Women’s Voices: Women creators (directors, writers, actors, producers) telling an authentic and honest story from the women’s perspective.

Watch films featuring women directors.

For more information, contact: heather @ portlandfilm . org

ASSETS

Shorts
The Buffalos
Miss Underwater
Plan C
Teddy Bear
Blue Veil
Don’t Come Home
Naked
Gina
Ushering The Light
Noctuidae
To Go to the Moon
UNBOUND
ZAI

Features
Anxious Nation
#IamVanessaGuillen
80 YEARS LATER
Addicted to Life
Alaska is a Drag
An Act of Worship
Balloon Animal
Because We’re Family
Bernie Langille Wants to Know What Happened to Bernie Langille
Boy Scout’s Honor
Bring Her Home
Catching Air
CHERRY
Disfluency
DREAMS OF DARAA
Exposure
Feneen – Elsewhere
For Walter and Josiah
Her Side of the Bed
I’m Doing My Job
Intersection
Jackson
Las Abogadas: Attorneys on the Front Lines of the Migrant Crisis
Light Attaching to a Girl
Lines of Escapes
Live Out Loud
Living With Chucky
MAMA IRENE, Healer of the Andes
Materia
MEDUSA
Miles to Go Before She Sleeps
MOTHER SUPERIOR
Move Me
Musher
Our Turn to Talk
Powerlands
Route One North
Silent Beauty
Stag
Stage Changers
SURVIVING THE SILENCE: The Untold Story Of Two Women In Love Who Helped Change Military Policy
The Art of Rebellion
The Desire To Live
The Fire That Took Her
The Moon & Back
The Neighborhood Storyteller
The Ones Who Keep Walking
This is [Not] Who We Are
This is a Film About My Mother
This is National Wake
This Is Where I Meet You
TRASHY: a zero waste film
UNSPOKEN
Wake Up, Leonard
Why On Earth
With This Breath I Fly
Without a Net
Women’s land
Zebra Girl
AMONG US WOMEN
Expedition Reclamation
Give Light: Stories from Indigenous Midwives
Street Punx

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Summaries

Shorts
The Buffalos – California depends on incarcerated labor to fight wildfires, saving the state approximately $100 million annually. But when these men and women come home, access to information, legal barriers and social stigma make getting jobs as professional firefighters almost impossible. Royal Ramey and Brandon Smith, who met fighting fire in prison, are creating their own private fire crew to employ the formerly incarcerated. They call themselves the Buffalos. Documentary Short. Directed by Claire Hannah Collins. 34.37 min. USA. World Premiere

Miss Underwater – A 1950’s pageant winner must choose: the shallows of convention or the depths of the sea. Narrative Short. Directed by Megan Cullen. 19 min. USA. Portland Premiere

Plan C – Max needs a plan and fast. She’s unemployed, single, and pregnant. Alone and depressed, Max is struggling to regain control of her life. She decides to take a chance on an idea that could fix everything… or ruin it. Narrative Short. Directed by Lauren Caster. 15 min. USA .Portland Premiere

Teddy Bear – Best friends Pete and Annie reluctantly head out to a bar to attend a friend’s show. Despite promising each other they’ll leave early, their nights both take a turn when they meet two strangers.
Series/ Narrative Short. Directed by Sara Shelton. 15.14 min. USA. World Premiere

Gina – Gina takes us through a day in her life with her rescue pitbull and foster animals.
Documentary short. Directed by Kathryn Prescott. 9.19 min. USA. World Premiere.
Blue Veil – A First-Gen Muslim teenager discovers her mother’s record collection and begins sampling. The songs reflect her parent’s migration stories to America, and serve as a roadmap to Amina’s identity. As music unlocks memories, Amina remembers who she is. Narrative Short. Directed by Shireen Alihaji. 5.19 min. USA. Oregon Premiere.

