37th Portland International Film Festival Delights Supporters

37th Portland International Film Festival Delights Supporters

Portland, February 7th, 2014. It’s time for The Northwest Film Center’s 37th annual showcase of new world cinema. The festival will feature 128 films—104 features and 24 shorts. According to organizers,  “The Portland International Film Festival explores not only the art of film but also the world around us. The cultural diversity, the extraordinary range of subjects, genres, and experiences explored—for all ages and from matinee to midnight—invite exploration and discovery, movie-lover or not.” Jessica Lyness and Northwest Film Center Director Bill Foster enjoyed the evening.  The Festival is also being extended through 2/26. Here is a link with those details: http://festivals.nwfilm.org/piff37/updates/

Northwest Film Center volunteer Jill Murphy-Long and her husband Greg Long enjoy the opening night festivities on a snowy night.

Northwest Film Center volunteer Jill Murphy-Long and her husband Greg Long enjoy the opening night festivities on a snowy night.

Russ Repp (middle) and colleagues from OMSI take a moment to enjoy PIFF opening night.

Russ Repp (middle) and colleagues from OMSI take a moment to enjoy PIFF opening night. 

Filmgoers enjoy the warmth of the fireplace at OMSI's Theory Eatery on opening night.

Filmgoers enjoy the warmth of the fireplace at OMSI’s Theory Eatery on opening night.

OMSI's Theory Eatery filled with filmgoers.

OMSI’s Theory Eatery filled with filmgoers.

The 37th Portland International Film Festival hosts screenings at the Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium inside the Portland Art Museum (1219 SW Park Avenue), the Empirical Theater at OMSI (1945 SE Water Avenue), Cinema 21 (616 NW 21st Avenue), Cinemagic (2021 SE Hawthorne Boulevard), World Trade Center (121 SW Salmon Street, 1st Street, Building 2), and Regal Fox Tower (846 SW Park Avenue).

Over the last 37 years, the Festival has populated its schedule with diverse and innovative films for an audience of more than 38,000 annually from throughout the Northwest.  As Oregon’s largest, most culturally diverse film event, the Portland International Film Festival pulls together a multi-faceted experience with 128 films and special events presenting a full spectrum of features, documentaries, shorts, and visiting artists – and featuring submissions for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar and works by both returning masters and emerging talents.

This year’s Festival includes the return of the popular PIFF After Dark program, showcasing midnight movies like Ti West’s (THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL) THE SACRAMENT and Ari Folman’s (WALTZ WITH BASHIR) THE CONGRESS for adventurous festival attendees.  Contained within the PIFF 37 lineup is a sizable animation block with seven animated features on offer, including THE APOSTLE, MY MOMMY IS IN AMERICA AND SHE MET BUFFALO BILL, and the latest film by Portland-born animator Bill Plympton, CHEATIN’.

Other highlights of PIFF 37 include screenings of Tsai Ming-Liang’s (WHAT TIME IS IT OVER THERE?) STRAY DOGS, Rithy Panh’s THE MISSING PICTURE, Doug Pray’s (HYPE!) LEVITATED MASS, François Ozon’s (SWIMMING POOL) YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL, Jillian Schlesinger’s MAIDENTRIP, Alain Guiraudie’s STRANGER BY THE LAKE, Anthony Chen’s ILO ILO and Claude Lanzmann’s (SHOAH) THE LAST OF THE UNJUST.

FULL SCHEDULE
The full PIFF 37 Program is available to the public online January 24 at nwfilm.org. Press screenings begin on January 27.

ADVANCE TICKET OUTLET
Mark Building, Portland Art Museum, 1119 SW Park Avenue
Daily from 12-6 p.m.
Advance tickets by phone at (503) 276-4310
Advance tickets online at http://festivals.nwfilm.org/piff37/.

Admission Prices:
$11 General; $10 Portland Art Museum Members, Students, Seniors; $8 Silver Screen Club Friends, Children
Opening Night: $25 general; $20 Silver Screen Friend and Portland Art Museum and OMSI Members

The Portland International Film Festival is sponsored by The Oregonian, Regal Cinemas, LAIKA, The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Alaska Airlines, Wieden+Kennedy, Delta Airlines, James F. Marion Miller Foundation, and many others. 

The Northwest Film Center is a regional media arts organization offering a variety of exhibition, education programs, and artist services throughout the region.  The Center presents a program of foreign, classic, experimental, and independent works year-round at the Whitsell Auditorium, located in the Portland Art Museum.  For more information, visit www.nwfilm.org.