Oregon Sesquicentennial Film Festival at Marylhurst University

May 1-10, 2009

Marylhurst University hosted a special 10-day event honoring our state’s long and rich contribution to the film industry, as part of Oregon’s yearlong 150th birthday celebration.

About 1,600 people attended film screenings and other special events over the course of the festival.

Highlights included:

• A sold-out crowd on opening night at the Mission Theater in downtown Portland to listen to Oregon directors Gus Van Sant and James Ivory in conversation and see selected film clips (also included appearances by local screenwriter Mike Rich and animator Bill Plympton)

• Special appearances by directors James Ivory, Bill Plympton and Chris Eyre in conjunction with screenings of their films

• The premiere of a new score composed by Marylhurst University music department chair John Paul to the 1930 silent film City Girl

• Presentation of the Gold Coyote $1,000 prize for super-short (five minutes or less) films to Erin Wilkinson, a student at Washington State University Vancouver

• A special showing of home movies showing decades’ worth of activity at Marylhurst University to honor the university’s founders, the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary

• Presentation of a lifetime achievement award to Brooke Jacobson, co-founder of the Northwest Film and Video Center

Thank You

Our sincere thanks to the festival’s presenting sponsor, KINK-FM, and the many special guests whose participation made the event such as success:

• James Ivory, Academy Award-nominated director

• Gus Van Sant, Academy Award-nominated director

• Bill Plympton, Academy Award-nominated animated filmmaker

• Mike Rich, screenwriter

• Chris Eyre, director

• Tad Savinar, writer and visual artist

• Beth Melnick, film location scout

• John Paul, composer and conductor, and musicians Barbara Heilmair Tanret, Joël Belgique, Julie Coleman and Justin Kagan

• Film critics Shawn Levy, Ted Mahar, Aaron Mesh and David Walker

• Thomas Phillipson, Northwest Film and Video Festival

• Marne Lucas, visual artist

• Joshua Ray, Iraq war veteran

• Local cinema experts Bill Bowling, David Milholland, Walt Curtis and Brooke Jacobson

Read selected news coverage of the film festival
Review the complete line-up of festival events