiovisual Institute. Special thanks to the Polish Library Association, Portland, for their support for our presentation. There are many revelations in the “Masterpieces of Polish Cinema” series and whether you’re familiar with some of these films or not, it’s an incredible opportunity to discover for yourself the great power of Polish cinema, on the big screen in brilliantly restored digital masters.—Martin Scorsese.
A naïve and sincere young man, Witold, must come to terms with the reality of the world. He dreams of climbing the Himalayas, just as his father had done before him. His skill in mathematics earns him a job in an international trade company, but he soon finds the position grating and his progress thwarted by his own candor. Frustrations mount and personal losses grow as Witold becomes disillusioned with the world’s false choices. “The chess-master precision of Zanussi’s narrative is closer, as film, to Bresson or Rohmer than it is to the passionate sprawls of Wajda or Kieślowski…every element in this spare, crystalline film is integrated into the whole.” —J. Hoberman. Jury Prize and Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, 1980 Cannes Film Festival. (98 mins.)
OCT 5 SUN 4:15 PM
NIGHT TRAIN PO LAN D 1 9 59
SEPT 26 FRI 7 PM
SEPT 28 SUN 7 PM
PO LAN D 1 977
PO LAN D 1 9 58
ASHES AND DIAMONDS
CAMOUFLAGE DIRECTOR: KRZYSZTOF ZANUSSI
Versed in philosophy and physics, renowned writer-director Krzysztof Zanussi injects wit and humor into his acerbic portrait of conformity. In this ironical and absurd comedy set at a provincial university summer school camp, the shallowness and cynicism of the academic milieu becomes apparent through the relationship between a young linguistics professor, Jaroslaw, and his diabolical senior colleague, Jakub. “All people are conformists just like you and I,” exclaims the latter, protesting against the liberal teaching approach of Jaroslaw. The film won three top awards at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia, even as it was summarily banned by the Polish government. However, it did go on to become the country’s official Oscar® submission in the Foreign Language Film category. (106 mins.)
THE SARAGOSSA MANUSCRIPT PO LAN D 1 9 65
DIRECTOR: WOJCIECH HAS
In Spain during the Napoleonic Wars, two enemy officers form an uneasy truce at a deserted Saragossa inn as they pore over a mysterious book recounting the amazing tales of Alphonse van Worden (Zbigniew Cybulski), a Walloon officer who came to Spain in 1739. A multitude of stories flows from the fantastical tome, variously including two Moorish princesses with their sights set on van Worden, a Cabalist, a sultan and a band of gypsies; raconteurs all, they in turn relate evermore ancient stories to van Worden about forbidden love, ghosts and magic. Championed by Luis Buñuel, the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia and Francis Ford Coppola, this film is a mind-blowing cinematic experience. (182 mins.)
SEPT 28 SUN 4:45 PM
TO KILL THIS LOVE PO LAN D 1 972
What was it like to be young at the turn of the 1970s in Communist Poland? While Neil Armstrong lands on the moon, Magda and Andrzej discover love and life in a big city. They didn’t get into the university—quotas are restricted mainly to working-class families. They are young and ambitious, dream of independence, and have no means of reaching their goals without entering the mean, conformist reality surrounding them. Does the end justify the means? A love story set against the harsh backdrop of the Communist regime. (92 mins.) PAGE 04
NORTHWEST FILM CENTER
Wajda’s early masterpiece is set on the last day of World War II and the first day of peace—and between them, a night that changes everything. In the eyes of Maciek (Zbigniew Cybulski), an idealistic young Polish resistance fighter, the incipient Communist regime does not represent the hopes and dreams he and his brothers in arms have been fighting and dying for. FIPRESCI Prize, 1959 Venice Film Festival. (103 mins.)
SEPT 30 TUES 7 PM
BLIND CHANCE PO LAN D 1 9 8 1/1 9 87
DIRECTOR: KRZYSZTOF KIEŚLOWSKI
SEPT 27 SAT 7 PM
DIRECTOR: JANUSZ MORGENSTERN
DIRECTOR: ANDRZEJ WAJDA
DIRECTOR: JERZY KAWALEROWICZ
“A noirish psychological study and a hazily expressionistic tale of solitude, NIGHT TRAIN brings together two lonesome voyagers on an overnight train journey to the Baltic coast worthy of Hitchcock. Around them, a microcosm of the human experience plays out in the speeding railcars’ shadowy, cramped quarters: a coquette, bored with her older husband, attempts to seduce every available man; a former prisoner of a concentration camp fights his insomnia; and a stowaway seeks his beloved. Is a runaway murderer in their midst? The local police think as much and when they board at a way station, everything changes.”—Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. (99 mins.)
OCT 5 SUN 7 PM
MAN OF IRON PO LAN D 1 9 8 1
“A fascinating precursor to Kieślowski’s THREE COLORS trilogy and a biting condemnation of the complex choices (or lack thereof) of individuals in a totalitarian regime, BLIND CHANCE was made near the beginning of the Solidarity period but banned after the declaration of martial law. A trilogy of stories following three possible life paths for its main character, in the first he becomes a Party member, in the second he joins a dissident movement, and in the third he decides ‘not to be involved in either.’ Highlighting the interconnected nature of fate, secondary characters from one segment turn up in another, while the ending unites them in a final tragedy.”—Pacific Film Archive. (114 mins.)
ANDRZEJ WAJDA
OCT 1 WED 7 PM
OCT 7 TUE 7 PM
DIRECTOR: KRZYSZTOF KIEŚLOWSKI
PO LAN D 1 973
A masterful story about the limitations of the press, coupled with real footage of the Solidarity movement strikes, Andrzej Wajda’s MAN OF IRON expands on the plot of its predecessor, MAN OF MARBLE. The film examines the events leading to one of the most crucial historical events of the 20th century. The movie was produced in haste at the express wish of the shipyard workers with the use of their own archives to support the strike. It features, among others, future Nobel Prize Winner and Polish President Lech Watęsa as himself, and captures the passion, tragedy and anxiety of the times. Palme d’Or and Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, 1981 Cannes Film Festival. (153 mins.)
A SHORT FILM ABOUT KILLING THE HOURGLASS SANATORIUM PO LAN D 1 9 8 8 Krzysztof Kieślowski’s epic miniseries The Decalogue—contemporary stories based on the Ten Commandments played out in a Warsaw apartment block—was a landmark innovation in late 1980s European television. A SHORT FILM ABOUT KILLING (from Decalogue V) tragically mixes the destinies of two odd and unsettling characters who wander the streets of Warsaw. The grim narrative is, in the end, an intelligent meditation on both the act of murder and the ordeal of capital punishment. (84 mins.)
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 503-221-1156 NWFILM.ORG
DIRECTOR: WOJCIECH HAS
Magic, dreams, a manor in decay. THE HOURGLASS SANATORIUM is one of the most original and beautiful films in Polish cinema—a visionary, artistic, poetic reflection on the nature of time and the irreversibility of death. The screenplay is an adaptation of the fantasy fiction of Jewish author Bruno Schulz, one of the most renowned Polish prose stylists of the 20th century. Reflections on the Holocaust were added to the movie, reading Schulz’s work through the prism of his death during World War II. Jury Prize, 1973 Cannes Film Festival. In Polish, Yiddish, Hebrew and Latin with English subtitles. (124 mins.)
OCTOBER 10-22, 2014 SPONSORED BY:
REEL MUSIC FESTIVA L 32 Welcome to our 32nd edition of Reel Music. We’ve been on the lookout all year for new works—and timely classics— for this annual celebration of sound and image, music and culture, and the origins of sounds infused in our experience. Whether your passion is jazz, blues, rock, soul, folk, funk, or punk, we hope you find this mixture of old and new, familiar and strange, to be full of inspiration and discovery. As always, our special thanks go to Music Millennium, Willamette Week, Oregon Music News, KINK.fm, MusicFestNW, All Classical Portland, KIND Healthy Snacks, XRAY, Walker, KMHD, PDX Pipeline, Yelp!, and Portland Radio Project. UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL MOVIES ARE SHOWN AT THE WHITSELL AUDITORIUM, IN THE PORTLAND ART MUSEUM. HEAVEN ADORES YOU
THE CASE OF THE THREE-SIDED DREAM
OCT 12 SUN 7 PM
20,000 DAYS ON EARTH
GREAT BRITAIN 2014 DIRECTOR: IAIN FORSYTH, JANE POLLARD An inventive ode to creativity, 20,000 DAYS ON EARTH fuses drama and reality by weaving the journey of a fictional day in Nick Cave’s life, giving us a window into his creative process through staged, but not scripted scenes and encounters as well as more traditional footage of his rehearsals and performances. In the world of the Australian musician, songwriter, and occasional film actor, the mundane gives way to the fantastic and a coterie of surprising and engaging colOCT 11 SAT 9:30 PM laborators who offer revealing glimpses into Cave’s legendary, enigmatic oeuvre. Winner, Best Director US 2014 prize at the Sundance Film Festival. “This innovative DIRECTOR: ONE9 study playfully disguises itself as fiction while more Multimedia artist One9’s follows the trajectory of than fulfilling the requirements of a biographical Nas’ 1994 landmark debut album, Illmatic , one of the documentary.”—Variety. (97 mins.) most important and revolutionary albums in hip-hop. Twenty years after its release, Illmatic is widely rec- OCT 13 MON 7 PM ognized as a hip-hop benchmark that captured the sociopolitical outlook, enduring spirit and collective US 1998 angst of a generation of young artists searching for DIRECTOR: TODD HAYNES, PORTLAND their voice in America. Tracing Nas’ influences from “This witty, evocative re-creation of the heady days of the music of his jazz musician father, Olu Dara, to glam rock is loosely structured on the lines of a CITIthe burgeoning hip-hop scene in his native Queens- ZEN KANE-style flashback narrative, with a journalist bridge, TIME IS ILLMATIC describes the almost insur- (Christian Bale) sent back from New York to Britain mountable obstacles overcome in a personal journey to investigate, ten years after, the disappearance from young street poet to a visionary MC. “Brisk, styl- of Bowie-like star Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyish and extremely heartfelt.” —Variety. (74 mins.) ers) after an onstage assassination is revealed to be a hoax. Partly a film à clef which translates real-life OCT 12 SUN 2:15 PM events and personalities into a dazzling fiction, partly an unsentimental celebration of an era of potentially US 2014 pan-sexual liberation (complete with unexpected but DIRECTOR: ALEX STEYERMARK fitting tribute to Oscar Wilde), and partly a HayneThe 78 PROJECT MOVIE is a road trip across America sian study of transgression, identity and the gulf beto make one-of-a-kind 78 rpm records with musicians tween public and private image, it is superbly shot, in their hometowns using a 1930s Presto direct-to- edited and performed, and exhilaratingly inventive disc recorder—one microphone, one blank disc, one throughout.”—Time Out . (120 mins.) Todd Haynes in3-minute take. Along the way, a kaleidoscope of vited to attend. Co-presented with White Bird, featuring technologists, historians and craftsmen—Grammy- the Michael Clark Company, October 16-18, whose acwinning producers, 78 collectors, curators from the Li- claimed piece come, been and gone draws inspiration from brary of Congress and Smithsonian—provide insights glam-era David Bowie and Iggy Pop. Enter code NWFILM at and history. From Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisi- whitebird.com for discounted tickets to the performance. ana to California, folk singers, punk rockers, Gospel and Cajun singers share their lives through intimate performances, and find in that adventure a new connection to our cultural legacy. (95 mins.)
