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The Portland International Film Festival is a relatively small but still important event, as it provides a place for Portlanders to gather and discuss films in a variety of ways and contexts. The 43rd iteration of this festival was no different in that regard, though it still stands unique from the years before it.  ThereContinue reading “PIFF 43 Roundup”

By Cornelia Laakso           This year’s 43rd annual Portland International Film Festival was marked by the introduction of significant structural changes. Perhaps the most significant change was the instatement of a Cannes-style competition format, whereby a jury was set to deliberate on eight films, as well as a main slate of forty-four features and sevenContinue reading “PIFF Final Roundup”

Matthew Eugene Hunsucker March 16th 2020 Reporting on PIFF 43 for Prof. Kristin Hole Film Festival studies class @ PSU In 2020 the 43rd Portland International Film Festival (PIFF 43) happened amongst a few interesting events. First this is the first year with a new director at the helm of its parent organization the NorthwestContinue reading “PiFf 43: Round Up”

By: McKinzie Smith It may be safe to say that none of us saw this coming. Outside of even this class, many Portland cinema-goers, myself included, look forward to the Portland International Film Festival every year. Though it had been lacking for me this year, there are few things more disappointing than an event cancellation.Continue reading “Film in the Time of COVID-19”

Luke Coverdale Film 486 The second film I screened was Lars Von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark (2000). Having seen Europa (1991) in a film critic class in highschool and having learned about Lars Von Trier’s pension for controversy, I was fascinated to see the film. Björk’s appearance in the film and the music thatContinue reading “Dancer In The Dark”

Luke Coverdale Film 486 Due to the cancelation of PIFF, I was unable to make it to any screenings unfortunately. Hopefully next year I can make it, but in the meantime I was able to choose between twenty years of Cannes palme d’or winners to write about. With many choices available, I decided to narrowContinue reading “The Square (2017)”

In 2004 the feature length documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 debuted at, and won, the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Written and directed by and starring Michael Moore, this moving documentary film examines the attack of New York City on September 11, 2001 and what happened to the United States afterward.  By concisely laying out the facts (howeverContinue reading “Fahrenheit 9/11”

Maria Moreno I can say for certain that I’ve never been as moved by a film as I was by Patricio Guzman’s The Cordillera of Dreams. It’s a grand statement that might seem hyperbolic to those who have never experienced forced migration from your homeland. For a bit of background, my family fled Venezuela inContinue reading “In Chile, What Can’t Be Seen Doesn’t Exist”

Maria Moreno It seems only fitting to write about the Portland International Film Festival’s opening night given that it did not get to have a closing night this year. It’s no surprise that PIFF would open with a film set in the Pacific Northwest, specifically Florence, Oregon. Clementine, the feature film debut of Lara JeanContinue reading “No Closing Night for PIFF 2020”