Emily Rooker ‘Don’t Come Home’ – Starring five members of the Memphis pole dancing community and shot at Bartlett Performing Arts and Conference Center, the video tells the story of five women getting fed up with their unreliable partner and deciding to make their own way in life. This music video hinges on the female gaze and the exploration of sexuality and who it belongs to. Music Video. Directed by MItchell Carter, Emily Rooker. Performed by Emily Rooker. 4.26 min. USA. Festival Premiere

Naked – This is a surrealist animation with a girl’s dream as the clue. In the observatory, the girl is trapped in a series of recurring dreams, reflecting on the different stages of her previous life and the people she has met. Director chooses a 2D hand-painted style, with black, white and red as the three main colors to enhance the visual conflict, while using dramatic imagery, minimal sound and free space movement to interpret the abstract story. Animation Short. Directed by Lanxin Du. 7 min. USA. Portland Premiere

Ushering the Light – A Jewish couple, sequestered in their house, is left reeling after the recent loss of their toddler son from a mysterious respiratory illness.In the mid st of their own self-destructive grief spirals one of them develops respiratory symptoms. Will the other choose to help despite the risks of contracting the illness? Their survival will depend on finding faith in each other and in the human condition once more. Can they siphon strength from their roots, generations of survivors? Narrative Short. Directed by Rebekah Wiggins. 24.31min. USA. World Premiere

Noctuidae – A lonely seamstress receives a bizarre request by a stranger: To sew a cloak made only from the wings of moths. A work of delicate beauty is painstakingly crafted, and with it a fragile bond between two lost souls. But soon as the work is finished, her client disappears. Searching for him, she discovers his secret. The cloak holds his final hope to escape a hostile world of lights. Is it possible to reach the freedom of the moonlight? Narrative Shorts. Directed by Alexandra Mauritz. 23 min. Germany. Oregon Premiere

To Go to the Moon -“To Go to the Moon” tells the true story of Margaret Hamilton. Margaret, a young computer scientist, brings her daughter to work while leading software development for the Apollo 8 mission. Her daughter causes the command module to crash while playing with its simulator. Margaret realizes it would be fatal if the astronauts made the same mistake, but her superiors write off her fears. The world knows the story of Apollo, but this film shows how it took a woman for man to go to the moon. Narrative Short. Directed by Gabrielle Roberts. 16.33 min. USA. Portland Premiere

Unbound- Weeks before giving birth to her first child, Dr. Anna Fisher is chosen for a mission to space. Although the decision to go is easy, Anna is faced with the difficult intersection of motherhood and ambition on the way to her dream. Inspired by a true story, this short film is set in the 1980’s and follows the NASA Mission Specialist who paved the way as the first mother in space. Narrative Short. Directed by Sarah Moshmann. 9.55 min. USA. Portland Premiere

ZAI- In Manhattan, 7-year-old Sasha and her 20-something-year-old mother must navigate both the city’s bustling streets and their relationship’s unprecedented entanglements to make it to Sasha’s ballet recital in time. It’s through their variable and at times, gauche relationship, that we explore the paradigm of femininity and motherhood, and the prescriptive aesthetics of the two. Narrative Short. Directed by Razzi Schlosser. 10.56 min. USA. World Premiere
Features
Anxious Nation – Anxious Nation explores the epidemic of anxiety and why we are such an anxious nation. The film lifts the shroud of shame around mental health, while giving emotional insights into how anxiety shows up in our children’s lives, impacts families and what parents’ contributing role may be in the journey. While there is no cure for anxiety, we can learn to manage it, so it doesn’t define us. Documentary Feature. Directed by Vanessa Roth & Laura Morton. 100 min. USA. Portland Premiere

#IamVanessaGuillen -The murder of Army soldier Vanessa Guillen at Fort Hood military base hit too close to home for Karina Lopez. Two years after surviving sexual assault on the same base, she created a viral Facebook post with the hashtag #IamVanessaGuillen. Facing retaliation, she and other Latina soldiers have pushed forward as they fight for justice. Documentary Feature. Directed by Andrea Patiño Contreras. 72 min. USA. Festival Premiere

80 years later – The feature documentary 80 YEARS LATER Explores Japanese American racial inheritance in the aftermath of World War 2 family incarceration. Documentary Feature. Directed by Celine Parreñas Shimizu. 50 min. USA. Portland Premiere

Addicted to Life – Strong-willed, funny and charismatic, at 37, Belgian athlete Marieke Vervoort’s time is running out. As her strength falters and her body begins to fail, she determines to end her life with the aid of her doctor. Liberated by the legal permission to die, Marieke rediscovers the freedom and thrill of living and competing and becomes a Paralympic champion. Her acceptance of death becomes an affirmation of life. Marieke demystifies one of the most controversial issues of our time. Documentary. Directed by Pola Rapaport. 86m. USA. World Premiere.

