/

Client: 2015 Portland Film Festival (9/1–7) Services Provided: All writing, strategies and all pitching except select Oregonian stories Graphic by Arnold and Jacob Pander

MEDIA BREAKS BY DAY

Labor Day - September 7

OREGONIAN Zombie invasion overwhelms Southeast Portland on Labor Day

OREGONIAN Becoming a zombie things to makeup artist Jason Collins

KGW 8 Zombies invade Portland for short film production

KPTV 12 Thousands of 'zombies' descend on Portland Film

KPTV 12 'Zombie invasion' in the Rose City breaks Guinness World Record

KOIN 6 Zombies, Guinness Records in Portland

KATU 2 Photos: Zombie Apocalypse Day hits the Rose City

Sunday, September 6

OREGONIAN Portlanders film zombie movie, and get first look at 'Z Nation' Season 2

PORTLAND TRIBUNE Calling all zombies: Extras sought for Monday filming

Thursday, September 3

GoLocalPDX PARTY REPORT: Portland Film Festival Opening Night After-Party

OREGONIAN Will Vinton accepts lifetime achievement award, speaks warmly of Laika

Wednesday, September 2

OREGONIAN 11 reasons to attend the Portland Film Festival

WILLAMETTE WEEK This Is Not PIFF/ Portland Film Festival strives to make PDX the new Sundance.

FOX 12 GOOD DAY PORTLAND Portland Film Festival shows special screening of documentary about Jake 'The Snake' Roberts

Pre-Opening

GoLocalPDX (8/29) Meet Jake “The Snake” Roberts at the Portland Film Festival

OREGONIAN (8/28) Portland Film Festival has everything from Donald Trump to Twisted Sister PORTLAND TRIBUNE (8/28) Annual film fest: Best place to sit in dark GoLocalPDX (8/28 Will Vinton Earns Lifetime Award at Portland Film Festival

OREGONIAN (8/27) Wendy Froud, designer of Yoda, honored at Portland Film Festival Sept. 2

WILLAMETTE WEEK (8/26) Q&A: Daniel Barosa, Director of GRU-PDX

GoLocalPDX (8/21) 7 Reasons to Get Excited about the 2015 Portland Film Festival

WILLAMETTE WEEK (8/18) What Makes the Third Annual Portland Film Festival So Portland? PDXFF Just Announced its Lineup for September 1-7 GoLocalPDX Lifestyle (8/13) 2015 Portland Film Festival Announces Line-Up

OREGONIAN (8/13) Will Vinton gets lifetime achievement award from Portland Film Festival

OREGONIAN (8/13) Portland Film Festival announces lineup of movies, award for Will Vinton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Portland, OR - July 30, 2015

Become an extra in the Portland Film Festival’s “The Zombie Day Apocalypse” – to

be directed by George Romero’s son ATTN: zombie fans! Here’s your

chance to play one onscreen in

the new movie, “The Zombie

Day Apocalypse,” honoring

legendary horror master

George A. Romero, who turns 75 this year.

Directed by his son, George Cameron Romero, the Portland Film Festival

production will feature more than a thousand walking undead and fleeing citizens

during an invasion of our beloved Rose City.

The live event is scheduled for Labor Day (September 7) to establish the

Guinness Book World Record for the most extras in a short film. Participation is

free with advance registration at the Portland Film Festival website. To learn

more, go to www.portlandfilmfestival.com.

It’s all part of the Portland Film Festival’s weeklong extravaganza of

nonstop screenings of independent films from around the world, red carpet world

premieres, tributes to filmmaking legends, more than 50 hours of professional

workshops, nightly after-parties and more! For early bird passes and tickets, go to

www.portlandfilmfestival.com.

“The Zombie Day Apocalypse” is the brainchild of Portland Film Festival

founder and filmmaker Joshua Leake, who co-wrote the screenplay with

Hollywood script writer Randall Jahnson, whose credits include such hits as “The

Doors” and “The Mask of Zorro.”

Legendary Hollywood special effects makeup artists Conor McCullagh and

Jason Collins are making their second visit to the Portland Film Festival, just to

supervise the look of the film. McCullagh most recently served as the Key

Makeup Artist on “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay” Part 1 and 2. The winner of

season one of SyFy’s hit show “Face-off,” Collins was the special makeup effects

designer on “The Maze Runner and makeup artist on “The Hunger Games:

Mockingjay” Part 1.

“The Zombie Day Apocalypse” graphics and imagery was created by comic

book illustrators and creators, The Pander Brothers, whose critically-acclaimed

graphic novel, Girlfiend, was released by Dark Horse Comics earlier this year.

The son of a commercial artist, George A. Romero studied art, theater,

design and film at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He began his film

career making shorts (including educational pieces for PBS’s”Mister Rogers’

Neighborhood”) and commercials. He struck cinematic gold with his very first film,

“Night of the Living Dead.” The 90-minute black-and-white motion picture was an

immediate phenomenon—spawning a total of six feature films featuring what

became known as Romero’s Zombies – walking undead with their own distinctive

actions, behavior, motivations and causes of reanimation.

Both of Romero’s children would follow him into the industry. The eldest,

George Cameron Romero, has directed five feature films and over 100

commercials— including for such global brands as Verizon Wireless, Sony

Electronics, and The Lending Tree.

* * *

Stills are available for press use at:

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BxLMk7s66T34fjVjVUtHQTFVM3VkU3

hQNmpkSEFhVVEyeDhzRFhtVGJpakdiZTdGRHlIUzA&usp=sharing_eid

Graphic photo credit: The Pander Brothers

MEDIA CONTACT:

Lyla Foggia Director of Publicity Portland Film Festival 503 622-0232 lyla@portlandfilm.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2015 Portland Film Festival opens Tuesday, September 1, with plenty to feast on for film fans

Get ready for Oregon’s largest film-and-fun

extravaganza when the Portland Film

Festival returns to the Rose City on

September 1-7, 2015, for a weeklong

celebration of movies and the people who

make them.