TIME IS ILLMATIC
VELVET GOLDMINE
OCT 10 12 FRI 7 PM, SUN 12 PM—VISITING ARTIST
HEAVEN ADORES YOU US 2014 DIRECTOR: NICKOLAS ROSSI
When Portland singer/songwriter Elliott Smith died in 2003, it left a gaping hole in the indie rock community throughout the country. Smith, best known for the Academy Award®–nominated song “Miss Misery” from the GOOD WILL HUNTING soundtrack, was a trailblazer for Portland’s indie rock scene in the ‘90s and later in New York and Los Angeles as he followed his creative explorations. Director Nickolas Rossi unites Smith’s sister, former band mates, his ex-girlfriend and collaborator Joanna Bolme, Kill Rock Stars’ Slim Moon and more for the first authorized Smith documentary, and in so doing shares new discoveries: previously unheard songs, unseen personal pictures and rare performance footage. What results is an elegant, heartfelt tribute to a gifted songwriter and his profound legacy. (104 mins.) Director Nickolas Rossi will
CHARLIE HADEN: RAMBLING BOY
THE 78 PROJECT MOVIE
be in attendance.
OCT 11 SAT 4:30 PM
CHARLIE HADEN: RAMBLING BOY
THE WINDING STREAM
SWITZERLAND 2009 DIRECTOR: RETO CADUFF
OCT 11 SAT 7 PM
Music legends don’t come any more unassuming than Charlie Haden. Courtesy of Reto Caduff’s charming documentary, we discover that the affable jazz bassist’s underlying honesty and decency inform every note of his music. As Haden camps out in a studio to revisit the country music of his youth, he reflects on his rural roots and his debut crooning twangy ballads on the radio at the age of two. Through wondrous archival footage and enlightening interviews, Caduff leads us through the next six decades, detailing Haden’s seminal collaborations with legends like Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane, as well as his ongoing projects such as Quartet West and Liberation Music Orchestra. Just as Haden’s simple playing style masks an innate understanding of the complexities of melody and composition, so too does his placid exterior disguise a deep-seated passion that manifests itself in his art, relationships, and politics. (89 mins.)
US 2014 DIRECTOR: BETH HARRINGTON, PORTLAND
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nwfilm.org/festivals/reelmusic
THE WINDING STREAM
“THE WINDING STREAM begins at the source of what we know as classic country music—the original Carter Family from the Appalachian foothills. Unlikely superstars, A.P., Sara, and Maybelle Carter had their first success on the radio in the late 1920s. Maybelle brought up the next generation (Anita, June, and Helen) and they toured as Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters in the 1960s and ‘70s, influencing much of the folk revival. When June Carter married Johnny Cash, their combined family kept the musical legacy flourishing. George Jones, Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Kris Kristofferson, and many others cite the influence of what began as a small mountain stream and ended up a worldwide ocean.”—Film Society of Lincoln Center. (90 mins.) Portland director Beth Harrington will be in attendance.
OCT 12 SUN 4:30 PM
THE CASE OF THE THREE-SIDED DREAM US 2013 DIRECTOR: ADAM KAHAN
Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1935-1977) was more than a blind musician who could play three horns at once, more than one of the most exciting and amazing sax players who ever lived. Beyond the ability to play multiple melodies at the same time, he was also a warrior against racial injustice and a tireless campaigner for a wider appreciation of jazz in American society. Packed with electrifying archival footage of Kirk and his music, Kahan’s film is an absorbing look at the man who wouldn’t even let partial paralysis keep him from pursuing what he called “the religion of dreams.” (87 mins.)
20,000 DAYS ON EARTH VELVET GOLDMINE
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 We are a place where individuals find and cultivate their personal voices as storytellers and image-makers. Our classrooms and facilities bring a diverse crosssection of community members together for skill-building, friend-making, and technical support. We’re a center where access, aesthetics, and action combine to help people realize their aspirations and where new films and filmmakers are launched into the world. Challenge yourself to make films, and start now!
STUDENTS
FACULTY
FACILITY
CURRICULUM
Our students are artists, communicators, educators, and business professionals who want to connect to the film scene and explore filmmaking with others, whether professionally, avocationally, or in between. Many have completed college and are exploring career options; some are cross-enrolled in degree programs with PSU and other institutions. Enrollment is open to all. Simply sign up for what interests you.
Our 10,000-square-foot building in downtown Portland contains classrooms, editing labs, an equipment cage, and the Film Center’s administrative offices. Equipment is provided with class registration. Our friendly equipment room staff will answer your technical questions and will make equipment check-out as easy as possible. We also rent a variety of equipment to the general public.
Our faculty are working filmmakers who humanize and enrich the learning process by teaching and guiding from real life experience, encouraging class dialogue and supportive critique. Among our region’s finest documentary, narrative, and experimental filmmakers, their award-winning work appears on public television and in film festivals, microcinemas, and exhibition programs worldwide.
Take a class or two at your leisure or challenge yourself further by enrolling in our Certificate Program in Film. We offer classes and workshops in most aspects of filmmaking: cinematography, editing, screenwriting, animation, and more. Most of our classes are no larger than 15 students. Classes generally meet once a week, most often on evenings and weekends. Equipment is provided with registration.
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REGISTER NOW AT NWFILM.ORG DROP-IN ADVISING AND TOURS: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday–10 AM & 2 PM 934 SW Salmon Street, Portland, OR 97205 Corner of 10th & Salmon Or to schedule an appointment, email info@nwfilm.org.
FALL CLASSES AT-A-GLANCE 2014
We offer a Core Sequence and variety of Topic Classes and Workshops (see below) in hands-on production and related aspects of independent filmmaking. Simply sign up for what appeals to you. Most have no prerequisites. Equipment is provided. There is no registration deadline; registration is open until a class is filled. Early registration is encouraged, however, as our classes are small in size. College credit is optional (see below).
Faculty
Tuition
# Sessions
Start Date
Day of Week
Art of Filmmaking I
Azzouz
$1,125
14
Sept 30
Tuesdays
Art of Filmmaking II
Azzouz
$1,225
14
Sept 29
Mondays
Art of Filmmaking III, Part I
Azzouz
$1,125
14
Winter '15
TBA
Art of Filmmaking III, Part II
Azzouz
$1,125
14
Summer '15
TBA
Digital Cinematography
Letourneau
$745
9
Winter '15
TBA
Documentary Production
Azzouz
$795
10
Oct 2
Thursdays
Hermann
$745
9
Oct 1
Wednesdays
Screenwriting: Fundamentals
Faculty
$745
9
Sept 29
Mondays
Sound Design & Foley
Huckins
$575
7
Oct 1
Wednesdays
O'Brien
$65
1
Oct 11
Saturday
Canon XA10 Camera Operation
Blubaugh
$55
1
Oct 11
Saturday
Digital Filmmaking for K-12 Teachers
Blubaugh
$65
1
Oct 10
Friday
Faculty
$65
2
Oct 18
Saturdays
Minty
$110
2
Oct 19
Sundays
Pre-requisite
Free Admission to NWFC Screenings
CORE SEQUENCE
TOPIC COURSES
Narrative Production
NEW!
WORKSHOPS Basic Lighting
NEW!
Family Filmmaking
Sound Recording
WANT MORE ?
If simply taking a class or two doesn’t seem focused or challenging enough, consider enrolling in our optional Certificate Program in Film. Certificate students complete the Core Sequence above and select Topic Classes and Workshops to round out their studies. Initiated in 1994, the Program has nearly 50 graduates who launched their film practice through the School of Film. Please see page 9 for more information.
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PSU credit
Portland State University students may receive credit for selected School of Film Core Sequence and Topic Classes by requesting a transfer of credit upon successful completion of the course (please consult the Office of Student Records at PSU for details). Please note that School of Film credits do not count towards PSU full-time status. The School also offers cross-registration with Marylhurst University. For more information, please contact info@nwfilm.org.
CHALLENGE YOURSELF
CERTIFICATE IN PROGRAM FILM Challenge yourself to set artistic and/or professional development goals in filmmaking beyond simply a class or two. Our optional, non-degree Certificate Program in Film provides a structure within which you can advance from the beginning to advanced level, while creating works that showcase your achievements as an emerging filmmaker. Through a Core Sequence (see below), the Program teaches the concepts and techniques of cinematic storytelling, helps you develop your vision as a media artist, and supports you in creating film work that demonstrates your potential. The Core Sequence is supplemented by Topic Classes and Workshops in the general curriculum which you choose based on your interests. These may be focused on a particular area (e.g., documentary) or be spread across a variety of topics. A Certificate may be earned at a Level One or Level Two, depending on the depth of knowledge desired (see below). The Certificate track at both levels concludes with a public screening of your final film project in our stateof-the-art Whitsell Auditorium. Certificate students receive ongoing advising and mentorship from faculty and staff. A Certificate may be completed in as little as two years when pursued at a rigorous pace. However, you can also move along at your own pace and take up to six years to complete all requirements.
REQUIREMENTS CORE SEQUENCE ART OF FILMMAKING I two beginning-level film projects (see right) ART OF FILMMAKING II two intermediate-level film projects (see right) ART OF FILMMAKING III one festival-quality advanced film project (see online) PUBLIC SCREENING OF ADVANCED FILM PROJECT LEVEL ONE Core Sequence (above) + 3 or more selected Topic Classes + 10 hours selected Workshops LEVEL TWO Core Sequence (above) + 6 or more selected Topic Classes + 15 hours selected Workshops
HOW & WHEN TO APPLY Download an application and get more information at nwfilm.org/school. Applications are accepted throughout the year on a rolling basis. Notification will be made within four weeks of receipt. Those who wish to start Fall Term are encouraged to apply by September 1. Those who wish to start Winter Term are encouraged to apply by November 1. Acceptance is based upon the clarity of your stated goals and whether the goals align with the School of Film mission and Certificate curriculum. You may be at any stage of your formal education (pre-college, in college, postcollege, pre-graduate school). There are no prerequisites. If you want to test the waters before diving in, you are welcome to enroll in and complete ART OF FILMMAKING I and up to two Topic Classes prior to applying to the Program. Upon your acceptance, these will be automatically transferred onto the Certificate transcript at no additional charge (a letter grade of B or higher is required). For more information, email info@nwfilm.org or call 503-221-1156.