Alaska is a Drag (2018) – Tough, but diva fabulous, Leo, an aspiring drag superstar, and his twin sister are trapped in the monotony of fist fights and fish guts. Out of necessity, Leo learned to fight back, which catches the attention of the local boxing coach. When a new boy moves to town and wants to be his sparring partner, Leo has to face the real reason he’s stuck in Alaska. It’s like HEDWIG and Grace Jones ROCKY had a love child, and left him to fend for himself in Alaska. Narrative Feature. Directed by Shaz Bennett. 88 min. USA

An Act of Worship – AN ACT OF WORSHIP is a polyphonic portrait of the last 30 years of Muslim life in America. Told through the lens of Muslims living in the United States, the film offers a counter-narrative of pivotal moments in U.S. history and explores the impact of anti-Muslim rhetoric and policy on young Muslims who came of age after 9/11. Documentary Feature. Directed by Nausheen Dadabhoy. 90 min. USA. West Coast Premiere

Balloon Animal – Poppy Valentine, a young traveling circus performer, has never experienced what life would be like outside of its fences. However, with more unwelcome responsibility weighing her down, she’s desperate to discover if this life is for her. As she takes time for herself, finding independence, and even love, she strains her relationship with those around her. In the end, amidst her overprotective father, stressful circus expectations, and her blossoming curiosity, she must find a way to be happy. Narrative Feature. Directed by Em Johnson. 88 min. USA. Oregon Premiere

Because We’re Family – Dysfunctional siblings reunite to witness the cremation of their mother. Back under one roof for the holidays, all decency is lost when a feud over her ashes tests the boundaries of family and a Christmas Eve tradition becomes difficult to digest. Narrative. Directed by Angela Teresa Stern & Christine Nyhart. 90 min. USA. Festival Premiere

Bernie Langille Wants to Know What Happened to Bernie Langille – Bernie Langille Wants to Know What Happened To Bernie Langille is a story about a grandson trying to find out what happened to his grandfather & namesake, a military corporal who died in 1968 under mysterious circumstances. Through the use of miniature sets, we are able to travel back to 1968 as Bernie pieces together fragments of the bizarre tale that has kept his family emotionally frozen in time. Directed by Jackie Torrens. 78m. USA. World Premiere.

Boy Scouts Honor – Bill a well liked and popular Boy Scout Leader takes young Aaron under his wing, in what appears to be an acknowledgment of Aaron and his dedication to the Scouts soon unveils its dark reasoning. Aaron tells his 4 year account of the horror suffered at the hands of Scout Leader, Bill Sheehan. Aaron spent decades thinking he was alone and after a late night internet search for his abuser leads to the uncovering of dozens of additional men with the same sorted past in a town 1,500 miles away. Documentary. Directed by Ash Patino. 88m. USA. World Premiere.

Bring Her Home – BRING HER HOME follows three Indigenous women — an artist, an activist and a politician — as they work to vindicate and honor their relatives who are victims in the growing epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. As they face the lasting effects of historical trauma, each woman searches for healing while navigating the oppressive systems that brought about this very crisis. Documentary Feature. Directed by Leya Hale. 56 min. USA. Festival Premiere

Catching Air – Despite holding its world championships each August on a massive outdoor stage in Finland to 10K in-person fans and being broadcast and covered in the news around the world, competitive air guitar is still widely mocked. It’s seen as a frivolous pursuit by people with no talent who can’t play real instruments. Documentary. Directed by Jamie Hitchings. 87 min. USA. US Premiere.

