A preview of the 36th Portland International Film Festival with Bill Foster, executive director of the NW Film Festival. He's joined by Portland filmmaker Brian Lindstrom whose documentary Alien Boy: The Life And Death of James Chasse. Dmae Roberts has this overview of PIFF 36 plus more about Portland filmmakers featured at the festival and hear about some of the other 136 films showing this year. (Airs LIVE 11am Feb. 5th on KBOO 90.7FM)
NW Film Center’s 36th annual Portland International Film Festival (PIFF 36) runs February 7-23, 2013 and showcases 136 films—93 features and 43 short films—from 44 different countries.
- Bill Foster
PIFF traditionally showcases Portland filmmakers. This year we hear about three full-length documentaries that are featured: Alien Boy: The Life And Death of James Chasse, American Winter and A Fierce Green Fire. Several of the short films are also showing at PIFF including Joanna Priestly's Pluto, Ian Berry's Box and Chel White's Bird of Flames. We'll hear about all these films and hear clips from some of them. What is the state of documentary-making in Portland. Tune in!
MORE ABOUT THE FESTIVAL:
The Portland International Film Festival kicks off Thursday, February 7th at 7:30 p.m. with a special Opening Night screening of BLANCANIEVES at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts’ Newmark Theater (1111 SW Broadway Avenue), followed by an Opening Night party at the Newmark Theater. Tickets to the screening and party are $25, and are available now at http://festivals.nwfilm.org/piff36/events/.
- Brian Lindstrom
Festival locations include the Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium inside the Portland Art Museum (1219 SW Park Avenue), Cinema 21 (616 NW 21st Ave), Cinemagic (2021 SE Hawthorne Blvd.), Regal Fox Tower (846 SW Park Ave.), Regal Lloyd Center (1510 NE Multnomah St.), the Newmark Theater (1111 SW Broadway), and the World Trade Center Theater (121 SW Salmon Street.
READ ABOUT THE FEATURED DOCUMENTARIES:
- Portland Police Watching A Restrained Jim Chasse who was suffering multiple injuries.
Alien Boy: The Life And Death of James Chasse by Brian Lindstrom.
On September 17, 2006, James Chasse, a shy and gentle man with schizophrenia, was tackled by three police officers in front of dozens of eyewitnesses on a downtown street corner in Northwest Portland. He was not suspected of a crime, nor had he committed one, but nonetheless he suffered 17 broken ribs, a separated shoulder, a punctured lung, and numerous bruises and contusions—before dying. Chasse’s death and treatment shocked the city, asking profound questions about how we treat those with mental illness and what kind of a police force we want. (91 mins.)
American Winter by Joe Gantz, Harry Gantz.
- One of the Portland families of 'American Winter'
Five years into the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, American Winter presents a telling snapshot of the state of our society as it exists for millions of American families across the country. Shot over the course of the winter months of 2011–2012, the film follows eight Portland families—found through their calls to 211info, a referral service that steers thousands of families in crisis to available social services—as they were battling to keep their heads above water while facing overwhelming financial challenges and a shrinking social safety net. (90 mins.)
A Fierce Green Fire by Mark Kitchell
- Amazon Forest Fire in 'A Fierce Green Fire'
One of the great social movements of the 20th century, environmentalism continues as an urgent force in the 21st. Kitchell’s passionate film charts the advent of the modern environmental movement, from the early conservation causes of John Muir to the formation of landmark organizations like the Sierra Club and Greenpeace, to the creation of events like Earth Day and the continuing evolution of public conversation about the growing threats of pollution, climate change, overharvesting, and their effects on both our ecology and society. (114 mins.)
Festival Schedule:
The full PIFF Program, tickets, and more are available at http://festivals.nwfilm.org/piff36/.
Advance Ticket Outlet:
Mark Building, Portland Art Museum, 1119 SW Park Avenue thru February 23 daily from 12-6 p.m. Advance tickets by phone at (503) 276-4310
Advance tickets online at http://festivals.nwfilm.org/piff36/.
Admission Prices:
$11 General; $10 Portland Art Museum members, students, seniors; $8 Silver Screen Club Friends. Opening Night: $30 general; $25 Silver Screen Friends and PAM members
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MORE ABOUT THE FILMS;
PIFF 36 will present audiences with an early look at 7 of this year’s Oscar nominees, including Chilean director Pablo Larraín’s NO and WAR WITCH (dir. Kim Nguyen) from Canada. Among this year’s Festival line-up are international award winners POST TENEBRAS LUX (dir. Carlos Reygadas, Mexico), which won the Best Director prize at Cannes; TABU (dir. Miguel Gomes, Portugal), which took the FIPRESCI (International Film Critics) Award at the Berlin Film Festival; JUST THE WIND (dir. Benedek Fliegauf, Hungary), which won the Jury Grand Prize at the Berlin Film Festival; and PIETA (dir. Kim Ki-duk, South Korea), which won the Best Film Prize at the Venice Film Festival. Other highly regarded films include TOGETHER (dir. Hsu Chao-Jen, Taiwan), wherein the love lives of an entire neighborhood are overseen by a 17-year old observer; SOMETHING IN THE AIR (dir. Olivier Assayas, France), which examines the post-May of ’68 struggle between French youth culture and government through the eyes of an aspiring artist ; and the latest film from acclaimed director Xavier Dolan, LAURENCE ANYWAYS (Canada), which chronicles the romantic and social difficulties encountered when a high school teacher in a long term relationship publicly announces and openly embraces his transexuality.
- KBOO