Annual film fest: Best place to sit in dark

Lineup includes docs, narratives, short flicks; Vinton to get award

The third annual Portland Film Festival continues to grow, featuring 80 narrative and documentary feature films and 134 short films during its weeklong run, Sept. 1 through 7 at several venues in Portland.

“Portland audiences are the most enthusiastic, film-savvy crowds in the nation,” says Josh Leake, Portland Film Festival founder and executive director. “We’ve created an incredibly diverse and large program of films and events that honor true cinema legends, celebrate new approaches and experimentation in film, and showcase the best in contemporary cinema.”

The documentary and narrative films will be judged by a jury of professionals and acclaimed filmmakers and audiences.

There’ll also be midnight, tribute and Northwest films, more than 50 hours of professional workshops and after-parties.

The opening night documentary is “GRU-PDX,” about Brazilian indie band Quarto Negro journeying from Brazil to Portland to make its second album, encountering ups and downs along the way. The opening night narrative is “Birds of Neptune,” about two sisters living alone in their Portland childhood house, keeping a mysterious past intact until a man enters their world

The closing-night film is “Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around the World,” about the Make-A-Wish Foundation and city of San Francisco granting a boy’s wish to be Batman for a day, drawing worldwide attention.

The narrative competition, celebrating filmmakers who push the boundaries with imagination and style, includes:

“6 Angry Women”; “Aimy in a Cage”; “As Good as You”; “Divine Access”; “Drama”; “For Love & Broken Bones”; “The Makings of You”; “Odd Brodsky”; “Oloibiri”; “Touched With Fire.”

The documentary competition, films that tackle real life stories with bold vision and energy, includes:

“Audition”; “Business of Amateurs”; “Congo Beat the Drum”; “Generation Maidan”; “I Am Thalente”; “Kings of Kallstadt”; “Lost and Found”; “Made in Japan”; “Sweet Mickey for President”; “Tyke: Killer Elephant.”

Some movies with Northwest connections will be highlighted:

“The Black Sea,” by Brian Padian, about five friends who arrive at a beach house on the Oregon Coast for a holiday weekend, where one of them mysteriously disappears overnight; “Deep Dark,” by Michael Medaglia, about a failed sculptor about to end it all until he finds a strange, talking hole in the wall; “Vintage Tomorrows,” by Byrd McDonald, a documentary about the

Steampunk movement’s explosive growth, origins, and cultural significance, which explores the fundamental question: What can we learn about tomorrow from Steampunk’s playful visions of yesteryear?

Other highlights: a special tribute to Will Vinton, the stop-motion pioneer who’ll be given the Lifetime Achievement Award; a screenplay competition; the chance to meet more than 350 visiting filmmakers.

For information on movies, venues and tickets, see http://www.portlandfilmfestival.com.

The festival began in 2013, but its roots go back to 2009, when the Portland Film Club brought film lovers together to view and discuss films. The club boasts more than 2,300 members; look for information on the club on Facebook.