Cherry – Los Angeles.Los Angeles. A driftless and uncommitted 25-year-old Cherry discovers she has only 24 hours to make one of the most consequential decisions of her life, what to do about an unplanned pregnancy. Fired from her menial job at a costume shop, she putters around town, looking for insight from her boyfriend, friends, and family. Instead, she is constantly challenged and confronted with what it looks like to finally face adulthood and how others view her as constantly running away from it. Narrative. Directed by Sophie Galibert. 76 min. USA. Oregon Premiere

Disfluency – After unexpectedly failing her final college class, Jane, an aspiring speech pathologist, retreats home to her family’s lake house. Her older sister and neighborhood friends inspire her to embrace the carefree summer. She rekindles an old friendship with her neighbor Amber, a single mother with a difficult toddler. Jane fights through PTSD and imposter syndrome as she attempts to unravel the emotional and psychological tangle that’s been haunting her and begins the healing process. Narrative. Directed by Anna Baumgarten. 100m. USA. West Coast Premiere.

Dreams of Dara – In Daraa, Syria, 25-year-old Hanadi dreams of answers. The questions: Where is my husband? How can I get my daughters to safety? Is there someplace to call home? As so many dreams turn to nightmares around her, Hanadi relies on her own wit and bravery to navigate a harrowing four-year, international, wartime journey with her daughters. From refugee in Jordan to asylum-seeker in Germany, Hanadi cares far less for the labels she’s given than she does for peace and justice. Documentary. Directed by Reilly Dowd. 59 min. USA. International Premiere

Exposure – Against all odds and polar advice, eleven women from the Arab World and the West attempt to ski across the melting Arctic sea ice to the North Pole. Director Holly Morris and her crew capture the struggle of these boundary-breaking adventurers who, navigate everything from frostbite, to sexism and self-doubt in an intimate story of resilience, survival and global citizenry. EXPOSURE is the story of the audacious women who are, to date, the last ever team to ski over the ice to the North Pole. Documentary. Directed by Holly Morris. 88 min. USA. Portland Premiere

Fenen-Elsewhere – FENEEN is a journey into the urban music scene of Senegal. The documentary spotlights the fundamental rule of the urban subculture in debunking the stereotyped image of the Africa continent. It tells about the importance for young people to develop a civic conscience, and the chance to create concrete job opportunities in the music industry. In Feneen, music becomes a metaphor of the way things are done in Africa and in Senegal in particular, that is, despite the lack of means, or sometimes precisely for the lack thereof, and often in order to make up for it.
Music Documentary. Directed by Giulia Rosco. 60 min. Italy. International Premiere

For Walter and Josiah (2020) – The Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana is shaken to its core by a teen suicide epidemic that claims 22 Native lives in a single year – including two high school basketball team members. ‘For Walter And Josiah’ follows the team during their season as the surviving members play to honor their fallen brothers and uplift their community. Documentary Feature. Directed by Jamie Elias. 77 min. USA

Her Side of the Bed (2017) – Rachel, a recently dumped 20-something writer, is guided by her best friend, Nicole, in overcoming her heartbreak. Free-spirited Nicole takes Rachel under her wing, teaching her to let loose the only ways Nicole knows how: drinking, drugs and dudes. After an intense evening, Rachel and Nicole find themselves in bed together. The two best friends, once thick as thieves, find themselves drifting apart as this one-night changes them both profoundly and in very different ways. Narrative Feature. Directed by Bryn Woznicki. 98 min. USA

I’m Doing My Job – “I’m Doing My Job” follows 6 South Asian and Black female ER physicians stepping into their power through COVID-19. Whether it’s South Asian mothers being told to quit their jobs, or black and brown women rising up during BLM, or Muslim women finding love amidst a pandemic, “I’m Doing My Job” shows how millennial women of color female physicians showed up for their communities during a time of crisis. Documentary. Directed by Aneri Shah. 45 min. USA. World Premiere

Intersection – Chilean refugee Daniela (Carmen Aguirre) came to Canada as a child after her mother was assassinated during Chile’s dictatorship. Her father, Pepe, never wants to speak about Chile, but when her daughter Rocío starts to ask questions, Daniela decides to apply for Chilean citizenship for a first trip back. This triggers the Chilean government to piece together records never before connected in the paper days and leads them to uncover much more than Daniela expected. Narrative Feature. Directed by Cecilia Araneda. 98 min. Canada. International Premiere

Jackson (2016) – Jackson is an intimate look at the lives of three women caught up in the complex issues surrounding abortion access .Documentary Feature. Directed by Maisie Crow. 90 min. USA. 2016 Alumni