Film fans will find plenty to feast on

with a record-setting 214 films from around

the world, two red carpet opening-night

premieres, two lifetime achievement

tributes, filmmaker presentations, over 75

workshops and panel discussions by top

industry pros, daily networking opportunities,

nightly after parties, and much more.

Among this year’s highlights will be…

• ZOMBIE DAY – a free live event featuring over two thousand festivalgoers

as extras in the short film, “Zombie Day Apocalypse,” to establish a new

Guinness Book World Record. This Portland Film Festival production will be

directed by George Cameron Romero, son of George A. Romero, whose 1968

classic, “Night of the Living Dead,” made zombies the pop culture phenomenon

they are today.

• WILL VINTON TRIBUTE - Portland’s Academy Award-winning stop motion

pioneer will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for Innovation in

Filmmaking to mark the 30th anniversary of his critically-acclaimed Claymation

feature film, “The Adventures of Mark Twain,” and the 40th anniversary of his

Oscar-winning short, “Closed Mondays.”

• WENDY FROUD TRIBUTE – The acclaimed creature sculptor and puppet

maker will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for her work as a fabricator

on Yoda for “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back,” and contributions to such

films as “The Dark Crystal” and “Labyrinth.”

• FILMMAKER PRESENTATIONS – includes insights into the making of the

indie hit, “Hustle & Flow,” by the film’s cinematographer Amy Vincent.

• ONE OF THE LARGEST EDUCATIONAL PLATFORMS PRESENTED BY A FILM FESTIVAL– Globally, most festivals screen films and host panels,

but Portland has exploded its education offerings into individual tracts for actors,

screenwriters, filmmakers and crews— resulting in more than 70 workshops,

classes and panel discussions led by top industry pros.

• A SCREENPLAY COMPETITION in which festival goers will help

determine the winner. Four finalists from 380 submissions will compete for a

production grant valued at $20,000 through live readings of their works by

professional actors in front of the festival’s audiences.

• LIVE MUSICAL PERFORMANCES showcasing such extraordinary talent

as the visiting Brazilian indie band QUARTO NEGRO, who will perform as part

of the opening-night world premiere of “GRU-PDX” - the documentary about the

band’s six-month journey to Portland to record their second album, while

discovering the highs and lows of musical life in the Rose City.

• A CHANCE TO MEET AND NETWORK WITH OVER 350 VISITING FILMMAKERS

HOW TO PURCHASE TICKETS: There’s so much to see, do and learn at this

year’s Portland Film Festival, you can save time and money with a FESTIVAL

PASS, available online now, while supplies last. Select from eight different

passes, ranging from $49 for an ACTOR’S PASS to the ultimate festivalgoers

passport: the $399 VIP PASS (go anywhere/do anything, with access to the

private Filmmaker’s Lounge and VIP party, along with a free T-shirt and swag

bag.)

Visit www.Portlandfilmfestival.com for more information and to purchase passes

and tickets.

ABOUT

The nonprofit Portland Film Festival was founded by filmmaker and Executive

Director Josh Leake in 2012, and is made possible by the generous donation of

time and skills by over 300 volunteers each year. Last year alone the festival

drew 23,000 ticket holders, 240 visiting filmmakers (many of them from outside

the U.S.) and 1200 industry members – making it one of Oregon’s most popular

cultural events. Zombie Day was recently featured in Entertainment Weekly and

the festival has been named one of the most “creative in the world“ by

Moviemaker Magazine.

* * *

PHOTO CAPTION: Yoda Still 1. Courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved. Iconic character Yoda from Star Wars, in celebration of Portland Film Festival’s Tribute to acclaimed puppet maker and fabricator Wendy Froud.

Stills for press use only are available at: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BxLMk7s66T34fjVjVUtHQTFVM3VkU3hQNmpkSEFhVVEyeDhzRFhtVGJpakdiZTdGRHlIUzA&usp=sharing_eid MEDIA CONTACT: Lyla Foggia Director of Publicity, Portland Film Festival 503 622-0232 lyla@portlandfilm.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2015 PORTLAND FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FILM LINE-UP

The 2015 Portland Film Festival to showcase 80 narrative and documentary feature films and 134 short films selected out of 3500 submissions

The Portland Film Festival announced today the feature film competition programs, opening and closing screenings, music and midnight sections, tribute presentations, northwest, and special screenings for the 2015 Portland Film Festival. The 3rd Annual festival is a weeklong event of 214 screenings of feature length and short films from around the world, red carpet world premieres, tributes to filmmaking legends, more than 50 hours of professional workshops, nightly after-parties and more. The third annual Portland Film Festival will take place September 1 – 7th, 2015, in Portland, Oregon, at seven venues throughout the city, including historic area theatres and community venues. “Portland audiences are the most enthusiastic, film-savvy crowds in the nation, and we’re proud to bring them a stellar festival schedule this year. We’ve created an incredibly diverse and large program of films and events that honor cinema legends, celebrate new approaches and experimentation in film, and showcase the best in contemporary cinema,” said Josh Leake, Portland Film Festival Founder and Executive Director. A jury of industry professionals and acclaimed filmmakers will be presenting awards to competition films in the following categories: Jury Award for Feature Doc, Jury Award for Narrative Feature, Audience Award for Feature Doc, Audience Award for Feature Narrative, plus additional awards to be announced.

