2017 Portland Film Festival Recap

The 2017 Portland Film Festival has come and gone and, from everything I've seen, heard, and read, it was yet another smashing success! I am very happy to have once again had the opportunity to see a few of the films that were presented during the festival and have collected my reviews here for easy access. You will also find a list of films that took home awards from this year's festival as well as my own "Festival Favorite" pick for this year.

Fake Blood (PDXFF 2017) - Movie Review

Movie Review: Fake Blood

Director: Rob Grant

The Story: Rob Grant and Mike Kovac receive a disturbing fan video inspired by their previous horror movie Mon Ami, motivating them to investigate the responsibility of filmmakers in portraying violence in movies. In their pursuit of the truth they are unwittingly introduced to the real world of violent criminals and their victims.

Break the Chain (PDXFF 2017) - Documentary Review

The Movie: Break the Chain

The Directors: Laura E. Swanson and Kirk Mason

The Story: The film chronicles two survivors of Human Trafficking - providing a detailed look at how trafficking goes unnoticed within our backyards. Kwami, a child survivor of Labor Trafficking, was enslaved for nearly five years with three other children in Ypsilanti, Michigan before anyone noticed. Debbie, a survivor of Sex Trafficking, takes us through her experience of being sold for sex around the Detroit-Area between the ages of 13 and 18. - BreakTheChainFilm.com

Secret Santa (PDXFF 2017) - Movie Review

The Movie: Secret Santa

The Director: Adam Marcus

The Cast: A Leslie Kies, Michael Rady, Michelle Renee Allaire, Pat Destro, Drew Lynch, Curtis Fortier, John Gilbert, Nathan Hedrick, Megan Helbing, Petra Areskoug, Ryan Leigh Seaton, Debra Sullivan, Michelle Allair, Freddy John James, Eddie Jordan III

The Story: A dysfunctional Christmas party turns deadly when an unexpected gift brings out the evil in everyone and turns the yuletide festivities into a fight for survival.

The Hollow Child (PDXFF 2017) - Movie Review

The Movie: The Hollow Child

The Director: Jeremy Lutter

The Cast: Jessica McLeod, Hannah Cheramy, John Emmet Tracy, Jana Mitsoula, Genevieve Buechner, Connor Stanhope, Johannah Newmarch

The Story: A troubled foster teen, Samantha, works to expose a dangerous supernatural impostor in her new family and rescue her foster sister.

Brown's Canyon (PDXFF 2017) - Movie Review

The Movie: Brown's Canyon

The Director: John Helde

The Cast: Lisa Every, Eric Jordan, Carter Rodriquez, Jenn Ruzumna, Sara Rucker Thiessen

The Story: Two self-help gurus plan to resuscitate their careers by co-hosting a women’s mindfulness retreat in the Utah wilderness. When surprise guests, a mudslide and a bowl of spoiled chili thwart their plans, their own lives unravel over one awkward weekend.

The VelociPastor (PDXFF 2017) - Movie Review

The Movie: The VelociPastor

The Director: Brendan Steere

The Cast: Gregory James Cohan, Alyssa Kempinski, Fernando Pacheco De Castro, Jesse Turits, Daniel Steere,

The Story: After losing his parents, a priest travels to China, where he inherits a mysterious ability that allows him to turn into a dinosaur. At first horrified by this new power, a hooker convinces him to use it to fight crime. And ninjas.

Wol-ha: Very Bad Moon Rising (PDXFF 2017) - Movie Review

The Movie: Wol-ha: Very Bad Moon Rising

The Director: Oh In-chun

The Story: Commissioned by a mysterious international collector with a large sum of money, a party makes an expedition to find “the tomb of Kisaeng Wolhyang”.

TwoOhSix Picks - 2017 Portland Film Festival

The 2017 Portland Film Festival, one of the "coolest film festivals in the world", is back with a slate of films, events, workshops, and parties that any film fan would fall in love with. After taking a look at this year's lineup, I've put together a selection of movies that have caught my attention and feature genres that I love to watch.

Zilla and Zoe (LSFF 2017, PDXFF 2017) - Movie Review

The Movie: Zilla and Zoe

The Director: Jessica Scalise

The Cast:  Greg James, Aida Valentine, Sam Kamerman, Kurt Conroyd, Mia Allen

The Story: To win the contest of her dreams, Zoe will have to turn her sister's wedding into a horror film.