Las Abogadas: Attorneys on the Front Lines of the Migrant Crisis. – Las Abogadas follows a handful of immigration attorneys over a multi-year odyssey beginning in 2018 as the U.S. government upends every law to protect those fleeing from violence and war. While the 2020 election brought a moment of relief and great joy for our attorneys as they watched some migrants finally be allowed into the United States, what was supposed to be a hopeful beginning turns out to create even greater challenges than they could have imagined. Documentary. Directed by Victoria Bruce. 94 min. USA. World Premiere

Light Attaching to a Girl – Suffocated by an overbearing father and two older sisters who soak up any attention that comes their way, Clare is desperate to escape. She plans a trip to Iceland by herself where she can experience nature, and make her own decisions for the first time in her life. Light Attaching to a Girl poetically drifts between the interior and exterior life of an adolescent, as she reckons with haunting memories of her childhood even as she takes her first steps into adulthood. Narrative Feature. Directed by Laina Barakat. 62 min. USA. West Coast Premiere

Lines of Escapes- Lines of Escape takes us into a wild night out between three friends from high school and their partners. As the night wears on, the three 30-somethings form an increasingly discordant group. Alcohol, animated discussions about their generation, self-doubt and the fate of humanity are just some of the elements interspersed throughout the evening, where their friendship is put to the ultimate test. Narrative. Directed by Catherine Chabot and Miryam Bouchard. 95 min. Canada. World Premiere

Live out loud -Shot over one year, LIVE OUT LOUD tells the stories of three unhoused people in Portland, Oregon who begin to heal from childhood trauma by learning to make films in a grant-funded class. Their backgrounds are as diverse as their projects–documentary, dramedy, and stop motion animation. To varying degrees, their shared journey puts each one of them on a better path. Documentary Feature. Directed by Melissa Gregory Rue. 86 min. USA. Oregon Premiere

Living with Chucky – A filmmaker who grew up alongside Chucky the killer doll seeks out the other families surrounding the Child’s Play films as they recount their experiences working on the ongoing franchise and what it means to be a part of the “Chucky” family. Documentary. Directed by Kyra Elise Gardner. 105 min. USA. Portland Premiere.

Mama Irene, Healer of the Anders – Mama Irene, Healer of the Andes, is the story of a remarkable 86 year old Shaman (Healer) from Peru who draws upon indigenous knowledge and traditions in danger of being lost forever. This film is not only a vital document of endangered wisdom; it is also a story about Women empowerment and a testament to living harmoniously with Mother Earth. Documentary Feature. Directed by Elisabeth Möhlmann & Bettina Ehrhardt. 71 min. USA. World Premiere

Materia – How and why are new objects created? What place does craftsmanship and design have in a digital and global economy? Materia originates from the desire to tell the process of creation, from the conception to the realization of objects and their importance in society. Documentary Feature. Directed by Catia Ott. 50 min. Italy. World Premiere

Medusa – Romane and Clemence are sisters and live together. Romane has to look after Clémence, who is disabled since they had a car accident, when teenagers. Romane was not hurt, but Clemence had a cerebral vascular accident which lets her completely unable to speak and to walk in a normal way. One night, Romane gets back home late with Guillaume, her new boyfriend. Day after day, Guillaume will gradually feel invested in a duty : make Clemence recover her speech and the use of her legs. Narrative. Directed by Sophie Levy. 86 min. France. Portland Premiere

Miles to Go Before She Sleeps – YANG, a retired schoolteacher turned firebrand activist, lays her life on the line to expose a dog theft ring that sends thousands of stolen pets to slaughterhouses. An undercover investigation leads her to the man behind the criminal enterprise. Meanwhile, activists and pet owners pressure officials to enact China’s first animal protection law. Events culminate, when dog thieves catch wind of Yang’s animal shelter. With the local police turning a blind eye, an ambush occurs in broad daylight. Documentary. Directed by Mijie Li. 93 min. China. World Premiere

Mother Superior – 1975, Rosenkreuz Manor. Sigrun starts a new position with the eccentric Baroness Heidenreich. A shared longing binds the two women together: the old lady’s memory contains the secret to Sigrun’s past; the young nurse’s life force holds the key to the future for the Baroness. On the path to self-discovery, Sigrun is confronted with the sinister world of folkish occultism, opening an unearthly abyss in which every moral and principle is tested. Narrative Feature. Directed by Marie Alice Wolfszahn. 71 min. Austria. West Coast Premiere.