• NARRATIVE COMPETITION 10 films to celebrate the best of independent cinema by filmmakers who push the

boundaries with imagination and style. 6 Angry Women / U.S. (Director: Sridhar Reddy, Screenwriters: Alexandra Bennett, Barbara Figgins, Katelin Healy, Danielle McConnell, Fawzia Mirza, Alison Plott, Sridhar Reddy) A young, unarmed black teenager is shot by a white neighborhood watchman, and it is up to a jury of six women to determine if the man is guilty of murder. Cast: Alexandra Bennett, Barbara Figgins, Katelin Healy, Danielle McConnell, Fawzia Mirza, Alison Plott. WORLD PREMIERE Aimy in a Cage / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Hooroo Jackson) A creative teenage girl is placed into a mind-altering procedure to civilize her, while news of a virus epidemic spreads throughout the world. Cast: Crispin Glover, Allisyn Ashley Arm, Terry Moore, Paz de la Huerta, Michael William Hunter. WORLD PREMIERE As Good as You / U.S. (Director: Heather de Michele, Screenwriter: Gretchen Michelfeld) A woman chases her dream to start a family by asking her late wife’s brother to be her sperm donor and craziness ensues. Cast: Laura Heisler, Anna Fitzwater, Raoul Bhaneja, Annie Potts, Bryan Dechart, Peter Maloney. WORLD PREMIERE Divine Access / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Steven Chester Prince) Jack Harriman becomes a spiritual celebrity after debunking an evangelical host of a local public-access TV show. Cast: Billy Burke, Gary Cole, Patrick Warburton, Sarah Shahi, Joel David Moore, Adrienne Barbeau. NORTHWEST PREMIERE Drama / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Sophie Mathisen) Life is a difficult script to learn. Cast: Sophie Mathisen, François Vincentelli, Jonathan Burteaux, Tom Wren, Nicole da Silva. WORLD PREMIERE For Love & Broken Bones / South Africa (Director: Tebogo Malope, Screenwriters: Tebogo Malope, Libby Dougherty) When a lonely and isolated debt collector falls in love with his latest assignment, he must choose to follow his heart. Cast: Mduduzi Mabaso, Lerato Mvelase, Mashala Letsoalo. WORLD PREMIERE The Makings of You / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Matt Amato) Frank Wallis and Judy Meadows are comfortably numb to their lives, but when a chance encounter brings them together, their love for each other reignites life's sweet, unimagined possibilities. Cast: Jay Ferguson, Sheryl Lee, Grace

Zabriskie. WEST COAST PREMIERE Odd Brodsky / U.S. (Director: Cindy Baer, Screenwriters: Cindy Baer, Matthew Irving) A quirky comedy about following your dreams. Cast: Tegan Ashton Cohan, Matthew Kevin Anderson, Scotty Dickert, Jim Hanks. NORTHWEST PREMIERE Oloibiri / South Africa (Director: Curtis Graham, Screenwriter: Samantha Iwowo) Based on true events, a story about the first oil well drilled in Nigeria and how the impact affects a small Nigerian Delta Village and the lives of those involved. Cast: Diana Colmar-Espinosa, Bradley Gordon, Olu Jacobs. WEST COAST PREMIERE Touched with Fire / U.S. (Director: Paul Dalio, Screenwriter: Sophie Mathisen) Two manic depressives meet in a psychiatric hospital and begin a romance that brings out all of the beauty and horror of their condition. Cast: Katie Holmes, Luke Kirby, Griffin Dunne, Bruce Altman, Christine Lahti. WEST COAST PREMIERE

• DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

10 new films from around the world that tackle real life stories with bold vision and energy. Audition / U.S. (Director: Matt Herron) A romance is portrayed by one hundred actors who compete for two lead roles and a chance to perform the final terrifying scene. WORLD PREMIERE Business of Amateurs / U.S. (Director: Bob DeMars) An ex-athlete turned filmmaker seeks answers regarding student-athlete rights and discovers uncorrected injustices. WORLD PREMIERE Congo Beat the Drum / Israel, Jamaica (Director: Ariel Tagar) A musical journey into the forgotten corners of Jamaican reggae and its past champions. WEST COAST PREMIERE Generation Maidan / Ukraine (Director: Andrew Tkach) A group of Ukrainian filmmakers capture history in the making. What began as a peaceful protest, turned into revolution and finally war. U.S. PREMIERE

I Am Thalente / South Africa, U.S. (Director: Natalie Johns) A homeless teenager from South Africa attracts international attention with his effortless style on a skateboard and is invited to travel to the US to skate with the pros. NORTHWEST PREMIERE Kings of Kallstadt / Germany, U.S. (Director: Simone Wendel) A humorous documentary about German small village life and its famous American relatives: Donald Trump and Heinz Ketchup. WORLD PREMIERE Lost and Found / Japan, U.S., Canada (Directors: Nicolina Lanni, John Choi) One year after Japan’s largest earthquake, beachcombers along the Pacific Northwest coastline started finding Japanese items washing ashore. In turn, the unlikeliest of friendships, across two continents, were forged in the wake of this massive natural disaster. WORLD PREMIERE Made in Japan / Japan, U.S. (Director: Josh Bishop) A journey through music, marriage and the impact of the corporate world on the dreams of one woman. WEST COAST PREMIERE Sweet Micky for President / Haiti, U.S. / (Director: Ben Patterson) Musician Pras Michel of the group The Fugees goes up against the corrupt government of Haiti by mobilizing a presidential campaign for controversial pop star Sweet Mickey. NORTHWEST PREMIERE Tyke: Killer Elephant / Australia (Directors: Susan Lambert and Stefan Moore) Tyke the circus elephant breaks free in front of thousands of onlookers. Her break for freedom leaves the city in shock and sparks a global battle over the use of performing animals. WEST COAST PREMIERE

• OPENING NIGHT FILM (DOCUMENTARY)