CORE SEQUENCE ART OF FILMMAKING I TUESDAYS, SEP 30-DEC 16, 6:30-9:30 PM + TWO EXTRA SESSIONS TBA | 14 sessions Tuition: $1,125 BUSHRA AZZOUZ Topics: The components of film language; basics of HD digital camera operation, sound recording, shooting, and editing; hands-on working knowledge of basic HD digital video production process and workflow; shoot and edit two short individual films; bring in work-inprogress for class critique. Textbook: SHOT BY SHOT: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FILMMAKING, 4th Edition, by John Cantine, Susan Howard, & Brady Lewis (ISBN 978-0-9637433-8-1) Projects: Two individual projects Allocated gear: Canon XA10 cameras, basic sound and lighting gear, Avid Edit Lab or your own editing system Prerequisites: None Related courses: ART OF FILMMAKING II, ART OF FILMMAKING III
ART OF FILMMAKING II MONDAYS, SEP 29-DEC 15, 6:30-9:30 PM + TWO EXTRA SESSIONS TBA | 14 sessions Tuition: $1,225 BUSHRA AZZOUZ Intermediate-level exploration of cinematic storytelling skills and techniques. Topics: More ambitious shooting styles and lighting techniques, including option of shooting and hand-processing 16mm film; refining your creative eye by envisioning a scene or concept; in-depth pre-production and planning techniques to support your vision such as digital storyboards; art direction and mise en scene; editing for character, story, and rhythm; all phases of post-production including color correction and sound design; shoot and edit two individual projects (either HD or 16mm); bring in work-in-progress for class critique. Projects: Two individual projects Allocated gear: Canon XA10 cameras and Bolex 16mm cameras, professional shotgun/ wireless microphones and field mixers, lighting and grip gear, Avid Edit Lab or your own editing system. Tuition includes film stock and film processing. Prerequisites: ART OF FILMMAKING I or previous shooting and editing experience Related courses: ART OF FILMMAKING I, ART OF FILMMAKING III
ART OF FILMMAKING III PART I – Pre-Production & Production | WINTER + SPRING TERMS 2015 | 14 sessions Tuition: $1,125 BUSHRA AZZOUZ PART II – Post-Production | SUMMER TERM 2015 + NOVEMBER PUBLIC SCREENING: DATES TBA 14 sessions Tuition: $1,125 BUSHRA AZZOUZ Produce a festival-quality personal project showcasing your skills and interests. Topics: Plan, write, shoot, and edit a polished film with professional-level production values, in any genre or combination of styles, with a finished running time of up to 12 minutes; assume one or more primary creative roles on the film (e.g., director, cinematographer, editor, writer), drawing upon others to create a full crew; crew on at least one other class project in a supporting role (e.g., producer, assistant director, or technical position); progress through rough cut, final cut, color correction, sound mix, music, titles, and final outputting; create an artist statement, biography, and synopsis for the film and present the film to a public audience; emphasis is on student-generated critique and feedback, with faculty acting as mentors and facilitators. This is a continuous two-term class. Enrollment for Part II immediately follows completion of Part I. Projects: One individual project Allocated gear: Canon XA10 cameras and 16mm cameras, professional shotgun/wireless microphones and field mixers, lighting and grip gear, Avid Edit Lab or your own editing system. Tuition includes 10-day use of HD or 16mm camera package. Out-of-facility expenses are a student responsibility. Prerequisites: ART OF FILMMAKING I and ART OF FILMMAKING II or instructor consent Related courses: ART OF FILMMAKING I, ART OF FILMMAKING II
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WORKSHOPS
TOPIC CLASSES
BASIC LIGHTING
DIGITAL CINEMATOGRAPHY
SATURDAY, OCT 11, 1-5 PM 1 session Tuition: $65 AMY O’BRIEN
WINTER TERM 2015 9 sessions Tuition: $745 ALAIN LETOURNEAU
Use basic light kits to dramatically vary the mood and quality of light in a scene.
Develop an eye for shot composition and framing while shooting in a variety of situations.
Topics: Using key, fill, backlight, and kicker/rim light; how cookies, flags, scrims, and silks affect a light source; use of light meters; lighting the interview subject; lighting an outdoor scene; tips and tricks.
Topics: How exposure, focal length, and depth of field work and why you need to understand them; the rules of composition within the frame and how/when they can be broken; using foreground and background to convey story information and setting; working with available light and light kits; learning to see the frame; mapping out shots that have movement; staging and blocking with talent; shooting with editing in mind (getting sufficient coverage); HD workflow from capture to final delivery; shoot a variety of interior/exterior and day/night scenes as outside-ofclass exercises; bring in your best shots for class sharing.
Prerequisites: None Related courses: CANON XA10 CAMERA OPERATION
CANON XA10 CAMERA OPERATION SATURDAY, OCT 11, 9:30 AM-12:30 PM 1 session Tuition: $55 ANDY BLUBAUGH Introduction to the basics of our HD camera workhorse. This workshop is REQUIRED for renters of this particular camera.
Projects: Individual or collaborative Allocated gear: Canon XA10 cameras, basic lighting gear Prerequisites: None
DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION
Topics: Manual focus and exposure; proper use of external THURSDAYS, OCT 2-DEC 11, 6:30-9:30 PM microphones; basics of the touch screen; recommended presets; (NO CLASS NOV 27) 10 sessions how to download your AVCHD footage to your computer. Prerequisites: None Related courses: LIGHTING, SOUND RECORDING
SOUND RECORDING SUNDAYS, OCT 19 & 26, 1-5 PM 2 sessions Tuition: $110 PAM MINTY Basics of recording dialogue, interviews, narration, and effects. Topics: First session is general overview of microphone types and uses, from lavaliers to shotguns; operation of the Marantz PMD660, Sound Devices 702 Digital Audio Recorder, Mix-Pre, and 302 Field Mixer; single versus dual system recording; second session is devoted entirely to hands-on practice; rotate through common recording scenarios for scripted dialogue and basic interviews; learn about sound recording gear rental options. Prerequisites: None Related courses: CANON XA10 CAMERA OPERATION, ART OF FILMMAKING I, DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION, NARRATIVE PRODUCTION
DIGITAL FILMMAKING FOR K-12 TEACHERS
Develop your documentary voice by shooting and editing a short non-fiction film. Topics: the different styles and processes of documentary: expository, poetic, observational, interactive, and reflexive; researching a subject and writing a proposal; interviewing techniques; shooting and editing techniques; finding the story in your material; bring in work-in-progress for class critique; shoot and edit one short documentary. Projects: Individual or collaborative Allocated gear: Canon XA10 HD cameras, sound recording and lighting/grip gear, Film Center Edit Lab Prerequisites: Proficiency with Canon XA10 or CANON XA10 CAMERA OPERATION. Basic digital editing experience highly recommended. Related courses: INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES, SOUND RECORDING, DIGITAL EDITING
NARRATIVE PRODUCTION WEDNESDAYS, OCT 1-DEC 3, 6:30-9:30 PM (NO CLASS NOV 26) 9 sessions Tuition: $745 COURTNEY HERMANN The art and technique of shooting a scripted, dramatic short film.
FRIDAY, OCT 10, 8:30 AM-4 PM 1 session Tuition: $65 ANDY BLUBAUGH Learn to conduct small-scale videomaking projects that foster integrative learning. Topics: using video production to help students demonstrate academic content proficiency in core subjects and to foster critical thinking, leadership, and media literacy; how to lead a class through the scriptwriting process; shoot and edit simple, replicable exercises that don’t involve fancy equipment; create and get feedback on lesson plans; open to educators from all grade levels and endorsement areas. Projects: Individual and collaborative
10 SEPT/OCT 2014
Tuition: $795 BUSHRA AZZOUZ
nwfilm.org/school
Topics: overview of the process that takes a fictional story idea and turns it into a film; break down a short story or dramatic script into units, organize a shot list, and create a shooting schedule and storyboard; plan for coverage of a scene with camera placement and movement and blocking of actors; learn to handle logistics related to budgeting, casting, locations, lighting, and sound; log footage to prepare for editing; learn principles of continuity; outside time is required for planning and shooting; bring in work-in-progress for class critique; shoot one short dramatic film (editing as time allows) and crew on others; emphasis is on achieving maximum production value through planning and cinematographic skill. Projects: Individual or collaborative Allocated gear: Canon XA10 cameras, Film Center Edit Lab Prerequisites: None Related courses: SCREENWRITING: FUNDAMENTALS, DIALOGUE WRITING, DIGITAL EDITING, SOUND RECORDING, CANON XA10 CAMERA OPERATION
SCREENWRITING: FUNDAMENTALS MONDAYS, SEP 29-NOV 24, 6:30-9:30 PM 9 sessions Tuition: $745 FACULTY Take your ideas to the next level and get a solid start on a feature-length screenplay. Topics: Screenplay structure and formatting; creating characters with depth and purpose; writing effective dialogue; the difference between plot and story; structuring scenes and sequences; solving the second act droop; write an outline and at least the first 30 pages of your screenplay; bring in work-inprogress for class critique. Projects: Individual Prerequisites: None Related course: DIALOGUE WRITING, SCREENWRITING: ADVANCED
SOUND DESIGN & FOLEY NEW!
WEDNESDAYS, OCT 1-NOV 12, 6:30-9:30 PM 7 sessions Tuition: $575 GALEN HUCKINS Get your hands dirty with noise while learning the theory, technology and practice of creating a low-cost, multi-track sound bed for your film. Topics: what is sound design?; the differences between audio created in post-production and “on set” sound; how the separate elements of dialogue, music, and effects come together in the studio; using supplemental sound to achieve control, expression and atmosphere; how to use USB microphones and Zoom recorders; how to create sound effects with simple props; how to set up and work in a controlled sound recording environment (on the cheap); Foley recording techniques; building room reverbs and tones; principals of 3D sound design; visiting artists from Filmusik (filmusik.com) will discuss various other aspects of Foley and sound design; bring in something you’re working on (or use provided clips) to assemble an original soundscape using sound libraries and in-studio Foley; record, edit and mix your sound bed. Projects: group and individual Allocated gear: Film Center Edit Lab or bring your own laptop Pre-requisites: Some experience with sound editing is preferable. Related courses: SOUND RECORDING, DIGITAL EDITING PHOTO BY STOVER HARGER III
EVENTS SCHOOL OF FILM INFO NIGHT TUESDAY, SEP 16, 6:30 PM LOCATION: SCHOOL OF FILM Find out about the School of Film and its offerings, including the Certificate Program in Film. This evening, we’ll review this fall’s course offerings, and talk about how the Certificate Program fits in. Learn about the Core Sequence, planning your course of study, scholarship options, and college credit options. See student films and hear from current and past students about their experiences and plans. Faculty and registration staff will be on hand to answer your questions. Open to prospective and enrolled School of Film students. Free admission.
SCHOOL OF FILM STUDENT SCREENING SATURDAY, SEP 20, 2 PM LOCATION: WHITSELL AUDITORIUM Everyone is invited to watch the many short films created by students in the classes of Spring and Summer Terms 2014. Whether the first attempt of a beginner or something more ambitious from an advanced student, it’s an uncurated, all-comers program for anyone who has decided they’re ready to show their work on the big screen. Join in congratulating them on this important step in their journey toward self-expression through film. (90 mins.) Free admission.
PHOTO BY STOVER HARGER III
HOME MOVIE CELEBRATION LOCATION FOR ALL EVENTS: SCHOOL OF FILM, 934 SW SALMON STREET In cities all over the world, Home Movie Day celebrates those family-made artifacts generally not intended for public exhibition (unless you count the annual Christmas showing in the rumpus room) with activities devoted to the preservation and celebration of the cherished genre. The Film Center happily joins in, helped by the Oregon Historical Society, to present the afternoon Show + Share. The Film Center bookends the event with a workshop that gets the whole family into the home moviemaking act—using iPads—and a screening that shows how Northwest filmmakers transform people’s home movie memories into new stories for the ages.
HOME MOVIE DAY: SHOW + SHARE
HOME MOVIES IN FILMMAKERS’ HANDS
SATURDAY, OCT 18, 1 PM-5 PM—FREE EVENT
FRIDAY, OCT 17, 7 PM—FREE SCREENING
Pull out your home movies—8mm, Super 8mm and 16mm film (no video please!)—and bring them by to share with fellow film enthusiasts. The Oregon Historical Society will be inspecting, cleaning and preparing films as they arrive. We’ll also show films from the Moving Image Collections of the Historical Society. Learn from film preservationists how best to care for your films, enjoy some tasty treats and play Home Movie Day Bingo, too. For more information, visit homemoviedaypdx.tumblr.com.