Move Me – At 27, Kelsey Peterson dove into Lake Superior and emerged paralyzed. Now, the former dancer struggles to redefine who she is while adapting to life with a disability. At the intersection of acceptance and hope, Kelsey finds herself facing an opportunity to dance again, revealing a new path toward acceptance, all the while grappling with a decision to participate in a clinical trial that could bring her much-desired change — forcing her to evaluate the possibilities of her recovery, body and spirit. Documentary. Directed by Kelsey Peterson and Daniel Klein. 81m. USA. Portland Premiere.

Musher – Musher peels back the veil behind the bond that four women have between their dogs and the world of sled-dog racing. As each woman prepares for the Copperdog annual race, we reveal the intimate insight into the mushing community, devotion to that lifestyle, and how women influence the sport. Documentary. Directed by Anuradha Ran and Laurie Little. 75m. USA. West Coast Premiere.

Our Turn to Talk – Teens are putting an end to mental health stigma by telling their own stories – unfiltered – in the documentary film OUR TURN TO TALK. From skyrocketing rates of anxiety and depression to the impacts of racism and social media, their struggles and triumphs carry a powerful message: Storytelling saves lives. Join high school senior Anastasia Vlasova as she starts a podcast to share her own powerful story, and travels across the country to give other teens a chance to bravely share theirs. Documentary. Directed by Beth Murphy and Patrice Howard. 60m. USA. West Coast Premiere.

Powerlands – A young Navajo filmmaker investigates displacement of Indigenous people and devastation of the environment caused by the same chemical companies that have exploited the land where she was born. On this personal and political journey she learns from Indigenous activists across three continents. Documentary Feature. Directed by Ivey-Camille Manybeads Tso. 75 min. USA. Festival Premiere

Route One North -When 16-year-old Bee finds out her boyfriend is joining the military a year early, she figures her best chance to stay with him and escape her hometown is to get married. But when her mother refuses to give legal permission, Bee and her older sister set off to track down their long-absent father. Narrative Feature. Directed by Isabelle R Farrell. 72 min. USA. Festival Premiere

Silent Beauty – SILENT BEAUTY is a personal documentary that follows Director Jasmin López as she works to heal from child sexual abuse she endured at the hands of her grandfather, Gilberto, almost thirty years ago. In the process of sharing her own trauma with her large family, Jasmin learns that generations of children in her family were victims of the same abuse. Told from the director’s perspective, SILENT BEAUTY is a film about confronting and accepting difficult truths while finding beauty in the process. Documentary Feature. Directed by Jasmin Mara López. 88 min. USA. Portland Premiere

Stag – “Stag” is a horror-comedy about an urban loner who must fight for a chance at redemption when she’s invited to her estranged BFF’s bachelorette party. Narrative Feature. Narrative Feature. Directed by Alexandra Spieth. 93 min. USA. Festival Premiere

Stage Changers – Breakthrough theatre company The Last Great Hunt chases the chance to take their award-winning storytelling to the world. Documentary. Directed by Ella Genevieve Wright. 60m. Australia. USA Premiere.

SURVIVING THE SILENCE – Two women in love are surviving the demands of a closeted military career when one is forced to expel an Army hero for being a lesbian. The way she does it, however, leads to reinstatement and eventual change in U.S. military policy. In addition to revealing history, two women candidly share how they wrestled with heart-wrenching choices, hiding their relationship, struggling to protect their love while preserving Patsy’s career – and, emerged to become vibrant activists later in life. Documentary Feature. Directed by Cindy L. Abel. 79min. USA. Festival Premiere

The Art of Rebellion – Fighting against an unforgiving healthcare system while she battles the symptoms of a progressive illness, the portrait of artist Lydia Emily that emerges is one of a tough, tender, indomitable force of nature, plagued by hospital bills, buoyed by medication, never silenced. And even as her disease progresses, she persists, declaring, “I dare you to make this my last year, I love my life – try and take it from me.” Documentary Feature. Directed by Libby Spears. 79 min. USA . Portland Premiere

