PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The Portland Film Festival has announced that Comcast Oregon/SW Washington will be the presenting sponsor of the fifth annual festival, which will kick off on Monday, October 30st, 2017. The line-up for the week-long tribute to independent movie-making will be announced the first week of October.
“People tend to think of Comcast as a technology provider, but we’re also an entertainment company,” said Rodrigo Lopez, regional senior vice-president of Comcast Oregon/SW Washington. “We’re excited to step in as Presenting Sponsor of the Portland Film Festival, helping local, independent voices be seen and heard.”
This year, the festival will screen more than 50 narrative and documentary films and dozens of short films. Over seven days, the festival will include networking events, workshops, guest speakers, financing talks, film premieres, director Q&As, and more. All the films will be screened at the historic Laurelhurst Theater on E. Burnside Street in Portland.
“We are thrilled to have Comcast as our Presenting Sponsor for this year’s Portland Film Festival,” said Josh Leake, founder and executive director of the Portland Film Festival. “It’s a perfect fit for us, as Comcast provides access to films of every genre through their Xfinity X1 platform. Our festival focuses on independent filmmakers, and by supporting the Portland Film Festival, Comcast is investing in the future of up-and-coming filmmakers, and the Oregon film industry.”
Leake is presenting another year of compelling and eclectic films, which will include documentaries focused on Native American issues and issues of interest to veterans, continuing the festival’s commitment to diverse voices and visions. There will also be filmmaking workshops for youth and events for those interested in writing for the silver screen. A business-to-business networking event for those in the film industry is also being planned.
Established in 2013, the Portland Film Festival is one of Oregon’s largest film festivals, and was named “one of the coolest film festivals in the world,” by MovieMaker Magazine. Previous attendees, special guests, and honorees include iconic screenwriters Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club, Choke), William F. Nolan (Logan’s Run), and Leslie Dixon (Hairspray, Mrs. Doubtfire), pioneering stop-motion filmmaker Will Vinton, legendary creature sculptor /puppet maker Wendy Froud (Star Wars), cinematographer Amy Vincent (Hustle and Flow), and director George Cameron Romero.
The complete festival lineup and passes will be available at www.portlandfilmfestival.com. Early festival passes are already on sale.
About the Portland Film Festival
Established in 2013, the Portland Film Festival is Oregon’s largest film festival, and was named “one of the coolest film festivals in the world,” by MovieMaker Magazine in 2014. It is a non-profit, year round organization dedicated to nurturing filmmakers and audiences, and to celebrating the power of a good story. The festival focuses on the people, ideas, technology, skills and artistry behind filmmaking, and provides both entertaining and educational opportunities for the public.
Past festival partners include the City of Portland, Portland Parks & Recreation, Art Institute of Portland, Oregon Film: Oregon Governor’s Office of Film and Television, Women in Film, Oregon Media Production Association (OMPA), Willamette Writers, SAG Aftra (Actor’s Guild/Union), I.A.T.S.E. (Film Union), Directed by Women, and others.
Although the festival began in 2013, its history goes back to 2009, when the Portland Film Club was founded as a film club to bring film lovers together to view and discuss films. The club now boasts over 2300 members and is one of the largest movie clubs on the west coast. It screens typically one movie a week including new and independent features.
About Comcast
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation’s largest video, high-speed internet, and phone providers to residential customers under the XFINITY brand, and also provides these services to businesses. It also provides wireless and security and automation services to residential customers under the XFINITY brand. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
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