This program of short films celebrates how Northwest filmmakers are paying homage to home movies either through drawing inspiration from the medium or by re-purposing home movie found footage with artistic intent and success. JUNIOR by GUS VAN SANT, an intimate afternoon at home with with the filmmaker and his cat; MONUMENT by PATTI SAKURAI, footage from the filmmaker’s family road trip to Mount Rushmore reflects on their lives and their place in the American landscape; A MOVING FAMILY STORY by NOAH STANIK, a true story, brought to life with extensive home movie footage, of a family that moves to Seattle in the 1970s in a last-ditch effort to save a marriage that was probably doomed to begin with; MEMORY LAPSE by SCOTT AMOS, who says, “I collect other people’s memories from garage sales, estate auctions and garbage heaps. My basement is full of them. I wonder what they’d think if they knew what I did with their memories”; THE BURDEN by ANDY BLUBAUGH, a deeply personal essay exploring the underappreciated family role of documentarian and the image as family artifact; MIXTAPE GHOSTS IN MY HEADPHONES by BRIAN VANDIVER, a touching, unedited tape recording created as a family letter years ago accompanies excerpts of the filmmaker’s family’s home movies; ENTERING THE ATMOSPHERE by BRIAN LIBBY, the filmmakers’ home movies combine with astronomic images to compare the concepts of birth and arrival; 50 YEARS LATER by MATT MCCORMICK, the filmmaker retraces the steps of a family road trip that his father documented in a home movie; FOUND FOOTAGE by CLANCY DENNEHY, in film footage “found inside a Super 8 camera at a garage sale,” a woman and baby take a road trip into the old growth. (70 MINS.)
NEW!
FAMILY FILMMAKING WORKSHOP
SATURDAYS, OCT 18 + 25, 9:30 AM-NOON $65 (for up to 3 family members, at least one adult required) PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED (visit nwfilm.org/account/signin) Work together as an inter-generational movie crew to make a short film about some of your family traditions. Bring family photographs, drawings, letters, stories, souvenieres etc. to the first class. Using modern digital technology which we’ll provide (iPads), you’ll create a storyboard to help plan the movie, and then shoot and edit scenes, and add narration and music, to mix it all together into a final product which you can upload to a social media site of your choice. Please note that at least one adult is required per family group, all shooting and editing will be done in class, and attendance at both sessions is required to finish the film.
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in the community... FRESH FILM NORTHWEST CELEBRATING THE NEXT GENERATION Fresh Film Northwest, one of the oldest youth film festivals in the nation, celebrates the next generation of filmmakers by showcasing the work of teens ages 13-19 from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. Submissions are accepted in all genres and styles and from individuals, school classes, and community groups. Entries are juried by a panel of professional filmmakers and educators. There is no entry fee. Winning selections will be screened as part of the Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival in November. For more information, visit nwfilm.org/festivals/ freshfilm. PHOTO BY RICHARD BLAKESLEE
PROJECT VIEWFINDER CHANGING YOUNG LIVES THROUGH FILM In collaboration with partnering social service agencies and community groups, the School of Film mentors underserved youth by helping them use film as a means of taking positive steps in their lives. Learning the handson process of filmmaking from our faculty mentors, individuals share their personal stories on film, working both behind and in front of the camera. Their films are screened in the Whitsell Auditorium and circulate to the community to foster dialogue about the social and cultural issues their stories reveal. To learn more about this program and how you can support it, visit nwfilm.org/youngfilmmakers/projectviewfinder.
SCHOLARSHIPS & TUITION ASSISTANCE Children and teens interested in our Summer Film Camp and school-year enrichment offerings may receive up to 100% tuition assistance thanks to the Gary M. Anderson Children’s Foundation. In addition, the Frank Hood Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation provides one or more scholarships to the Media Arts Academy for Teens, a 10-day boot camp in film production offered to teens interested in film each summer. Emerging filmmakers enrolled in the School of Film may receive tuition support in the form of David King Scholarships, made possible by the King Family Foundation, and a Women-in-Film PDX Scholarship, made possible by Vikki Mee. For more information please see nwfilm.org/school/info/scholarships.
GLOBAL CLASSROOM TEACHING THE WORLD THROUGH FILM Global Classroom links Portland metro-area high schools with the films and filmmakers of the Portland International Film Festival and other exhibition programs through free, school-day screenings during the academic school year. Screenings take place in the Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium inside the Portland Art Museum and are offered free of charge. Through the films, students learn about topics related to foreign language, social studies, language arts, and other academic areas. Many screenings are presented by visiting filmmakers, who discuss how films are made, film careers, and film festivals. Our thanks to the Oregon Arts Commission, Anne A. Berni Foundation, Schnitzer CARE Foundation, Chipotle Mexican Grille, and the Juan Young Trust for their support. For more information about this program, visit nwfilm. org/festivals/globalclassroom. PHOTOS BY JASON E. KAPLAN
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FALL TERM FACULTY BIOS BUSHRA AZZOUZ, lead faculty member for 20 years, is the director of the award-winning documentary AND WOMAN WOVE IT IN A BASKET..., an exploration of traditional Klickitat river culture through a contemporary Native American woman’s point of view. Her two recent films, NO NEWS, a personal reflection on 9/11, and WOMEN OF CYPRUS, a collaboration with the women of the divided island, investigate the imprint of war on everyday life. She holds a BA from Reed College and an MA from San Francisco State. She was the lead mentor on the School of Film’s Project Viewfinder and is currently working on A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM IN PRISON, which follows inmates at an Oregon state prison as they produce Shakespearian comedies.
ALAIN LETOURNEAU is a media artist who utilizes video, 16mm film, and still photography to explore the natural and built environment and issues of development and land use. His feature documentary about rural Southeastern Oregon, EMPTY QUARTER, co-produced with Pam Minty, premiered at the Film Center in 2011 and screened widely throughout North America, including the Margaret Mead Film Festival and the Center for Documentary Studies. He is the co-founder of 40 Frames, a 16mm conservation initiative (16mmdirectory.org) active since 2000. His latest film, OPEN ROAD, which explores the urban landscape of transportation, premiered at Unknown Pleasures American Independent Film Festival in Berlin.
ANDY BLUBAUGH’s experimental documentaries have screened at the Sundance, ClermontFerrand, Edinburgh, and Seattle International Film Festivals, among others, and have been broadcast by the PBS program “POV” and the Logo Network. He is the recipient of a fellowship from the Tribeca Film Institute and was identified as one of “25 New Faces of Independent Film” by Filmmaker Magazine. His debut feature, THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM, premiered at the FrameLine Film Festival in San Francisco and won Best Narrative Feature at the 37th Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival.
PAM MINTY, former Film Center Education Program Manager, is a visual artist whose work explores geography, home, and community through the mechanisms of sound recording, still photography, and motion picture. Her film and video work has screened at Anthology Film Archives, Center for Documentary Studies, Cornell Cinema, Film Studies Center at University of Chicago, Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, International House Philadelphia, Los Angeles Filmforum, Margaret Mead Film Festival, Portland Art Museum, San Francisco Cinematheque, and Vancouver International Film EMILIE-ROSE CURRIN teaches filmmaking and art at the youth and adult levels with a focus on Centre, as well as other venues throughout North America. pamminty.com inspiration, experimentation, collaboration and empowerment. Often working in the traditional home AMY O’BRIEN is a documentary and narrative filmmaker/editor with a background in theater and movie format of Super 8mm, her short films, including THE FOURTH WAY, about the daily manifesta- web design. Through her production company, Purple Macaroni Productions, she creates short tions and landscape of contemporary feminism, and THESE TWO HANDS, about rebuilding efforts in films that document personal stories and explore the lighter side of life. These have included FOUR, Haiti after the earthquake, merge conversation, poetry, ideologies, community building and some- which screened in the Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival, and NO SOLICITING, which screened at the times visual art and dance, screening in such venues as the PNCA Faculty Biennial, Shanghai Tunnels Columbia Gorge International Film Festival. She also creates promotional films for nonprofits such Project Video Poetry Festival, the Autzen Gallery, and New American Union. She holds an MFA in as Literary Arts and the Tucker-Maxon School for the Deaf and recently edited “Blue Fiddles,” a web Studio Practice from Portland State University. series. An active member of Women in Film PDX, she studied media at the New School for Social COURTNEY HERMANN is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose recent projects are Research after taking classes at the School of Film. purplemacaroni.com a film appearing in the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission’s travelling exhibition, UPROOTED, about Japanese-American farm labor camps during World War II (www.uprootedexhibit.com); STANDING SILENT NATION, chronicling the Lakota Indians’ struggle against the US Drug Enforcement Administration, which screened on PBS’s “POV” series; and EXOTIC WORLD AND THE BURLESQUE REVIVAL, about the last days of an old Route 66 roadside attraction. Holding an MFA in Film from Columbia College, she has an extensive background as an educator, including a decade-long stint with The Art Institute of Portland.
MELISSA TVETAN has a background as an editorial manager for six years at the animation studio LAIKA/house, where she worked on commercials for Sony, M&Ms, Sony, Honda and Planters Peanuts. She has also served as post-production supervisor for the annual Sundance Institute Director’s Lab since 2008, providing editorial support to the emerging filmmakers in residence. A former student at the School of Film, she screened her new experimental film, OUT OF THIS WORLD, in the Experimental Film Festival Portland Throwdown 2014.
GALEN HUCKINS is an independent sound designer, Foley artist, and music composer. As an artistin-residence for the Hollywood Theatre and director of Filmusik (filmusik.com), he recreates and reinterprets soundtracks for the big screen, which are presented in public parks and other venues throughout the city. As a composer, he works in jazz, opera, and other genres for Opera Theater Oregon, Megafauna Jazz Combo, and other entities. galenhuckins.com
EQ ACCESS
The School of Film supports the use of media in our community as a means of self-expression and cultural advancement by making its film/ video equipment, editing rooms, and other facilities available to artist and non-profit users at subsidized rental rates and to commercial users as availability allows. Download a Rental Rate Sheet at nwfilm.org/equipment for a complete list of available items, services, and pricing. Rental requests must be received at least 48 hours in advance and will be confirmed within 24 hours. For more information, contact 503-221-1156 or reserve@nwfilm.org.
Cameras for rent:
Editing Stations for rent:
Other equipment for rent:
Facilities for rent:
Film stock for sale:
Canon XA10 Camera Package Panasonic DVX-100 Camera Package JVC EX555 HD Handycam Package 16mm and Super-8mm Film Cameras
Soundtrack Pro Audio Work Station Avid Media Composer Work Station Final Cut Pro 7 Work Station Final Cut Pro X Work Station
Microphones and Sound Mixers Digital Audio Recorders Light Kits and Grip Equipment On-camera LED Lights Tripods Portable Green Screen Portable Video Projectors
Voiceover Recording Room Casting and Audition Rooms Small Screening Room (private screenings only)
Color Negative Super 8mm Film Stock Tri-X B/W Reversal Super 8mm Film Stock Color Negative 16mm Film Stock Tri-X B/W Reversal 16mm Film Stock XX B/W Negative 16mm Film Stock
THANK YOU!