The Desire to Live – Meet Mariam Avetisyan, a brave young filmmaker from Artsakh with her no-commentary-style documentary feature film to show post-war life in Artsakh called #TheDesireToLive.
The aftermath of the 2020 war on the Indigenous population living in Artsakh and the how their livelihood has been affected and threatened until today, living in a world of uncertainty with very little resolve in the horizon. Documentary Feature. Directed by Mariam Avetisyan. 90 min. Armenia. Portland Premiere

The Fire that Took Her – Mother-of-two Judy Malinowski, then 31, was doused in petrol and set on fire by her crazed ex-boyfriend – and one of the first ever to testify from beyond the grave, at the trial for her own murder. A story that lives at the intersection of true crime and #MeToo, THE FIRE THAT TOOK HER goes deep inside a landmark case to ask a timely question: How much must women suffer in order to be believed? Documentary. Directed by Patricia Gillespie. 95m. USA. Portland Premiere.

The Moon And Back – One year after her father’s death, high school senior Lydia Gilbert feels completely lost… until she discovers something unexpected: “Space Chronicles,” the screenplay for an epic (and terrible) space opera — written by her dad. Equipped with just a VHS camera and pocket change, Lydia decides to make this script a reality. Narrative Feature. Directed by Leah Bleich. 74 min. USA. Portland Premiere

The Neighborhood Storyteller – A young and education deprived Syrian woman embarks on a new read aloud project to empower teenage girls to build a future of opportunities she never had. Despite her complex living situation as a refugee in the Zaatari camp and female within a conservative community, she is determined to raise a conscious generation of successful women. Doumentary Feature. Directed by Alejandra Alcala, 50 min. United Arab Emirates

The Ones Who Keep Walking – From Africa 30 under 30 film maker Amarachi Nwosu, The Ones Who Keep walking is an exploration of what it takes to push things forward. The documentary looks at what happens when people are able to liberate themselves creatively and the rich vibrant world it creates when there are those freedoms. Never heard before stories, and in-depth conversations give an insight into how sheer determination and a pioneering spirit is bringing authentic African expression to the world. Dcumentary. Directed by Amarachi Nwosu. 48 min. UK. World Premiere

This is [Not] Who We Are – “This Is [Not] Who We Are” is a documentary film exploring the gap between Boulder, Colorado’s progressive self-image and the lived experiences of its small but resilient Black
community. It explores interconnected issues of land use, affordability, racial and class-based segregation, educational equity, and policing. “This Is [Not] Who We Are” shows how deeply the roots of institutional racism are embedded. This accessible, story-based film opens pathways for dialogue, insight, and change. ocumentary Feature. Directed by Beret E. Strong & Katrina Miller. 77 min. USA. West Coast Premiere.

This is a Film About My Mother – A brother and sister reunite on a stark winter weekend in Upstate, NY a year after their mother’s death. When Eve, a flailing 30 year old, enlists the help of her little brother Max to help her make a documentary about their mother— a renowned children’s book author and illustrator—together they are forced to stumble through their grief. With wit, patience, and a bit of magic, the pair practice growing up. Real-life siblings Tess and Will Harrison star in Tess’ debut feature film. arrative feature. Directed by Tess Harrison. 60 min. USA. Portland Premiere

This is National Wake -This is National Wake traces the wild rise and tragic fall of a multiracial South African rock band whose members risked everything to taste freedom. Music Documentary. Directed by Mirissa Neff. 66 min. USA. North America Premiere.

This Is Where I Meet You – Frustrated by the realities of an artistic career and her fear of failing, actress Charlotte escapes on a camping trip to sunny Croatia with her boyfriend Georg. But the trip’s dynamic changes when their plans for a fun-filled couple’s vacation misfire. Narrative Feature. Directed by Katharina Ludwig. 81 min. Germany. Festival Premiere

Trashy A Zero Waste Film – Could you give up trash for a year?! The average American throws away 5lbs of trash every day. “TRASHY: a zero waste film” documents one woman as she takes the challenge to go zero-waste and not throw anything away for 365 days. Throughout the course of the film, she learns from experts about the importance of living zero-waste for the environment and also for a healthier life. It isn’t easy avoiding single-use plastic, but TRASHY gives you some great ideas for how to start. Documentary Feature. Directed by Heather Gustafson. 73 min. USA. World Premiere

