Congratulations to the 2021 Portland Film Festival Award Winners:

Click on the link below to visit the complete list of all winners or download a copy of the MovieMaker Magazine advertisement featuring all 2021 Award Winners and photos of participating filmmakers. Unfortunately, not all filmmakers are pictured.

Street Heroines directed by Alexandra Henry won Best Documentary.
Lune directed by Aviva Armour-Ostroff and Arturo Perez Torres won Best Narrative.
This Is Not A War Story directed by Talia Lugacy won Best Director 
Neurodivergent directed by Afton Quast Saler won Best Documentary Short.
Georgia directed by Jayil Pak won Best Narrative Short.
Twisted directed by Richey Beckett and Johanna Warren won Best Music Video Award.

Film Festival Submissions Are Open for the 2022 Portland Film Festival

Film festivals are great opportunities for new and established filmmakers to showcase their projects, garner attention, possibly receive jury and audience awards, forge life-long connections, hone media training skills, and more. Our film festival is known as one of the most creative—a tastemaker for independent voices followed by many other programmers and media companies worldwide.

Our programming team selected one hundred percent of our films last year from blind submissions. Every filmmaker that submits a film has an equal opportunity to be selected.

Past attendees and alumni include Adrian Martinez, Jena Malone, Lena Headey, Audrey Plaza, Aisha Tyler, Mario Van Peebles, Miro Sorvino, Joe Dante, Sam Hamm, Mark Boone Junior, Eli Roth, Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Abby Elliott, Chris Williams, Chuck Palahniuk, Jason Mamoa, Doug Benson, Josh McDermott, Jim O’Heir, Vanna White, Leslie Dixon and more.

Submission Platforms

• Film Freeway
• Direct Submission

Deadlines

• Discount Deadline – March 2, 2022 (PST Midnight)
• Early-Bird Deadline – March 16, 2022 (PST Midnight)
• Regular Deadline – April 6, 2022 (PST Midnight)

Notification date

• September 30, 2022 (PST Midnight Approximately)

Questions? Check out our Submission FAQs.

Supporting Independent Voices

Independent voices are more vital to our culture, and more in need of support, than ever before. So make a difference and join the Portland Film Festival in supporting independent voices. Here are three things you can do to help independent filmmakers today:

1. Amplify a story. Many independent movies need your help in sharing their story. See an independent film you like? Share it with your friends and family on social media and include a link to where they can learn more or watch it online. Then, tell us what makes you love it!
2. Build curiosity. Average consumers don’t watch independent films. Show everyone independent movies are cool. Share the assets below and let everyone know that you care about independent voices.
3. Watch a short. Stomping grounds for some of the most famous directors in the history of moviemaking have started in a short form. Today’s independent voices are tomorrow’s juggernauts.

Download stories to share on your social media platforms:

• Story 1 – Support independent voices cutout with photos of filmmakers from 2021.
• Story 2 – Support independent voices in black and white.
• Story 3 – Support independent voices in red and white.
• Story 4 – Support independent voices in red and white with Portland Film Festival branding.
• Story 5 – Support independent voices in black white with Portland Film Festival branding.