The Northwest Film Center’s School of Film is supported by: National Endowment for the Arts Oregon Arts Commission John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Henry Lea Hillman Foundation James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation
King Family Foundation Vikki Mee Women in Film/ Faerie Godmother Fund Frank Hood Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation Wieden+Kennedy
Portland State University ZGF Architects Pro Photo Supply Rode Regional Arts & Culture Council Marylhurst University
Chipotle Mexican Grill Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation Anne A. Berni Foundation Gary M. Anderson Children’s Trust Juan Young Trust Individual Donors and Friends
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Equipment and Facilities Manager DAVE HANAGAN talks about a fairytale set, happy accidents, and reality television fame and fortune.
How did you first become interested in film? During a drawing class, while I was in college in Illinois, I overheard two students discussing their cinematography class assignment. Up until that moment I had never thought that a person could go and make a film. In my mind, filmmaking was mysterious and happened in large Hollywood studios. So I took a beginning filmmaking class. When I held a Bolex 16mm camera for the first time, and threaded the film, and felt the purr of the motor, I was hooked.
SOUND BYTE
This took you to Seattle. What opportunities did you find there? I immediately got involved in the local film community as a volunteer or as a hanger-on. I was a ticket seller at video screenings at art galleries and basement Super 8 film parties. I contributed my graphic design work for alternative film festivals. I taught my fellow volunteers the ins and outs of video editing. I also volunteered at two organizations quite a bit like the Film Center—Northwest Film Forum and 911 Media Arts Center. I ended up working for the Northwest Film Forum on staff for 11 years, helping up-and-coming filmmakers like Lynn Shelton and Megan Griffiths get their films made. What about the filmmaking side? I worked freelance on lots of indie film shoots and worked my way up from grip to camera assistant to DP or gaffer. The highlight was working on the set of Guy Maddin’s film BRAND UPON THE BRAIN!. At the time, it was the only film he produced outside of Winnipeg. Guy Maddin is an amazing director and a fascinating person. The entire production was like living in a fairytale. Everyone there was a filmmaker in their own right, and we were all learning from an art cinema grand master. You call your own films “romantic macabredy.” That’s an unfamiliar genre. The term is a conjoining of “romantic comedy” and “macabre.” I try to work a sense of humor into my films, but they always have a nightmarish element to them as well. More than any other film, Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s DELICATESSEN has been an inspiration. Literally, macabre means subject matter having to do with death or violence, and in fact there is very little death or violence in my films. So the term is a little misleading. But it’s catchy. You say that you are interested in unconventional film technologies and approaches. Which ones? I love making fantastic images, and lately I’ve been making lenses. Not grinding glass, but using recycled or found lens elements and fashioning them into a usable camera lens. The technique is great for bringing out the untapped potential for highlighting the out-of-focus parts of an image. The result is dreamlike and otherworldly. I also like doing in-camera compositing. With digital cameras, I use a beam-splitter in front of the lens. It creates two overlapping images and is sort of like filming through a semi-transparent mirror. I’m all about happy accidents in filmmaking.
PHOTO BY JASON E. KAPLAN
14 SEPT/OCT 2014
nwfilm.org/school
Is that what are you working on now? Actually I’m working on a piece that combines live action footage of a dancer with animation. It’s kind of an ominous film. I was inspired by the ethnic tensions in Northern Ireland that I witnessed while I was at an artist residency at a digital arts center in Belfast several years ago. The idea for the film literally came to me in a dream. You’ve been running the Film Center’s equipment room for a year now. What’s new in the cage? Our friends at Pro Photo Supply and Røde (thanks, Jon!) have recently helped us acquire some brand new Zoom H4n audio recorders, shotgun microphones (Røde NTG-3), a couple of Manfrotto tripods with 504 heads, and some additional Canon XA10 cameras. I think I’m most excited by four new Fotodiox LED lights. They are lightweight, can operate off of batteries, and are effective when mixed with outdoor light or with traditional tungsten lights. We’ve also just added Final Cut Pro X and iMovie to our Edit Lab, in addition to Avid. Is it true that you rent equipment to the general public? Yes indeed! We rent to indie filmmakers who need a complete package for a small to mid-sized production, or who are supplementing their personal gear with lighting, sound and grip equipment. We rent to people researching a possible equipment purchase, to people who are hosting events, and to families that want to project their home movies. We also rent our editing stations, and have rooms that can be used for rehearsals, auditions or test screenings. We’re the only place in town that rents Super 8 cameras—we have a wide range of them and they’re super-affordable—and we’re the only place that sells 16mm film stock. What’s a fun fact about you that nobody knows? I went to the WTO protests in Seattle in 1999 and happened to record footage of a flash gang grenade explosion. Someone turned my camera on me and did an impromptu interview. The footage ended up in the hands of a reality television show called Real TV. Even though I went there as a journalist, I became the face of a typical WTO protester when they broadcast a four-minute segment to millions of people around the world. The end result for me is that it is still the most profitable film I’ve ever made.
REEL MUSIC FESTIVA L 32 RAZING THE BAR
BREADCRUMB TRAIL TOSCA’S KISS
STOP MAKING SENSE
OCT 17 FRI 7 PM
THE BALLAD OF SHOVELS AND ROPE US 2013 DIRECTOR: JACE FREEMAN
When filming started, Cary Ann Hearst was waiting tables and Michael Trent was working as a studio artist while the duo also played gigs in dive bars for 15 people. Deeply in love and living the life of poets in South Carolina, they set out with their trusty dog, Townes Van Zandt, to tour out of their van looking to catch a break. The poetry of THE BALLAD OF SHOVELS AND ROPE is written as we watch the rise of an incredibly talented band and get a rare glimpse into the creation of Shovels & Rope’s album O’ Be Joyful, which went on to earn Artists and Song of the Year awards and a loving following. (72 mins.)
OCT 14 TUES 7 PM
OCT 15 18 WED 7 PM, SAT 4:30 PM
US 2014 DIRECTOR: LANCE BANGS, PORTLAND
ITALY/SWITZERLAND 1984 DIRECTOR: DANIEL SCHMID
OCT 16 THUR 7 PM
Giuseppe Verdi called it his “finest work”: the world’s first home for retired opera musicians. Standing in Milan since 1896, the Casa Verdi is home to a collection of self-described “drama queens,” aging artists who sing, perform, and reflect together. Their reflections offer a touching and often hilarious meditation on aging and the power and timeless capacity of music to inspire. “Insightful, life-affirming, and just plain entertaining!”— Christian Science Monitor. (87 mins.)
US 2014 DIRECTOR: RYAN WORSLEY, SEATTLE
BREADCRUMB TRAIL
“Even those who haven’t heard Slint have heard Slint. Not only did the band’s members go on to perform with acts as diverse as The Breeders, Tortoise, Interpol, Stereolab and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but the cutting, complicated dynamics of their second and final album, 1991’s Spiderland, essentially birthed post-rock. In a riveting study, Portland music clip director and Slint super fan Lance Bangs unearths priceless VHS footage of the gawky teens (some of it shot by Will Oldham) that crafted such elemental and unsettling sounds. And two decades of interviews with members, parents, hangers-on and indie luminaries—including Steve Albini, Fugazi’s Ian MacKaye and Jesus Lizard’s David Yow—reveal their influence…Bangs has turned in without a doubt the best film he’s ever made.”– Tiny Mix Tapes . (90 mins.) Director Lance Bangs invited to attend.
OCT 14 TUES 9 PM
BILLY MIZE AND THE BAKERSFIELD SOUND US 2014 DIRECTOR: WILLIAM J. SAUNDERS
Billy Mize was instrumental in defining the Bakersfield Sound, the exhilarating, innovative movement that both changed country music and influenced everyone from Elvis and The Beatles to The Grateful Dead. A gifted musician and songwriter, Mize was also a committed family man and the rare artist who traded fame for home. Mize’s little-known story, full of triumph and tragedy, along with a fascinating history of the Bakersfield sound, is brought to light with wonderful archival footage, rare photos, interviews, and a soundtrack of Bakersfield hits with country legends like Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Willie Nelson, Ray Price and Mize himself. (100 mins.)
TOSCA’S KISS
OCT 15 WED 9 PM
THE BYRD WHO FLEW ALONE: THE TRIUMPHS AND TRAGEDY OF GENE CLARK GREAT BRITAIN 2013 DIRECTORS: PAUL KENDALL, JACK KENDALL
Bob Dylan described Missouri-born country boy Gene Clark as one of the three best songwriters in the world. The original front man for one of the most iconic and influential bands of the ‘60s, The Byrds, he made records that remain both folk and country rock classics. Yet mysteriously, his public recognition lags far behind that of peers such as Gram Parsons. Since his death in 1991, at 46, artists ranging from Robert Plant to Yo La Tengo have covered his songs and he has been hailed as a key influence to musicians as diverse as Tom Petty, Primal Scream and Fleet Foxes. Drawing on interviews, including fellow Byrds David Crosby and Roger McGuinn, a wealth of great music, and previously unseen archival material, the Kendalls weave a compelling story of musical magic and moving madness. (90 mins.)
RAZING THE BAR
Loud, messy, and often outrageous, The Funhouse was one of Seattle’s landmark punk rock venues. From 2003 to 2012, the venue offered artists a place to experiment with new musical styles and performance ideas, and quickly became a breeding ground for local talent. Many members of the venue’s community found their way into the Seattle culture atlarge, including the then-nascent burlesque movement and the Rat City Rollergirls. First-time director Ryan Worsley’s RAZING THE BAR stands as a testament to the creative community that The Funhouse fostered, as well as a warning of what can become lost in the all-consuming quest for urban density. (80 mins.) Director Ryan Worsley in attendance.
OCT 16 THUR 9 PM
STRICTLY SACRED: THE STORY OF GIRL TROUBLE
OCT 17 FRI 9 PM
STOP MAKING SENSE US 1984 DIRECTOR: JONATHAN DEMME
Thirty years after its release, Demme’s extraordinary Talking Heads concert movie, filmed over the course of three days at Hollywood’s historic Pantages Theatre, remains as fresh as ever. With each successive song band members, instruments and set pieces slowly join frontman David Byrne on stage, culminating in a full-blast, high-energy rockout. Featuring performances of “Psycho Killer,” “Take Me to the River,” “Girlfriend Is Better,” and countless other hits by the legendary new wave group, this innovative documentary debut is “close to perfection.”—Pauline Kael, The New Yorker. (88 mins.)
OCT 18 SAT 2 PM
LADY BE GOOD: INSTRUMENTAL WOMEN IN JAZZ US 2013 DIRECTOR: KAY RAY, SEATTLE
Tacoma garage rock band Girl Trouble has always traveled on their own unique and idiosyncratic musical path. For over 30 years, they have been standardbearers for the collaborative spirit and do-it-yourself aesthetic that the Northwest’s indie rock scene was founded on. Director Isaac Olsen weaves together the band’s treasure trove of treasured memorabilia with present-day interviews with the band’s numerous collaborators, including Neko Case, Calvin Johnson, and Art Chantry. But ultimately, Olsen wisely lets the band members tell the story of their journey from self-proclaimed “weirdos” to Tacoma’s local champions and defenders of rock and roll. (95 mins.) Director
The International Sweethearts of Rhythm. The Syncoettes. Carol Kaye. The substantial contributions of woman to jazz music have been largely ignored by history, but their significant role is one that can no longer be denied. LADY BE GOOD reveals the lost stories of female jazz musicians from the early 1920s to the 1970s. Ray’s proud film charts the influence of female players from the struggles and successes of early innovators (Sweet Emma Barrett, Lil HardinArmstrong), through the rise of the all-woman big bands (Ina Ray Hutton & Her Melodears, the Hollywood Redheads), to the female musicians that were instrumental players (Dorothy Donegan, Mary Osborne) and arrangers (Mary Lou Williams, Melba Liston) for more famous male band leaders, including Benny Goodman and Quincy Jones. (80 mins.) Direc-
Isaac Olsen in attendance.
tor Kay Ray in attendance.