Unspoken -Can a town marked by the last mass lynching make peace with its past? UNSPOKEN traces the journey of a resident who picks up an iPhone camera to uncover buried truths and explore how the community has been impacted by its racial divide through the lens of her own whiteness. It offers an insider’s intimate look at the impact of the 1946 lynching, segregation and integration through today in Monroe, Georgia, and shatters a code of silence that has distanced neighbor from neighbor for generations. Documentary Feature. Directed by Stephanie Calabrese. 78 min. USA. West Coast Premiere

Wake Up, Leonard (f)- WAKE UP, LEONARD is a feel good movie about feeling bad….and failing miserably to “stay on the vibe.” It’s the painfully funny story of a broken-hearted seeker’s quest for wellness. An improvised feature shot mid-pandemic, LEONARD explores mental health, queer love, self-acceptance, and if it’s really a wonderful life? Narrative Feature. Directed by Kat Mills Martin. 73 min. USA. Portland Premiere

Why on Earth – Travel the globe to experience the vital connection between humans, animals, and our planet through stunning, rarely before seen footage which exposes the effects that deforestation and the illegal trade of threatened and endangered species have on orangutans, elephants, rhinos, lions, sharks, and more. By caring for these beautiful animals, we begin a healing process that will eventually help us all. Documentary Feature. Directed by Katie Cleary. 75 min. USA. World Premiere

With This Breath, I Fly – With This Breath I Fly presents an intimate portrait of two courageous Afghan women fighting for their freedom after being imprisoned for “moral crimes,” while exposing the complicity of the European Union in censoring their voices, and how the international press – and our documentary – forever alters their lives. Documentary. Directed by Sam Frenc and Clementine Malpas. 78 min. UK. Portland Premiere

Without a Net (2013) – ​​In Praça Onze, one of Rio de Janeiro’s inner city slums, four young Brazilians trade the risks of street life for the circus. Documentary Feature. Directed by Kelly Richardson. 60 min. USA

Women’s land – In some countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, women make up 80% of the agricultural workforce, often to produce only enough to feed their families. However, they are rarely owners, have less easy access to education or to aid and credit. If they had better working conditions and more recognition, they would be a much more influential force for the production of wealth. But who are these workers who work in the shadows every day, exercising a profession essential to life ? Documentary Feature. Directed by marion Gaborit. 77 min. France. World Premiere

Zebra Girl – Catherine’s seemingly perfect rural life is turned upside down after she discovers her husband is hiding a dark secret that leads her to the unthinkable. Murder. Cue Anita, Catherine’s mysterious best friend who shows up to help dispose of the body. As Catherine and Anita reminisce whilst chopping up and bagging up, their intertwined and tortured past rears its ugly head. Reality blurs as Catherine’s tragic past is slowly revealed along with a secret she’s hiding to fight for the future. Narrative Feature. Directed by Stephanie Zari. 80 min. UK. Oregon Premiere

Among Us Women – Catherine’s seemingly perfect rural life is turned upside down after she discovers her husband is hiding a dark secret that leads her to the unthinkable. Murder. Cue Anita, Catherine’s mysterious best friend who shows up to help dispose of the body. As Catherine and Anita reminisce whilst chopping up and bagging up, their intertwined and tortured past rears its ugly head. Reality blurs as Catherine’s tragic past is slowly revealed along with a secret she’s hiding to fight for the future. Documentary. Directed by Sarah Noa Bozenhardt & Daniel Abate Tilahun. 93 min. Germany. North America Premiere

Expedition Reclamation – This film weaves a tapestry of voices from 12 Black, Indigenous, and women of color who are redefining “outdoorsy” and reclaiming belonging in outdoor culture. The story begins with an honest exploration of how BIPOC communities have, through the lasting lineage of colonialism, been systematically excluded from outdoor spaces. The characters then share their resilient and joyful stories of reconnection and healing as they rally the outdoor industry to create a truly inclusive outdoor culture. Documentary. Directed by Erin Joy Nash & Sanjana Sekhar & Chelsea Murphy. 45 min. USA. Oregon Premiere.

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