GRU-PDX / Brazil, U.S. (Director: Daniel Barosa) Set amidst the rich contemporary music scene of Portland, Oregon, Brazilian indie band Quarto Negro journeys to the city to record their second album. During a six month stay, they discover the highs and lows of musical life in Portland, and that recording their new album isn't a task for the faint of heart. WORLD PREMIERE

• OPENING NIGHT FILM (NARRATIVE)

Birds of Neptune / U.S. (Director: Steven Richter, Screenwriters: Steven Richter, Flavia Rocha and Michael Lea) Two sisters live alone in their Portland childhood house trying to keep memories of a mysterious past intact. When a man enters their world and starts to pull at the fragile threads holding everything in place, they find themselves facing harsh truths about their past. Cast: Britt Harris, Molly Elizabeth Parker, Kurt Conroyd. NORTHWEST PREMIERE

• CLOSING NIGHT FILM

Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around The World / U.S. (Director: Dana Nachman) The Make-A-Wish Foundation and the city of San Francisco join forces to grant a five-year-old boy's wish to become Batman for a day, drawing worldwide attention. PORTLAND PREMIERE

• MUSIC MAVERICKS

Honoring musicians, music and culture, these documentaries celebrate a diversity of genres and influences through the power and love of music. Congo Beat the Drum / Israel, Jamaica (Director: Ariel Tagar) A musical journey into the forgotten corners of Jamaican reggae and its past champions. WEST COAST PREMIERE The Glamour & the Squalor / U.S. (Director: Marq Evans) The story of Marco Collins, a legendary Seattle DJ who played the music that defines the 90’s grunge generation. Featuring: Carrie Brownstein, Shirley Manson, Macklemore, Mike McCready, Ben Gibbard, Kurt Cobain. PORTLAND PREMIERE Morphine: Journey of Dreams / U.S., Italy (Director: Mark Shuman) The in-depth tale of the “low-rock” nineties Boston band who blazed like a comet across the global music scene. Interviews with Henry Rollins, Joe Strummer, Dana Colley, Steve Berlin, Mark Sandman, Billy Conway. WEST COAST PREMIERE The Whole Gritty City / U.S. (Director: Richard Barber) An immersion into the world of three New Orleans school marching bands. WEST COAST PREMIERE

• SPECIAL SCREENINGS

Unique one-time film events, marquee names, and highlights of the best of modern film. Bereave / U.S. (Directors: Evangelos Giovanis, George Giovanis, Screenwriter: George Giovanis) Garvey thinks he has figured out how to die alone. When his beloved wife goes missing; he must live to save her. Cast: Malcolm McDowell, Jane Seymour, Keith Carradine, Vinessa Shaw, Mike Starr, Mike Doyle. PORTLAND PREMIERE The Frontier / U.S. (Director: Oren Shai, Screenwriters: Oren Shai & Webb Wilcoxen) A desperate young woman discovers a violent gang of thieves at a desert motel and hatches a plan to steal their loot. Cast: Kelly Lynch, Jim Beaver, Izabella Miko, Liam Aiken. PORTLAND PREMIERE Like Me / U.S. (Director: Michael Kuell) A documentary about NYC comedian and actor Micah Sherman attempts to overcome his lack of boundaries and social anxiety to find his digital voice through social media. Featuring: Micah Sherman, Hannibal Burress, Jim Gaffigan, Grace Helbig, Maria Bamford, Janeane Garofalo. WORLD PREMIERE The Makings of You / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Matt Amato) Frank Wallis and Judy Meadows are comfortably numb to their lives, but when a chance encounter brings them together, their love for each other reignites life's sweet, unimagined possibilities. Cast: Jay Ferguson, Sheryl Lee, Grace Zabriskie. WEST COAST PREMIERE The Resurrection of Jake the Snake / U.S. (Director: Steve Yu) A documentary portrait of legendary wrestler Jake “The Snake” Roberts as he charts his personal and professional comeback while battling crippling addictions. Cast: Jake Roberts, Dallas Page, Chris Jericho, Steve Austin, Adam Copeland. NORTHWEST PREMIERE This is Happening / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Ryan Jaffe) Two estranged siblings. Five pounds of pot. One runaway grandmother. Cast: James Wolk, Mickey Sumner, Judd Nelson, Cloris Leachman. WEST COAST PREMIERE We are Twisted F***ING SISTER / Germany, U.S. (Director: Andrew Horn) A documentary about the history of the iconic 80’s metal band Twisted Sister,

tracing their origins in the bar scene of early 1970s Long Island to their pre-MTV rise as a popular regional, New York-based band in the mid 1970s and early 1980s. U.S. PREMIERE Yosemite / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Gabrielle Demeestere) Set in 1985, intertwining tales of three fifth grade friends unfold as the threat of a mountain lion looms over Palo Alto. Cast: James Franco, Henry Hopper, Calum John, Alec Mansky, Everett Meckler. PORTLAND PREMIERE

• MIDNIGHT SPOTLIGHT

After dark movies full of wonderfully weird, provocative, and comedy highlights of new cinema. Dude Bro Party Massacre III / U.S. (Directors: Tomm Jacobsen, Michael Rousselet, Jon Salmon, Screenwriters: Michael Rousselet, Alec Owen, Ben Gigli, Brian Firenzi, Jon Salmon, Joey Scoma, Michael E. Peter, Mike James, Timothy Ciancio, Tomm Jacobsen) A hysterical and bloody twist on 80’s slasher flicks, in which a dorky loner must infiltrate a party-centric fraternity to solve the murder of his twin brother. Cast: Alec Owen, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Patton Oswalt, Larry King, Nina Hartley, Greg Sestero. PORTLAND PREMIERE Mega Summer Hit: A Slam Dunkumentary / U.S. (Director: Ryan Max O'Meila, Screenwriters: Thomas Kellogg, Kyle Newacheck, Ryan Max O’Meila) A mockumentary about a social media contest that sends its makers into the deepest corners of their minds as they struggle to finish the film. Cast: Thomas Kellogg, Kyle Newacheck, Ryan Max O'Melia, Blake Anderson, Adam Devine, Anders Holm. WORLD PREMIERE Space Program / U.S. (Director: Van Neistat, Screenwriters: Van Neistat, Tom Sachs) Two female astronauts go to Mars in a handmade space program to answer humankind's ultimate question...are we alone? A provocative collaboration between acclaimed artist Tom Sachs and director Van Neistat. WEST COAST PREMIERE

• NORTHWEST

Celebrating narrative and documentary films made in the Northwest area, as well as unique films made by Northwest filmmakers.