US 2014 DIRECTOR: ISAAC OLSEN, TACOMA
nwfilm.org/festivals/reelmusic
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REEL MUSIC FESTIVA L 32 HARLEM STREET SINGER: THE GUITAR GOSPEL OF REVEREND GARY DAVIS
SUPER DUPER ALICE COOPER
OCT 20 MON 9 PM
JIMMY SCOTT: IF YOU ONLY KNEW
US 2002 DIRECTOR: MATTHEW BUZZELL
JOHNNY WINTER: DOWN & DIRTY
NOSFERATU
OCT 19 SUN 7:30 PM—LIVE PERFORMANCE
NOSFERATU
GERMANY 1922 DIRECTOR: F.W. MURNAU We welcome Los Angeles composer and bassist Tom Peters for a live performance of his score for Murnau’s classic adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula . The first gothic horror film, and a key work of German exOCT 18 SAT 7 PM pressionism, the film was influenced by Freud’s new ideas of sexual repression. Max Schreck is the gangly, pointy-fingered master of the Carpathian castle who travels by coffin across the sea in search of his love, bringing plague and pestilence with him. Marked by US 2013 its eerie cinematography and special effects, a conDIRECTOR: SIMEON HUNTER stant feeling of anticipation oozes from the ominous One of the truly great American ragtime, blues and symbols, heightened here by Peters’ live electronic gospel musicians, Reverend Gary Davis’ (1896-1972) score, which weaves through the film’s dark alleys to unique style and virtuoso skill on the guitar made create an experience like no other. (84 mins.) Tom him an icon during the 1960s folk revival and inspired Peters is a 2014 GRAMMY® Award nominee in the Best a generation of musicians. HARLEM STREET SINGER Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance category celebrates the beauty and spirituality of his North for the recording Cage: The Ten Thousand Things. SpeCarolina–bred music as well as the human qualities cial thanks to Walker. Special admission: $12 general; that made Davis a much beloved teacher and min- $8 members. ister. Featuring great performances and interviews with musicians he influenced and taught, includ- OCT 20 MON 7 PM ing Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane, David Bromberg and Woody GREAT BRITAIN 2014 Mann. (78 mins.) DIRECTOR: ERIC GREEN
HARLEM STREET SINGER: THE GUITAR GOSPEL OF REVEREND GARY DAVIS
Jazz vocal legend Jimmy Scott’s (1925-2014) distinctive voice was able to effortlessly caress high notes in a range that no normal adult male singer should ever expect to reach. But Scott’s vocal range was the result of a hereditary condition that kept his body and voice from developing beyond boyhood. Scott was no mere freak of nature however; his masterful command of his vocal instrument, worldly-wise sense of phrasing a lyric, and breathtakingly dramatic sense of time left critics and fans alike grasping at superlatives for over six decades. This profoundly moving portrait of Scott looks at his personal and professional hardships and eventual triumphs through rare concert footage and interviews with Scott, family, friends, band mates, and scholars. (77 mins.)
OCT 21 TUES 7 PM
SOUND OF REDEMPTION: THE FRANK MORGAN STORY US 2014 DIRECTOR: N.C. HEIKIN
JOHNNY WINTER: DOWN & DIRTY US 2013 DIRECTOR: GREG OLLIVER
Director Greg Olliver spent two years following Johnny Winter to France, Japan and beyond to create this intimate, aptly named portrait of the Texas musician as famed for his sex, drugs and rock & roll lifestyle as his blazing blues guitar. Winter’s recent passing at age 70 recalls not only a storied life—Woodstock, partying with the Rolling Stones and John Belushi, dating Janis Joplin, and jamming with Jimi Hendrix— but fantastic playing and the respect of legends like Muddy Waters, who said: “When I first heard him, I thought he was one of the greatest blues players in the business.” (94 mins.)
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nwfilm.org/festivals/reelmusic
“An in-depth exploration of the dense, sensuous, and extremely loud movement in ‘80s/’90s U.K. rock tagged “shoegaze” by the British press. Tracing its influences back to the Cocteau Twins’ ethereal ambiance and the Jesus and Mary Chain’s brash guitar sound, the film explores how bands like My Bloody Valentine, Ride and Lush fused these two disparate sounds together to create a distinctive, new musical style that furthered the genre’s ideals of sonic experimentation without the grandiose stage personas of traditional pop stars. First-time director Eric Green scores a coup by getting this notoriously press-shy bunch to open up about the class politics behind the genre’s poor treatment in the British press, MBV’s infamous falling-out with Creation Records, and how that band became sonic innovators whose music is only now truly receiving its due respect.”—Seattle International Film Festival. (90 mins.)
SUPER DUPER ALICE COOPER CANADA 2014 DIRECTOR: REGINALD HARKEMA
Born Vincent Furnier, the son of a preacher, Alice Cooper emerged from the Detroit scene of the 1970s in a flurry of long hair and sequins to restore rock with a sense of showmanship, while simultaneously striking fear into the very core of Middle America with the chicken-slaughtering, dead-baby-eating theatrics that would cement his identity. In an appropriately dizzying stylistic evocation of the Alice Cooper persona, this whirlwind collage of rare archival footage, animation, and candid interviews adds up to the epic sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll saga of a man who got caught in the grip of his own monster. (86 mins.)
OCT 22 WED 7 PM
JINGLE BELL ROCKS! CANADA 2013 DIRECTOR: MITCHELL KEZIN
Christmas music is sort of a love-it-or-hate-it affair. Whatever your persuasion, however, you’re bound to be caught up in the enthusiasm and discovery of music junkie Mitchell Kezin as he tracks down the stories behind his favorite holiday tunes. Kezin unearths songs—funny, sad, satirical and scathing—that, like rock ’n’ roll itself, are barometers of their times, addressing racial inequality, religious freedom, nuclear war, and being alone. With music and/or appreciations from Schoolhouse Rock creator Bob Dorough, Miles Davis, Calexico, Run-DMC, James Brown, John Waters, Dr. Demento, the Flaming Lips and more, JINGLE BELL ROCKS! guarantees you’ll never listen to Christmas music the same way again . (93 mins.)
This soulful documentary illuminates the hell-andback life of the late, great L.A. alto sax legend Frank Morgan. A prodigy who was acclaimed as the natural heir to his bebop mentor, Charlie Parker, Morgan derailed his career with heroin, which led him into a life of crime. After decades in prison, he made an astonishing comeback, leaving behind recordings of deep, melancholy beauty. Framed by a tribute concert held in San Quentin, where Morgan’s 19-year-old Director Mitchell Kezin in attendance. Asian-American protégé, Grace Kelly, performs a heart-stopping version of “Over the Rainbow,” N.C. Heikin’s film is filled with revealing interviews with the colleagues, lovers, family and wives who accompanied Morgan on his long and rocky journey to redemption. (84 mins.)
BEAUTIFUL NOISE
OCT 18 SAT 9 PM
OCT 21 TUES 9 PM
BEAUTIFUL NOISE
VOICES IN ACTION: HUMAN RIGHTS ON FILM E-TEAM
NELSON MANDELA: THE MYTH AND ME
While cinema provides entertainment and escape, for many committed filmmakers and viewers it is a vital medium of engagement and a powerful tool for social action. Tackling wide-ranging, thought-provoking issues, activist filmmakers help deepen our awareness of injustice and the values of dignity and equality as they tell universal stories of struggle and triumph. We hope these informative and inspirational films will broaden understanding and stimulate involvement as they reveal hearts and minds focused on challenges that touch us all. Our thanks go to the Human Rights Watch Film Festivals in London and New York for their showcasing of works of vitally engaged filmmakers, and KBOO Community Radio for their media sponsorship.
OCT 23 THUR 7 PM
OCT 26 SUN 7 PM
U S 20 14
U S 20 13
E-TEAM
DIRECTORS: ROSS KAUFFMAN, KATY CHEVIGNY
When atrocities are committed in countries held hostage by ruthless dictators, Human Rights Watch sends in the E-Team (Emergencies Team), a collection of fiercely intelligent individuals, to document war crimes and report them to the world. Within this volatile climate, Kauffman and Chevigny take us to the front lines in Syria and Libya, where shrapnel, bullet holes, and unmarked graves provide mounting evidence of atrocities by government forces. The crimes are rampant, random, and most often unreported—making the E-Team’s effort to get information into the hands of media outlets, policy makers, and international tribunals even more urgent. Cinematography Award, US Documentary, Sundance Film Festival. (89 mins.)
PRIVATE VIOLENCE DIRECTOR: CYNTHIA HILL
OCT 24 FRI 7 PM
PRIVATE VIOLENCE explores a simple but deeply disturbing fact of American life: the most dangerous place for a woman in America is her own home. Every day in the U.S. at least four women are murdered by abusive (and often, ex-) partners. Through the eyes of two survivors—Deanna Walters, a mother who seeks justice for the crimes committed against her at the hands of her estranged husband, and Kit Gruelle, an advocate who seeks justice for all women—we bear witness to the complex realities of intimate partner violence. In the process, the film shapes powerful, new questions that hold the potential to change our society: “Why does he abuse?” “Why do we turn away?” “How do we build a future without domestic violence?” (81 mins.)
U S 20 13
OCT 29 WED 7 PM
BIG MEN
DIRECTOR: RACHEL BOYNTON
A cautionary tale about the toll of American oil investment in West Africa, BIG MEN reveals the secretive worlds of both corporations and local communities in Nigeria and Ghana. With surprising, unprecedented access to oil companies, Boynton fashions a gripping account of the ambition, corruption, and greed that epitomize Africa’s “resource curse.” As it deftly uncovers the human impact of oil drilling and the operation of militants in the Niger Delta, the film provides a nuanced and compelling illustration of the responsibility that a range of actors bear for the environmental, economic, and political harm inflicted by lucrative resource extraction. (99 mins.)
OCT 26 SUN 5 PM
A QUIET INQUISITION U S 20 14
DIRECTORS: ALESSANDRA ZEKA, HOLEN SABRINA KAHN
At a public hospital in Nicaragua, OBGYN Dr. Carla Cerrato must choose between following a law that bans all abortions and endangers her patients or taking a risk and providing the care that she knows can save a woman’s life. In 2007, the government of Daniel Ortega, a former Marxist revolutionary who converted to Catholicism to win votes, overturned a 130-year-old law protecting therapeutic abortion. The new law entirely prohibits abortion, even in cases of rape, incest, or when a woman’s life is at stake. As Carla and her colleagues navigate this dangerous dilemma, the impact of this law emerges—illuminating the tangible reality of prohibition against the backdrop of a political, religious, and historically complex national identity. (65 mins.)
RETURN TO HOMS SYR IA/G ER MANY 20 13
DIRECTOR: TALAL DERKI
RETURN TO HOMS provides an intimate portrait of young revolutionaries in western Syria who dream of freeing their country from President Bashar al-Assad by fighting for justice through peaceful demonstrations. But as the army violence escalates and the city is transformed into a ghost town, Basset, the charismatic 19-year-old goalkeeper of the national soccer team whose revolutionary songs make him the voice of the protest movement, and Osama, a 24-yearold media activist and cameraman, decide to take up arms. Soon, grim battles in a deserted city replace those of lively protest parties in the streets. World Cinema Grand Jury Prize, Documentary, Sundance Film Festival. (94 mins.)
