(Photo above from Leave No Trace by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini)
Granik and Rosellini Awarded Inaugural (indie) Women of the Year Award & 4 Film Retrospective
During the 15th annual BendFilm Festival, BendFilm will screen Leave No Trace and Winter’s Bone back-to-back on opening night with an on-stage discussion and award presentation. They announced plans to celebrate the directing, writing and producing team Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini for their 15-year, four-feature filmmaking partnership, independent vision and invaluable contributions to the film community. Celebrations will include an award presentation plus a retrospective screening of all four of their feature films, each followed by a moderated Q&A with the filmmakers. Leave No Trace (filmed in Oregon in 2017) and Winter’s Bone will play back-to-back on opening night followed by Down To the Bone and Stray Dog later in
the Festival.
Debra and Anne have won more than 43 awards over their illustrious careers and been nominated for more than 53 awards including Oscar consideration for Best Writing for an Adapted Screenplay for Winter’s Bone in 2011. They have been lauded for discovering mainstay actors like Jennifer Lawrence, exhibiting extreme sincerity in their stories, fearlessly depicting the lives of everyday Americans and a “willingness to follow inspiration anywhere.”
Todd Looby, director of BendFilm, said, “Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini are the perfect recipients for this inaugural (indie) Women of the Year award. They have launched careers and told stories about the marginalized and forgotten among us, inspiring audiences to feel deeper and take care of each other. Their work shows an undeniable belief in community. The award is named for Pamela Hulse Andrews, a longtime Bend business leader, arts supporter and force of nature who inspired women to achieve, jump-started the careers of many writers and creatives and had a strong belief in the power of community. Debra and Anne’s work is indicative of the exact things that Pamela and BendFilm have tried to emulate: strengthening the community and the importance of recognizing and celebrating our shared humanity.”
Director Debra Granik and Producer Anne Rosellini said, “We work outside the industry as an independent filmmaking team along with our longtime colleagues, DP Michael McDonough and editor Victoria Stewart. We work to find material that inspires us and speaks to the human condition and everyday survival. We strive to make fiscally responsible films that allow us to maintain creative control and that do not require mass market budgets to reach an audience.”
About the (indie) Women of the Year Award:
BendFilm created the (indie) Women of the Year award in honor of the late Pamela Hulse Andrews who was a pioneer in the Bend art scene. Pamela was a passionate arts advocate who worked tirelessly to support women in film. For many years, Pamela organized the Independent Women for Independent Film group that raised money for several BendFilm awards and helped BendFilm survive the economic downturn in the late 2000’s. BendFilm will carry on Pamela’s memory through this award, presenting it to female artists who demonstrate an exceptional passion for independent film, bravely shares her authentic voice and makes extraordinary contributions to the independent body of work.
The four films screening in the Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini retrospective are:
Leave No Trace (2018), Stray Dog (2014), Winter’s Bone (2010) and Down to the Bone (2004).
Festival’s Feature Film Lineup
Running October 11-14 at iconic locations around Bend including the historic Tower Theatre, Tin Pan Alley Theater and McMenamins-Old St. Francis, Cascades Theatrical Company, the Volcanic Theatre Pub and the Regal at the Old Mill District, the 2018 BendFilm Festival will present 44 feature films and award over $10,500 in prizes directly to independent filmmakers.
BendFilm created two new film categories to recognize impactful environmental or outdoor focused stories and Native American cinema. Both categories will offer a cash award. Additionally, BendFilm launched BendFilm Underground which showcases bold, edgy or music-focused films to screen at the very fun and eclectic Volcanic Theater Pub. A new pass will be created for this film track and is available for purchase now.
“15 years ago BendFilm was born out of a need to bring the community together to share in the impact of original storytelling and to celebrate the art of independent film here in Central Oregon,” said Looby. “Through new grant programs, a new Native American spotlight, new awards for filmmakers and more community programs, we renew our dedication to drawing audiences together to share in the power of film to open up dialogue and make connections.”
In celebration of BendFilm’s 15th anniversary, audiences can look forward to a range of other programs and entertainment including music, virtual reality, interactive movie experiences, spontaneous performances, street theater and panel discussions to be announced in the coming weeks. The Festival slotting schedule is set to go up online soon and will be posted on www.BendFilm.org.
“This year’s program transports audiences all around the world and through humor, drama and innovation provides a means to walk in someone else’s shoes. This program will challenge the way we relate to our environment, ourselves and each other,” said BendFilm Festival Programmer Erik Jambor.
Narrative Features Competition
Fort Maria — Directors/Writers: S. Cagney Gentry & Thomas Southerland
In Reality — Director/Writer: Ann Lupo
Pet Names — Director: Carol Brandt
Savage Youth — Director/Writer: Michael Curtis Johnson
Song Of Back And Neck — Director/Writer: Paul Lieberstein
This Teacher — Director/Writer: Mark Jackson
Unlovable — Director: Suzi Yoonessi
You Can Choose Your Family — Director: Miranda Bailey
Documentary Features Competition
Ingrid — Director: Morrisa Maltz
The Rescue List — Directors: Alyssa Fedele & Zachary Fink
Roll Red Roll — Director: Nancy Schwartzman
Satan & Adam — Director: V. Scott Balcerek
Silicone Soul — Director/Writer: Melody Gilbert
Soufra — Director: Thomas Morgan
Time Trial — Director: Finlay Pretsell
Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin — Director: Arwen Curry
Local Focus
The Astronot — Director: Tim Cash
The Far Green Country — Directors: Eli and Kelly Pyke
The Last Hot Lick — Director: Mahalia Cohen
Narrative Features Spotlight
Friday’s Child — Director/Writer: A.J. Edwards
The Guilty — Director/Writer: Gustav Möller
Prospect — Director/Writers: Chris Caldwell & Zeek Earl
Wild Nights with Emily — Director/Writer: Madeleine Olnek
Woman at War — Director/Writer: Benedikt Erlingsson
Documentary Features Spotlight
Cartooning From the Deep End — Director: Pablo Bryant
Meow Wolf: Origin Story — Directors/Writers: Morgan Capps & Jilann Spitzmiller
Science Fair — Directors/Writers: Cristina Costantini, Darren Foster
White Tide: The Legend of Culebra — Director: Theo Love
Native Program
Smoke Signals (1998) — Director: Chris Eyre
The Blessing — Directors: Hunter Robert Baker, Jordan Fein
Dawnland — Directors: Adam Mazo, Ben Pender-Cudlip
Dirt McComber: Last of the Mohicans — Directors: Joanne Storkan & Ryan White
Environmental / Outdoor Adventure Program
All the Wild Horses — Director: Ivo Marloh
Hold Fast — Director: Jim Aikman
The Push — Directors: Grant Korgan, Brian Niles
Rodents of Unusual Size — Directors: Chris Metzler, Jeff Springer & Quinn Costello
Saving Atlantis — Directors: Justin Smith & David Baker
Youth Unstoppable — Director: Slater Jewell-Kemker
Ondi Timoner Showcase
Mapplethorpe, Join Us (2007), Dig! (2004) — Director/Writer: Ondi Timoner
Old School Screening
In the Soup (1992) — Director/Writer: Alexandre Rockwell