The Black Sea / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Brian Padian) Five friends arrive at a beach house on the Oregon Coast for a holiday weekend, where one of them mysteriously disappears overnight. Cast: Cora Benesh, Erin McGarry, Corrina Repp. WORLD PREMIERE Deep Dark / U.S. (Director, Screenwriter: Michael Medaglia) A failed sculptor, is about to end it all until he finds a strange, talking hole in the wall. Cast: Sean McGrath, Anne Sorce, Denise Poirier. US PREMIERE Vintage Tomorrows / U.S. (Director: Byrd McDonald) A documentary about the Steampunk movement’s explosive growth, origins, and cultural significance, which explores the fundamental question: what can we learn about tomorrow from Steampunk’s playful visions of yesteryear? NORTHWEST PREMIERE 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. Previous and current festival partners include the City of Portland, Portland Parks & Recreation, Women in Film, Oregon Media Production Association (OMPA), Willamette Writers, SAG Aftra (Actor’s Guild/Union), Oregon Governor’s Office of Film (Oregon Film), I.A.T.S.E. (Film Union), Directed by Women, Digital Media Communications Department at Clackamas Community College 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. Full festival lineup and info to purchase passes and tickets, go to: www.portlandfilmfestival.com

Stills are available for press use only and can be downloaded at: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BxLMk7s66T34fjVjVUtHQTFVM3VkU3hQNmpkSEFhVVEyeDhzRFhtVGJpakdiZTdGRHlIUzA&usp=sharing_eid

MEDIA CONTACT Lyla Foggia, Director of Publicity Portland Film Festival lyla@portlandfilm.org 503 622-0232

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Portland Film Festival to open with two Made-in-Oregon films

Tickets for the Portland Film Festival’s September 1, 2015, opening night

celebration of independent films and the people who make them are now

on sale at www.portlandfilmfestival.com.

This year’s double

selection will feature the

world premiere of the highly-

anticipated music

documentary, GRU-PDX,

directed by Brazilian

filmmaker Daniel Barosa,

and the Northwest premiere

of the award-winning

narrative, BIRDS OF NEPTUNE, directed by former Portland filmmaker

Steven Richter.

Both coincidentally have roots in Brazil. Richter is also the founder

and director of the film school Academia Internacional de Cinema in

Brazil—where he made his directorial debut with the critically-acclaimed

“Center of Gravity.

Described as a dark urban contemporary fairytale, BIRDS OF

NEPTUNE presents a mercurial-like portrait of two sisters living alone in

their nostalgia-filled childhood home as they cope with the mysterious loss

of their parents and a dark family secret that begins to unravel when both

are romanced by the same psychiatric graduate student.

Twitch reviewer Ben Umstead praised the film for the way it “locks us

in a haunted landscape of guilt and apprehension, one that in its very best

moments exhibits both a Kieslowskian beauty and a playful tenor

reminiscent of the ponderous artists and vagabonds found in the works of

Jacques Rivette. It's a striking balance of sensibilities, upheld by Britt

Harris and Molly Elizabeth Parker's beguiling performances as the grieving

sisters at the film's center.” Read More

GRU-PDX lifts the curtain on Portland’s fabled indie music scene.

While visiting Portland to record their second album, Brazilian indie band,

Quarto Negro, discovers the Rose City’s rich, underground DIY music

scene—along with the challenges and sacrifices artists willingly make to be

a part of this artistically nurturing mecca.

This fascinating documentary includes interviews with over 50

prominent music industry names—including Sub Pop Records, The Dandy

Warhols, The Thermals, Portugal. The Man, Red Fang, Menomena, Larry

Crane, The Helio Sequence, Radiation City, Wild Ones, Brainstorm and

dozens more. In addition, GRU-PDX includes live performances from indie

bands recorded by the Portland music blog, Into the Woods. In the words of

the film’s producer, Nikolas Maciel, GRU-PDX is “a cinematographic

onrush of these guys from Brazil putting the effort of their lives (and betting

all the money they didn’t have) to record an album in one of the most hip

cities of the world.”

LOCATIONS AND TICKETS

GRU-PDX will screen at 7:15 pm on Tuesday, September 1 at McMenamin’s Mission Theater. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Purchase tickets in advance at www.portlandfilmfestival.com

BIRDS OF PARADISE will screen at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, September 1 at Cinema 21. Doors open at 5:45 pm. Purchase tickets in advance at www.portlandfilmfestival.com The 2015 OPENING NIGHT AFTER-PARTY will celebrate both films with live music, popular DJs and surprises. Food and beverages are complimentary of Koerner Camera Systems and Rogue Ales & Spirits. Location: Cine Rent West, 2580 NW Upshur St, Portland, OR 97210. 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased separately or with your screening pass at www.portlandfilmfestival.com

* * *

Image courtesy of BIRDS OF NEPTUNE

MEDIA CONTACT: Lyla Foggia Director of Publicity Portland Film Festival 503 622-0232 lyla@portlandfilm.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ever dreamed of having a zombie-style wedding? (Doesn’t everyone?!)