WATCHERS OF THE SKY U S 20 14
REACHING FOR THE STARS D EN MAR K/I RAN/G ER MANY/N O RWAY 20 13
DIRECTOR: BERIT MADSEN
Sepideh is a young Iranian woman who dares to dream—of a future as an astronaut. At night, she stares up at the universe. At home, full of hope and longing, she watches recordings of the first female Iranian in space, Anousheh Ansari. But not everyone appreciates her boundless ambition—becoming an astronaut is not exactly a normal goal for a girl in Iran. Her families worry. She doesn’t want to learn to cook, hardly ever visits her family, and doesn’t seem to be thinking about marriage at all. As we follow Sepideh, it becomes clear just how at odds her dreams are with her current reality and the expectations of those around her. (90 mins.)
NOV 5 WED 7 PM
SEEDS OF HOPE B R ITAI N 20 13
DIRECTOR: FIONA LLOYD-DAVIES
In a region known as the most dangerous place in the world for women, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, one woman shines a beacon of hope to dispel the despair of survivors of rape. Masika Katsuva, herself the victim of multiple rapes, has rescued some 6,000 women and children, and the center she has built provides medical, practical, and psychological help. She also works with them to cultivate crops of maize and beans. This is not just a field to grow food for them to eat; it’s also where they come together to share their experiences, to heal and rebuild their lives, and to plant their seeds of hope. Masika and the women with whom she works are not victims: They are survivors who are reshaping their lives and building a new future. The film also speaks with the perpetrators, among them soldiers from the Congolese army, who give extraordinarily open testimony as to why they rape and their attitudes toward their horrific acts. (75 mins.) On view at the Portland Art Museum November 8-February 8 is Richard Mosse’s striking video installation The Enclave, a meditation on the horrific conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
NELSON MANDELA: THE MYTH AND ME SO UTH AFR I CA/G ER MANY 20 13
Interweaving four stories of remarkable courage, compassion, and determination, WATCHERS OF THE SKY uncovers the forgotten life of Raphael Lemkin—the man who created the word “genocide” and believed the law could protect the world from mass atrocities. Inspired by Samantha Power’s Pulitzer Prize–winning book A Problem from Hell, Belzberg’s film embarks on a provocative journey from Nuremberg, Germany, to The Hague, Netherlands, from Bosnia to Darfur, from criminality to justice, and from apathy to action. (120 mins.)
NOV 2 SUN 7 PM
NOV 6 THUR 7 PM
OCT 30 THUR 7 PM
DIRECTOR: EDET BELZBERG
SEEDS OF HOPE
DIRECTOR: KHALO MATABANE
Khalo Matabane was an idealistic teenager with fanciful ideas about a post-apartheid era of freedom and justice when the great icon of liberation Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990. In a personal odyssey encompassing an imaginary letter to Mandela and conversations with politicians, activists, intellectuals, and artists, Matabane questions the meaning of freedom, reconciliation, and forgiveness—and challenges Mandela’s legacy in today’s world of conflict and inequality. (86 mins.)
NWFILM.ORG 503-221-1156 SEPTEMBER/0CTOBER 2014
NORTHWEST FILM CENTER
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(RE)DISCOVERIES:
NEW RESTORATIONS, NEW PRINTS
MY DARLING CLEMENTINE
SEPT 13 14 SAT 4:30 PM, SUN 7 PM
ON APPROVAL U K 1 944
DIRECTOR: CLIVE BROOK
SUNSET BOULEVARD As cinema moves into its second century, the preservation of classic films is finding new life through digital technology and collaborative efforts by film archives and studios worldwide. At the same time, appreciation for the glories of 35mm film prints and the opportunity for new generations to see the originals on the big screen remains a distinct pleasure. The Film Center is pleased to present this selection of iconic classics enjoying a second life via restoration or preservation, either by digital magic or lovingly made film prints. We hope you’ll discover something new, or see a longtime favorite in an entirely new light.
SEPT 5 6 FRI 7 PM, SAT 7:30 PM
SEPT 11 13 THURS 7 PM, SAT 7 PM
U S 1 9 50
U S 1 9 23
SAFETY LAST!
SUNSET BOULEVARD
DIRECTORS: FRED C. NEWMEYER & SAM TAYLOR
DIRECTOR: BILLY WILDER
Down-on-his luck screenwriter Joe Gillis (William Holden), out of work, rejected by the studios, and facing repossession of his car—a necessary tool in early ‘50s Los Angeles—seeks accidental refuge at the home of former silent film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson, in a career-defining role). Norma’s once-opulent but decaying estate, located just off Sunset Boulevard and overseen by her watchful servant Max von Mayerling (Erich von Stroheim), provides the backdrop for a tumultuous relationship pulled from Greek tragedy. Gillis seeks a stable situation, which Norma can provide, showering him with gifts and affection. But each feeds from the other, as Norma becomes harmfully infatuated with not only Gillis but also her dreams of a career resurrection, mentored long ago by the great Cecil B. DeMille. The merciless system of Hollywood, with its cast-offs and also-rans, provides Wilder with more than enough material to form a scathing critique wrapped in the allure of an unexpected love affair. (110 mins.) 2k digital restoration completed by Paramount Pictures in cooperation with the Library of Congress and the Academy Film Archive.
One of the most beloved comedies of the silent era and one of star Harold Lloyd’s most famous films, SAFETY LAST tells the story of “The Boy,” an industrious young man who moves from the country to the city seeking a better life. Upon arrival, he finds a job in a department store but quickly realizes its banality; however, when the store’s owner offers up a king’s ransom to anyone able to bring people in, the Boy hatches a plan involving a large clock tower outside and an unsuspecting friend. Meanwhile, the Boy’s girlfriend moves to the city believing he’s made it, considering all the fancy gifts he’s been sending her back home. In both instances, he gets much more than he bargained for. (70 mins.) 2k digital transfer made from an original nitrate print.
SEPT 12 14 FRI 7 PM, SUN 4:30 PM
ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL WEST G ER MANY 1 972
DIRECTOR: RAINER WERNER FASSBINDER
SEPT 6 7 SAT 4:30 PM, SUN 7 PM
RIO BRAVO U S 1 9 59
DIRECTOR: HOWARD HAWKS
John Wayne, Dean Martin, and Ricky Nelson team up in this idiosyncratic take on the “singing cowboy” Western from the ever-versatile Howard Hawks. When aging Sheriff John T. Chance (Wayne), who oversees a very small, unnamed Western town, arrests and jails accused murderer Joe Burdette (Claude Akins), Burdette’s brother Nathan vows revenge and hires guns with the intention of breaking Joe out. Chance, knowing he will be unable to hold off the Burdette clan, enlists Stumpy (Walter Brennan), his faithful deputy, Dude (Martin), the town drunk with demons to spare, and Colorado Ryan (Nelson), a young gunslinger with much to prove, to help him with the Burdette problem. Meanwhile, Feathers (Angie Dickinson), a beautiful local innkeeper, becomes increasingly involved in Chance’s affairs, much to his not-so-reluctant chagrin. As a showdown with the Burdettes looms, Chance is forced to evaluate his place and what kind of life he wants to live. “To watch RIO BRAVO is to see a master craftsman at work. The film is seamless. There is not a shot that is wrong. It is uncommonly absorbing.”—Roger Ebert. (141 mins.) 2k digital restoration com-
Fassbinder, who in his own way was always examining social norms and systems, here takes on the twin issues of explicit racism and love across generations, with his tale of the chance relationship between Moroccan guest worker Ali (El Hedi ben Salem) and aging, German-born housekeeper Emmi (Brigitte Mira), who meet in a bar when both are feeling depressed about their station in life. When their friends and families (among them Fassbinder himself as a lecherous boyfriend to one of Emmi’s daughters) learn of the relationship, each has a negative reaction, with actions ranging from outward rejection to humiliation. However, rather than focusing solely on the ugliness born of prejudice, Fassbinder focuses on Emmi and Ali’s love for each other, which takes on a poetic, hopeful tone for society in general. “For all his hatred of humanity, Fassbinder really loves his unlikely couple, and I think we wind up remembering this heartbreaking pair long after we’ve forgotten the plot or the argument.”—Jonathan Rosenbaum. (94 mins.) 35mm print courtesy of Janus Films.
pleted by Warner Bros. from the original camera negative.
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NORTHWEST FILM CENTER
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 503-221-1156 NWFILM.ORG
In this, the second adaptation of Frederick Lonsdale’s classic comedy—the first coming in 1930—Clive Brook stars in his own production as George, the Duke of Bristol, who has recently fallen on hard times. Helen (Googie Withers), a wealthy American heiress, is infatuated with George; George’s friend Richard (Roland Culver) is in love with Maria (British stage legend Beatrice Lillie, in one of her few film roles). Hoping to gauge their level of commitment to each other, the two couples retreat to Maria’s isolated Scottish home—for an entire month. Soon, the idiosyncrasies of each personality appear and witty barbs fly like sparks in this largely unheralded comic gem from Brook—his lone directorial effort in a long and successful acting career. (80 mins.) Newly struck 35mm print courtesy of Film Preservation Associates and Jessica Rosner. Screening on 35mm for the first time in nearly 50 years.
SEPT 19 20 21 FRI 7 PM, SAT 7 PM, SUN 7 PM
MY DARLING CLEMENTINE U S 1 946
DIRECTOR: JOHN FORD
One of John Ford’s finest Westerns, and possibly the best known cinematic telling of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral myth, MY DARLING CLEMENTINE quietly shimmers in its focus on the lyrical side of the American West. Henry Fonda plays Wyatt Earp, the legendary yet reluctant lawman of Tombstone, where he and his brothers stop during a cattle drive only to find a lawless, ramshackle town in need of cleaning up. When the youngest Earp brother is murdered while watching their cattle, Wyatt seeks justice and takes over as town marshal just as the Clantons, the region’s nastiest gang, roll in to town. While Ford stays relatively faithful to the legend, his focus on the bourgeoning relationship between Earp and new arrival Clementine Carter (Cathy Downs) makes the film much more than a simple shoot-‘em-up in the classic Western mold. (97 mins.) 2k digital transfer completed by 20th Century Fox.
OCT 25 SAT 4:30 PM
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT U S 1 934
DIRECTOR: FRANK CAPRA
Both at the peak of their considerable powers, Clark Gable stars opposite Claudette Colbert in Capra’s deeply felt, humane masterpiece of the recently-inaugurated Hays Code era. Ellie Andrews (Colbert), running from her father in the wake of her elopement with a dashing pilot, meets struggling newspaper reporter Peter Warne (Gable) on a New-York-toFlorida bus. Peter offers to either help Ellie reunite with her beau—somewhat selfishly, as he wants an exclusive on the story—or turn her in to her father. Here, Ellie’s choice is easy, but as she and Peter grow closer on their trip, populated with salt-of-the-earth working class folks, she has a much tougher decision to make: who will she choose to spend the rest of her life with? “Even though Capra’s film won all five of the top Oscars, it’s still pretty good.”—Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader. (105 mins.) Digital restoration in 4k by Sony Pictures Entertainment at Colorworks.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS (continued)
TAHOUSSE
LOST HORIZON
GRADUAL SPEED
OCT 18 SAT, 1 PM-5 PM
HOME MOVIE DAY 2014
The Film Center and Oregon Historical Society are excited to celebrate treasures lost and found at the worldwide Home Movie Day. Pull out your home movies—8mm, Super 8mm and 16mm film (no video please!)—and share them on the big screen with fellow film enthusiasts. We’ll also show films from the Moving Image Collections of the Historical Society and Film Center. Learn how best to care for your films, enjoy some tasty treats and play Home Movie Day Bingo, too. For more information, visit homemoviedaypdx.tumblr.com.
