FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

Erik Jambor returned to BendFilm and wowed our fans with one of our best programs. We hope Erik will be back for many more years to come.

 

 

Independent film legend John Sayles kicked off our inaugural First Features program with a discussion following Return of the Secaucus 7, his first film, and moderated a panel of filmmakers presenting their first films. This program encourages aspiring local filmmakers to enter the filmmaking fray and helps our emerging festival filmmakers build careers.

 

BendFilm celebrates women filmmakers. It all started with our 2016 Festival poster which featured a woman filmmaker proudly hoisting up her camera. With help from The Roundhouse Foundation, we hosted independent filmmaking pioneer Maggie Renzi who moderated the “Film Fatales: Women in Film Panel.” For the second year running our “Best in Show” winner To Keep the Light was directed by a woman, Erica Fae.

AND THAT’S NOT THE HALF OF IT:

• The generous Bend Cultural Tourism Fund grant helped us attract our biggest audience in 9 years!

• The 2016 Festival opened with Northwest-filmmaker Ian McCluskey’s beloved film, Voyagers Without Trace–1 of 16 films by Northwest filmmakers we programmed.

• We screened The New Yorker’s #1 film of 2016, Little Sister, and hosted its incredibly multi-talented supporting actress, Kristin Slaysman.

• We introduced BendFilm Music with the Decemberists’ Jenny Conlee. Some of Bend’s best musicians entertained our fans throughout the Fest.
  

• To support filmmakers, Pamela Hulse-Andrews’ Independent WOMEN for Independent Film raised $6,200 and Ben Perle’s Business for BendFilm raised $3,200 to fund a total of 7 awards and travel assistance to our filmmakers. Thank you, Independent Women and Bend businesses for standing together for the arts.

• 290 gracious community members showed their continued support for BendFilm by volunteering their time, their homes, and their cars to give our filmmakers and audience an unforgettable experience.

• Our audience embraced BendFilm’s return to the newly remodeled Old Stone Performing Arts Center. Welcome back, Old Stone!

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BENDFILM YEAR-ROUND

MONTHLY COMMUNITY SCREENINGS:

• In May, we hosted renowned poet Jimmy Santiago Baca and screened the documentary on his amazing life, A Place to Stand. Partnering with The Deschutes Public Library and 6 other non-profits, Jimmy spread his message of the life-transforming power of art throughout Central Oregon.

• We helped Bend 2030 kick-off the inaugural “Bend Livability Conference” with an evening of films that provided “Lessons in Livability.”

• We brought the senior residents of Touchmark at Mt. Bachelor Village our “Month of Sundays” film series featuring 4 classic French films accompanied by post-screening lectures.

• With The Source Weekly, Oregrown
  and Bend City Councilor Vic Chudowsky, we hosted a screening of Rolling Papers–a documentary about how the cannabis industry saved a media empire in Colorado.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS:

• Thanks to a generous grant from The Roundhouse Foundation, we hosted 10 female filmmakers. These filmmakers agreed to help mentor local, aspiring young women filmmakers.

• Future Filmmakers’ coordinator Alicia Vickery led the festival screening of films from Pacific Crest Middle School, Highland School and even Eugene-based filmmakers. Our illustrious 2016 BendFilm Festival Jury and attending filmmakers gave each participant feedback to help them improve their craft.

• This year’s BendFilm-Caldera selected Artist-in-Residence (AiR) is Jamie Howell who will work on a screenplay and teach filmmaking to Warm Springs youth.

• BendFilm and ScaleHouse hosted our 2nd Annual 72-hour Filmmaker Scramble. 8 teams of all ages made no-budget films in only 3 days. Derek Sitter’s Black Cloud won the Jury award and screened at the October Festival.

• In 2017, we plan on teaching filmmaking in area schools and the Boys & Girls Club to deepen our community’s appreciation of the art of cinema.

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