The Portland Film Festival is searching for a couple to tie the knot for a new film shooting Labor Day Weddings can be such an emotional

and financial drain that what should

be fun can easily eat you alive when

you’re not watching. So why spend

$20,000 or more on the usual lifeless

wardrobe when you and your love

could be shuffling down the aisle looking like a million bloodstained bucks?

Here’s your chance! The Portland Film Festival is searching for an adventurous couple to tie the

knot—zombie-style—in their new movie, “The Zombie Day Apocalypse,” shooting in Portland on Labor

Day. George Cameron Romero will direct the parody on the undying popularity of the zombie

phenomenon—inadvertently started by his father, George A. Romero, with the overnight success of his

1968 horror masterpiece, “Night of the Living Dead.”

Set to establish a Guinness Book World Record for the most extras in a short film, “The Zombie

Day Apocalypse” has already signed more than a thousand Portland-area extras to appear in the story

about an invasion of the Rose City, penned by Hollywood script writer Randall Jahnson and Portland Film

Festival founder Joshua Leake.

To prepare for their on-screen wedding, the selected couple will undergo a complete visual

transformation under the guidance of renown Hollywood special effects makeup artists Conor

McCullagh (“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay” Part 1 and 2”) and Jason Collins (winner, of SyFy’s “Face-

off”) at no charge to them.

To be eligible, the selected wedding couple must both be single, 18 years or older, U.S. citizens

and residents of the greater Portland-Vancouver area. Within 24 hours of notification by the production

company, the wedding couple selected must apply for and be granted a marriage license for the state of

Oregon as prescribed under the law. The wedding couple must agree to be officially married on

Monday, September 7, 2015, in a ceremony designed by the production company and officiated by a

recognized authority of the state of Oregon. The wedding couple must be available for consultations,

fittings and rehearsals as requested by the production company between the hours of 8 AM to 8 PM

from August 10, 2015, through the day of filming on Monday, September 7, 2015. Please see application

at www.portlandfilmfestival.com for full terms, conditions and disclosures.

It’s all part of the Portland Film Festival’s weeklong extravaganza of nonstop screenings of

independent films from around the world, red carpet world premieres, tributes to filmmaking legends,

more than 70 hours of professional workshops, nightly after-parties and more! For early bird passes and

tickets, go to www.portlandfilmfestival.com.

* * *

MEDIA CONTACT:

Lyla Foggia

Foggia Public relations

503- 622- 0232

www.foggiacontent.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE PORTLAND FILM FESTIVAL TO HONOR WENDY FROUD WITH A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD DATE: Wednesday, September 2, 2015, at the Mission Theatre in NW Portland. The event begins at 5 PM with a screening of “Dark Crystal,” followed by a Q&A with Froud. Tickets are $15, available now online at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-w-wendy-froud-plus-a-special-screening-of-the-dark-crystal-tickets-18140460606

Whoever says playing with dolls is a

frivolous childhood distraction should

meet Wendy Froud—the acclaimed

creature sculptor and puppet maker who

began honing her craft at the age of five.

Following college, Froud’s

extraordinary artistic creations would

bring her to the attention of Jim Henson

and the opportunity to serve on the

creative teams for the iconic Yoda

character first seen in “Star Wars: The

Empire Strikes Back,” as well as “Dark

Crystal” and “Labyrinth.”

Raised in Detroit, the former Wendy Midener grew up in a household

literally steeped in art. Both her father, a sculptor, and mother, a painter

and collage artist, also taught it. From the fairy tales her mother read to her

nightly, Froud began to fabricate fawns, centaurs and fairies—“things that I

could not buy, and then I mixed them up with my doll house dolls and they

had their own little world that I created,” Froud related in a recent article.

In school she realized that “everything I made ended up being some

kind of doll or object that was more than just some piece of sculpture, more

than a piece of ceramic. I mixed my media all the time, much to the

consternation of my teachers; they didn't know what to do with that.”

Following graduation from CCS Art College in New York, Froud was

discovered through a chance meeting with Michael Frith, the art director

for the Muppet Show, who bought one of her puppets as a Christmas gift for

Jim Henson. Not long after Froud got the phone call that would change her

life.

Over the next six years, she would serve as a Muppet Designer on

“The Muppet Movie,” Fabricator on the Yoda team, Creature Design and

Fabrication Supervisor on “The Dark Crystal” and Creature Workshop

Artist for “Labyrinth” on the characters Junk Lady, Goblins, Fairy Lichen

and Birds.

“We had no idea that he [Yoda] was going to turn into such an icon.

Those of us who worked on him had no idea; he was just another character

in the story. Also, he was an experiment because until that point no one had

really mixed puppets and people in that way and used puppets so

extensively. This was before we did Dark Crystal.”

* * *

MEDIA CONTACT: Lyla Foggia Director of Publicity Portland Film Festival 503 622-0232 lyla@portlandfilm.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Portland Film Festival to honor Will Vinton with Innovation in Filmmaking Award September 3, 2015, tribute to include screenings of “The Adventures of Mark Twain” and “Closed Mondays”

When the Portland Film

Festival decided to honor

Will Vinton with a lifetime

achievement award for

innovations in filmmaking,

it wasn’t to add yet another

paperweight to Vinton’s

bulging trophy case.

After all, the world-

renowned Claymation

pioneer has already

collected the highest

honors in film (one Oscar/

four nominations),

television (eight primetime

Emmys) and advertising

(multiple Clios and Ad Age

wins), along with a lifetime achievement award from LAFF and literally scores of prizes from

top film festivals around the world.

Through the process of creating, developing and producing hundreds of films and

thousands of commercials, Vinton and his teams popularized 3-D stop motion animation at a

time when 95% of commercial animation was 2-D and ushered in a new age where animation

has become a medium of adult entertainment.