JE T’AIME JE T’AIME
OCT 25 SAT 7 PM
LOST HORIZON U S 1 937
DIRECTOR: FRANK CAPRA
Written by acclaimed screenwriter Robert Riskin (IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, MEET JOHN DOE), and using a great deal of Columbia’s annual production budget, Capra’s fantastical film had a troubled production and even more troubled history, replete with lost footage, multiple endings, piecemeal restorations, and a place in film history as one of the wildest products to emerge from the classical Hollywood system. Fleeing a war-torn Chinese city during a Japanese invasion, Robert Conway (Ronald Colman), a diplomat and writer, falls in with a ragtag group of expats, but their plane, caught in a storm, crashes into the Himalayas. Upon their discovery by a bizarre caravan led by Chang (H.B. Warner), they are taken to Shangri-La, a mountain Utopia, where everything is peaceful and war is non-existent. However, Robert feels they have been captured and brought there for a very specific reason, one that only the mysterious High Lama (Sam Jaffe) can relate to him. Academy Awards for Best Interior Decoration and Best Editing. (132 mins.) Digital restoration in 4k by Sony Pictures Entertainment at Colorworks. This restoration is the most complete ever made, and includes newly discovered material not seen in over 70 years.
OCT 31 NOV 1 FRI 7 PM SAT 7 PM
JE T’AIME JE T’AIME FRAN CE 1 9 68
DIRECTOR: ALAIN RESNAIS
Suffering from its canceled premiere at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival and only arriving in the US two years later to little fanfare, Resnais’ mid-career foray into science fiction developed somewhat of a cult following, but has remained largely unseen. Following Claude (Claude Rich), an average man who is enlisted in a speculative scientific experiment in which he will be able to travel through time into his personal past, Resnais’s film evokes a sanguine, yet familiar, version of a near future in which personal memory plays a vital role in our lives—contrary to other, more cynically dystopian visions. “In time, as it were, those [temporal] leaps add up to a cubistic portrait of a not especially remarkable man who becomes something more, not because of his commonplace life but because of the extraordinary manner in which his story emerges in its sweep and details, its simplicity and grandeur.”—Manohla Dargis, The New York Times. (94 mins.) Newly struck 35mm print courtesy of The Film Desk and Bleeding Light Film Group.
OCT 27 MON 7 PM
cinema project and nwfc present
(UN) FIXED TERRA FIRMA: ANALOG FILMS FROM ARTIST-RUN LABS
Celluloid-based filmmaking is alive and well in Europe, thanks to a network of film labs dedicated to both the preservation of technology and cinematic experimentation. This two-night program features work from three artist-run cooperatives: L’Abominable in La Courneuve, France; Labor Berlin in Berlin, Germany; and Labo Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium. While the artists associated with these labs produce work in a variety of styles, the films selected for these two evenings are similar in demonstrating extremes of the photographic process. Tonight’s films include:
PARTIES VISIBLE ET INVISIBLE D’UN ENSEMBLE SOUS TENSION FRAN CE 20 09
DIRECTOR: EMMANUEL LEFRANT
In these landscapes in fusion, it’s the logic of a world that reveals itself. A bipolar world, where invisible takes shape with the visible, where the first dissolves itself into the second and vice versa. (7 mins.– L’Abominable)
TAHOUSSE FRAN CE 20 0 6
DIRECTORS: OLIVIER FOUCHARD, MAHINE ROUHI
“In the Alps, in Kurdistan, in Tchecheny... It all begins with a blue tree - BLACK - Then, clouds raking the earth of a lost valley - swirling clouds at the speed of terror - BLACK - images returning from beyond the war volcanoes.” — Light Cone (31 mins. – L’Abominable)
H(i)J
G ER MANY 20 09
DIRECTOR: GUILLAUME CAILLEAU
A hand-processed film that is extremely rich in contrast. More than with standard black-and-white material, the black and white here seem to lead their own lives, conquering the entire film frame in turns. (6 mins.– Labor Berlin)
DIDAM
FRAN CE 20 0 0
DIRECTOR: MAHINE ROUHI, OLIVIER FOUCHARD
“Rouhi and Fouchard set their cameras in grandiose virgin landscapes and edit their film to the rolling of thunder or the shadow of a cloud passing. The intense work on the film medium (colors, contrasts, negatives) reinstates nature as piercingly primeval.” —Emeric de Lastens (11 mins.-L’Abominable)
OCT 28 TUES 7 PM
cinema project and nwfc present
GRADUAL SPEED B ELG I U M 20 13
DIRECTOR: ELS VAN RIEL
In Els van Riel’s GRADUAL SPEED, the image in each vignette appears through time much like a photograph developing while the hum and crackle of vibrating dust erupts on the optical track. (52 mins.– Labo Bruxelles) NWFILM.ORG 503-221-1156 SEPTEMBER/0CTOBER 2014
NORTHWEST FILM CENTER
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FILM CALENDAR
NWFilmCenter
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
FILMS SCREENED AT NORTHWEST FILM CENTER • WHITSELL AUDITORIUM PORTLAND ART MUSEUM 1219 SW PARK AVENUE
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY 1
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
LADY BE GOOD:2 INSTRUMENTAL WOMEN IN JAZZ P.15 I LIVE FOR ART P.3
THE HOURGLASS SANATORIUM P.4 7 PM RIO BRAVO (P.18)
7
4:30 PM ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL (P.18) 7 PM ON APPROVAL (P.18)
14
7 PM MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (P.18)
21
22
4:45 PM TO KILL THIS LOVE (P.4) 7 PM ASHES AND DIAMONDS (P.4)
28
29
7 PM BLIND CHANCE (P.4)
5
7 PM LEVITATED MASS (P.3)
6
7 PM THE HOURGLASS SANATORIUM (P.4)
7
12 PM HEAVEN ADORES YOU (P.6) 2:15 PM THE 78 PROJECT MOVIE (P.6) 4:30 PM THE CASE OF THE THREE-SIDED DREAM (P.6) 7 PM 20,000 DAYS ON EARTH (P.6)
12
7 PM VELVET GOLDMINE (P.6)
13
7 PM BREADCRUMB TRAIL (P.15) 9 PM BILLY MIZE AND THE BAKERSFIELD SOUND (P.15)
14
7 PM TOSCA’S KISS (P.15) 9 PM THE BYRD WHO FLEW ALONE: THE TRIUMPHS AND TRAGEDY OF GENE GLARK (P.15)
15
7:30 PM NOSFERATU —WITH LIVE MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT(P.16)
19
7 PM BEAUTIFUL NOISE (P.16) 9 PM JIMMY SCOTT: IF YOU ONLY KNEW (P.16)
20
7 PM SOUND OF REDEMPTION: THE FRANK MORGAN STORY (P.16) 9 PM SUPER DUPER ALICE COOPER (P.16)
21
7 PM JINGLE BELL ROCKS! (P.16)
5 PM A QUIET INQUISITION (P.17) 7 PM PRIVATE VIOLENCE (P.17)
26
7 PM (UN)FIXED TERRA FIRMA: ANALOG FILMS FROM ARTISTRUN LABS (P.19)
27
7 PM GRADUAL SPEED (P.19)
28
7 PM RETURN TO HOMS (P.17)
2 PM LEVITATED MASS (P.3) 4:15 PM NIGHT TRAIN (P.4) 7 PM MAN OF IRON (P.4)
7 PM REACHING FOR THE STARS (P.17)
2
8
9
3
SCHOOL LEVITATED MASS15 6:30 PM P.3 OF FILM INFO NIGHT (P.11)
BREADCRUMB TRAIL 3 P.15
FRIDAY 4
10
7 PM SAFETY LAST! (P.18)
11
16
17
7 PM I AM NOT A ROCK STAR (P.3)
23
24
7 PM I LIVE FOR ART (P.3)
30
4
7 PM EVERGREEN (P.3)
7 PM SUNSET BOULEVARD (P.18)
SATURDAY 5
6
4:30 PM RIO BRAVO (P.18) 7:30 PM SUNSET BOULEVARD (P.18)
SEPTEMBER 7 PM ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL (P.18)
12
4:30 PM ON APPROVAL (P.18) 7 PM SAFETY LAST! (P.18)
13
18
7 PM MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (P.18)
19
2 PM SCHOOL OF FILM STUDENT SCREENING (P.11) 7 PM MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (P.18)
20
25
7 PM CAMOUFLAGE (P.4)
26
7 PM THE SARAGOSSA MANUSCRIPT (P.4)
27
7 PM THE CONSTANT FACTOR (P.4)
2
7 PM MANAKAMANA (P.3)
3
7 PM HOMESKILLET (P.3)
9
7 PM HEAVEN ADORES YOU (P.6)
10
4:30 PM CHARLIE HADEN: RAMBLING BOY (P.6) 7 PM THE WINDING STREAM (P.6) 9:30 PM TIME IS ILLMATIC (P.6)
11
7 PM RAZING THE BAR (P.15 9 PM STRICTLY SACRED: THE STORY OF GIRL TROUBLE (P.15)
16
7 PM @ SCHOOL OF FILM HOME MOVIES IN FILMMAKERS’ HANDS (P.11) 7 PM THE BALLAD OF SHOVELS AND ROPE (P.15) 9 PM STOP MAKING SENSE (P.15)
17
1 PM-5 PM HOME MOVIE DAY 2014 (P.11 & 19) 2 PM LADY BE GOOD: INSTRUMENTAL WOMEN IN JAZZ (P.15) 4:30 PM TOSCA’S KISS (P.15) 7 PM HARLEM STREET SINGER: THE GUITAR GOSPEL OF REVEREND GARY DAVIS (P.16) 9 PM JOHNNY WINTER: DOWN & DIRTY (P.16)
18
22
7 PM E-TEAM (P.17)
23
7 PM BIG MEN (P.17)
24
4:30 PM IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (P.18) 7 PM LOST HORIZON (P.19)
25
29
7 PM WATCHERS OF THE SKY (P.17)
30
7 PM JE T’AIME JE T’AIME (P.19)
31
7 PM JE T’AIME JE T’AIME (P.19)
1
5
7 PM NELSON MANDELA: THE MYTH AND ME (P.17)
1
7 PM A SHORT FILM ABOUT KILLING (P.4)
OCTOBER 8
7 PM SEEDS OF HOPE (P.17)
6
7
4
7 PM MANAKAMANA (P.3)
NOVEMBER
JE T’AIME JE T’AIME P.19
support the NW Film Center! Join the silver screen CLub! makeS A great gift! SEE nwfilm.org or call 503-221-1156 for details
$9 GENERAL ADMISSION $8 PAM MEMBERS/ STUDENTS/SENIORS $6 SILVER SCREEN FRIENDS/ CHILDREN UNDER 12
BOX OFFICE OPENS 30 minutes before showtime. ADVANCE TICKETS are available online at nwfilm.org. SILVER SCREEN CLUB Directors, Producers, Benefactors & Sustainers receive free admission to all REGULAR ADMISSION programs. All programs are single admission unless otherwise noted. Special admission prices may apply.
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