While Vinton’s indelible characters have become a fixture in American pop-culture

history, it seemed time to recognize these achievements and the technical breakthroughs that

made them possible as Vinton and his creative teams continually pushed stop-motion

animation to its limits. Among them were the frame grabber (which allows filmmakers to see

what has been previously shot for jitter-free movement), stop-motion hardware and software

to allow a single camera to shoot 3-D animation, and their methods for reference filming that

imbues animated characters with uncanny realism.

“When I realized that 2015 marked the 40th anniversary of the Academy Award for

“Closed Mondays” and the 30th anniversary of “The Adventures of Mark Twain”— both

milestones in animation history—I felt it was time to acknowledge not only the influence that

the California Raisins, the Noid, Dinosaurs “Herb & Rex,” M&M’s “Red & Yellow” and The

PJs’ Thurgood Stubbs had on my generation, but to congratulate Will for doing it all in

Portland, Oregon—instead of Hollywood, California,” says Portland film festival founder and

Executive Director Joshua Leake. “Thanks to Will Vinton, Portland is not just a world mecca

for gifted animators today, it’s the coolest place on the planet to make movies.”

The public is invited to join the Portland Film Festival for a special tribute to Will

Vinton that includes screenings of his “The Adventures of Mark Twain” and “Closed Mondays”

on Thursday, September 3, 2015, at 4 pm at the Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan St,

Portland, OR 97209. Tickets are $10, and can be ordered online at

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/lifetime-achievement-tribute-to-will-vinton-adventures-of-mark-

twain-screening-tickets-18253609036

* * *

The Portland Film Festival returns to the Rose City on September 1-7, 2015, for a weeklong celebration of movies and the people who make them. Film fans will find plenty to feast on with ZOMBIE DAY (a free live event featuring over two thousand festivalgoers as extras in the short film, “Zombie Day Apocalypse,” to establish a new Guinness Book World Record), WILL VINTON TRIBUTE (Portland’s Academy Award-winning stop motion pioneer will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for Innovation in Filmmaking), WENDY FROUD TRIBUTE (the acclaimed creature sculptor and puppet maker will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, including for her work as a fabricator on Yoda for “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back”), OVER 70 WORKSHOPS led by top industry pros, AFTER PARTIES WITH LIVE MUSICAL PERFORMANCES, and a chance to meet and network with OVER 350 VISITING FILMMAKERS!

The nonprofit Portland Film Festival was founded by filmmaker and Executive Director Josh Leake in 2013, and is made possible by the generous donation of time and skills by over 300 volunteers each year. Last year alone the festival drew 23,000 ticket holders, 240 visiting filmmakers (many of them from outside the U.S.) and 1200 industry members – making it one of Oregon’s most popular cultural events. Zombie Day was recently featured in Entertainment Weekly and the festival has been named one of the most “creative in the world” by Moviemaker Magazine.

Visit www.portlandfilmfestival.com for more information and to purchase passes and tickets.

* * *

MEDIA CONTACT: Lyla Foggia Director of Publicity Portland Film Festival 503 622-0232 lyla@portlandfilm.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Meet ‘JAKE THE SNAKE’ ROBERTS and ‘DIAMOND DALLAS’ PAGE

at the Portland Film Festival’s screening of “The Resurrection of Jake the Snake Roberts.”

In the late 1980s, Jake “the Snake” Roberts was among the most famous professional

wrestlers in the world. Millions of fans were electrified by his intense and believable

persona and transfixed by the gigantic snakes he threw atop his opponents within the

“squared circle.” His wit and skill on the microphone captured the attention of

audiences around the world. His talent in the professional wrestling industry was

undeniable.

Thirty years later, Roberts lost nearly everything to his inner demons. His

struggle with drugs and alcohol was highly publicized in tabloids

and films. The millions of dollars he earned in wrestling was gone. After two failed

marriages, his eight kids hardly knew him. Barely able to afford rent, Jake waited for a

lonely death. Along with everyone else, he had given up on his life.

Unexpectedly, Jake got a visit from an old friend, “Diamond” Dallas Page. Two

decades earlier, Dallas Page was a nobody in wrestling when Roberts took him under

his wing and taught him the “art” of professional

wrestling. At the age of 35, everyone told Page he was too old, yet Roberts helped him

become one of the biggest names in the business. Jake believed in him when very few

did. Owing much of his successful career to Robert’s teachings, Page returns to Jake’s

life in an effort to repay him.

“THE RESURRECTION OF JAKE “THE SNAKE” ROBERTS” follows the true

account of what transpires next, as the two wrestlers who share a

one-of-kind bond, struggle against Robert’s past demons and attempt to create a

reason to live again.

THIS IS A TRUE STORY that transcends the fictional world of professional

wrestling to reveal Roberts’ truly inspiring journey to love and respect himself.

See this inspiring new documentary at the Portland Film Festival on Wednesday, September 2, 2015, at 8:15 pm at McMenamins’ Mission Theater, 16th & NW Glisan. Tickets $10 – available online now at www.portlandfilmfestival.com. Following the screening, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Diamond Dallas Page and director Steve Yu will participate in a Q&A moderated by UFC superstar Chael Sonnen.

* * *

MEDIA CONTACT: Lyla Foggia Director of Publicity Portland Film Festival 503 622-0232 lyla@portlandfilm.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Turn up the heat on your career with the Portland Film Festivals’ workshops and panels led by top pros

Need help turning your passion into a profession? Or your skills into

a high-paying

craft? The 2015

Portland Film

Festival is

offering over 70

intensive

workshops,

panels and

networking

opportunities

geared specifically

to the challenges facing actors, screenwriters and filmmakers today.

Comprising one of the largest educational platforms offered by a festival

anywhere, the three track curriculum provides participants with advice and

insights by leading professionals with years of experience in their fields.

Among them are…

• “Hunger Games” music editor Curtis Roush

• “Star Trek: The Next Generation” music composer Ron Jones

• Tony Award-nominee Dave Metzger for orchestration of “The Lion King” on Broadway

• Gordy Hoffman, recipient of the Sundance Festival’s Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for “Lover Liza,” starring his late brother Philip Seymour Hoffman

• Director Megan Griffiths, whose film, “Lucky Them,” premiered to a standing ovation at the (tougher-than-nails) Toronto Film Festival

• PBS veteran producer Kat McMahon, whose credits include FRONTLINE and NOW WITH Bill Moyers, as well as associate producer of the Oscar-nominated documentary, “Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room”

• Creator-owned comic pioneer Matt Wagner, who recently co-wrote Django/Zorro with Quentin Tarantino

• Dark Horse Comics Editor-in-Chief Scott Allie

• Emily Best, founder and CEO of the innovative crowdfunding platform, Seed&Spark

• Ed Irastorza, visual effect supervisor for “Grimm”

• Randall Jahnson, screenwriter for “The Doors,” “The Mask of Zorro,” and “Tales from the Crypt.”

• Jim Rygiel, three-time Academy Award-winner for best visual effects for “Lord of the Rings”

• Abby Davis, Vice President of Nonfiction Content, Preferred Content

• Jon Stobezki, Brand Manager for Drafthouse Films

• Amy Vincent, Cinematographer for “Hustle & Flow”

To find the workshops and panels that can help kick your career into high

gear, go to www.portlandfilmfestival.com, and click on WORKSHOP or

PANEL to show all of the topics available this year. Individual sessions are

$15. SAVE MONEY with the festival’s All-Conference Pass ($99),

Screenwriters Conference Pass ($69), or Actors Conference Pass $49). Click

here for more information.

* * *

The Portland Film Festival returns to the Rose City on September 1-7,

2015, for a weeklong celebration of movies and the people who make

them. Film fans will find plenty to feast on with ZOMBIE DAY (a free live

event featuring over two thousand festivalgoers as extras in the short film,

“Zombie Day Apocalypse,” to establish a new Guinness Book World

Record), WILL VINTON TRIBUTE (Portland’s Academy Award-winning

stop motion pioneer will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for

Innovation in Filmmaking), WENDY FROUD TRIBUTE (the acclaimed

creature sculptor and puppet maker will receive the Lifetime Achievement

Award, including for her work as a fabricator on Yoda for “Star Wars: The

Empire Strikes Back”), OVER 70 WORKSHOPS led by top industry pros,

AFTER PARTIES WITH LIVE MUSICAL PERFORMANCES, and a

chance to meet and network with SEVERAL HUNDRED VISITING FILMMAKERS!

The nonprofit Portland Film Festival was founded by filmmaker and

Executive Director Josh Leake in 2013, and is made possible by the

generous donation of time and skills by over 300 volunteers each year.

Last year alone the festival drew 23,000 ticket holders, 240 visiting

filmmakers (many of them from outside the U.S.) and 1200 industry

members – making it one of Oregon’s most popular cultural events. Zombie

Day was recently featured in Entertainment Weekly and the festival has

been named one of the most “creative in the world” by Moviemaker

Magazine.

Visit www.portlandfilmfestival.com for more information and to purchase passes and tickets.

* * *

MEDIA CONTACT: Lyla Foggia Director of Publicity Portland Film Festival 503 622-0232 lyla@portlandfilm.org

Portland’s Labor Day zombie invasion just got epic!

ZOMBIE DAY now includes a sneak preview of the hit TV series Z NATION!

ZOMBIE DAY kicks off at 9 AM today, 9/7, with the filming of the new

movie, “The Zombie Day Apocalypse,” featuring over 3000 extras (played

by brave local citizens) in a Portland Film Festival production to be directed

by George Cameron Romero, son of the legendary horror master George

Romero.

Recently featured in Entertainment Weekly, this unprecedented

event marks the first time a film festival has produced a movie while in

session, as well as establishes a new Guinness Book World Record for the

most extras ever in a short film.

This evening, the Portland Film Festival will present a sneak preview

of the new season opener (episode 201) of the hit TV series, Z NATION,

hosted by co-executive producer/writer/director Dan Merchant, known

locally as the former 101.9 KINK-FM Morning Show Host.

“Since Z Nation is putting the fun back into zombie shows, it only

made sense we be a part of a fun, crazy event like the Portland Film

Festival’s Zombie Day,” says Karl Schaefer, Z Nation’s show runner and co-

creator of the SYFY Original Series, which returns for its second season this

coming Friday, September 11 at 10 PM.

Portland will be the first to get a glimpse of the new season, which

Schaefer calls “more dangerous, more challenging, funnier, crazier and the

whole world is going to be after the Murphy. In the season opener you see

how and if everyone survived the nuclear bombs that were raining down at

the end of season one. We don’t leave you hanging. Z nation goes flat out in

season two.”

The Z NATION screening will take place tonight at 8:15 PM at the Mission

Theater, 1624 NW Glisan Street. Admission $10. Tickets can be purchased in

advance at www.PortlandFilmFestival.com

Named one of the most “creative in the world” by Moviemaker

Magazine, the Portland Film Festival was founded in 2013 by Josh Leake,

who also serves as Executive Director of the nonprofit organization.

ZOMBIE DAY caps a weeklong celebration that included 214 films, 70

workshops and panels, two lifetime achievement tributes and over a dozen

world premieres, which drew several hundred filmmakers from around the

world.

* * *

MEDIA CONTACT: Lyla Foggia Foggia Public relations 503- 622- 0232 www.foggiacontent.com