>>>
>>> WELCOME BACK THIS. WEEK IS THE PORTLAND FILM
FESTIVAL AND, OF COURSE, THERE
ARE TONS OF GREAT MOVIES TO SEE
INCLUDING THE OPENING NIGHT
FILM WHICH IS TOMORROW NIGHT.
WE HAVE JOSH LEEKE, THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
FESTIVAL.
FESTIVAL.
FESTIVAL. YOUR FILM IS THE OPENING NIGHT
FILM.
FILM.
FILM. IS
FILM. IS THAT A BIG DEAL?
HOW DO YOU PICK WHAT MOVIE GETS
TO BE THE FIRST ONE?
>> I DON'T PICK.
>> YOU CALL JOSH AND SAY MY
FILM WILL BE FIRST.
>> IT'S BEING ABLE TO KICK OFF
THE FESTIVAL IS OBVIOUSLY A
TREMENDOUS HONOR.
TREMENDOUS HONOR. WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
>> WHAT GOES INTO DECIDING
WHOSE FILM DOES GO FIRST?
>> WE HAD ABOUT 3,000
SUBMISSIONS THIS YEAR AND
WATCHING A LOT OF THEM IT GETS
TO BE A RACE AND WE ALL GOT
INTO A ROOM AND WE HAVE A NEW
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING THIS
YEAR, JOE STEVENS, AND HE
REALLY CONNECTED WITH YOUR
FILM.
FILM.
FILM. IT
FILM. IT WAS REALLY HIS CHOICE.
YOU CAN BUY HIM A DRINK LATER.
>> THIS IS YOUR DIRECTORIAL
DEBUT AND YOU PRODUCED A BUNCH
OF FILMS, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST
ONE YOU DIRECTED.
HAS THAT BEEN A TOTALLY
DIFFERENT PROCESS FOR YOU?
>> I THINK YOU GET TO WATCH
PITFALLS AND ANTICIPATE
PROBLEMS A LITTLE BIT.
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE HAS JUST
BEEN KNOWING WHEN TO TAKE MY
PRODUCER HAT OFF AND SORT OF
LET MYSELF DIRECT AND
THANKFULLY I HAD TERRIFIC
PEOPLE AROUND ME WHO I COULD
TRUST AND OUTSOURCE STUFF.
>> SO WHAT DO PEOPLE GET TO SEE
IN STANDING UP, FALLING DOWN?
>> IT'S ABOUT A STRUGGLING
STANDUP COMEDIAN IN LOS ANGELES
WHO FAILS IN L.A., HAS TO MOVE
HOME TO LONG ISLAND, TAIL
TUCKED BETWEEN HIS LEGS, MOVES
IN WITH HIS MARRIAGE AND
STRIKES UP AN UNLIKELY
FRIENDSHIP WITH HIS POT SMOKING
DERMATOLOGIST.
DERMATOLOGIST. >> THAT'S A LOT OF THINGS.
>> PLAYED BY BILLY CRYSTAL.
>> BILLY CRYSTAL WAS IN THIS
ONE.
ONE.
ONE. WHAT
ONE. WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH
BILLY CRYSTAL?
BILLY CRYSTAL? >> TERRIFIC.
>> TERRIFIC. YOU PINCH YOURSELF BECAUSE FOR
MY FIRST FILM AS A DIRECTOR I
GOT TO WORK WITH SOMEONE THAT
ICONIC AND FOR HIM TO BE I
THINK TURN IN SUCH A BRILLIANT
AND NUANCED PERFORMANCE SUCH A
JOY TO WORK WITH
COLLABORATIVELY WAS REALLY
SPECIAL.
SPECIAL.
SPECIAL. >> IT PREMIERED AT TRIBECA THIS
YEAR.
YEAR.
YEAR. >>
YEAR. >> THAT'S RIGHT, YEAH.
>> WAS HE THERE?
>> HE WAS.
BOTH HIM AND BEN SCHWARTZ WHO
IS THE STRUGGLING STANDUP
COMEDIAN IS A BRILLIANTLY
TALENTED ACTOR, PROBABLY KNOW
HIM FROM PARKS AND RECREATION.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> BUT HE AND BILLY BOTH WERE
INCREDIBLY INVOLVED IN THE
CREATIVE PROCESS.
CREATIVE PROCESS. I THINK WHEN YOU LIKE ANYTHING
ELSE, PART OF THE JOB IS HIRE
GOOD PEOPLE AND THEN EMPOWER
THEM TO DO THEIR BEST WORK.
SO TO HAVE TWO PEOPLE AS
BRILLIANT AS THEY ARE AND NOT
BRING THEM INTO THE PROCESS
WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY SHORT
SIGHTED.
SIGHTED.
SIGHTED. >> A LITTLE COMEDIC DARK COMEDY
KIND OF ALL OVER?
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. I
>> YES. I DESCRIBE IT AS EITHER A FUNNY
DRAMA OR DRAMATIC COMEDY
DEPENDING ON YOUR MOOD, BUT NO,
I THINK HOPEFULLY IT'S A FILM
THAT WILL HAVE YOU LAUGHING
THROUGHOUT AND THEN WITHOUT
BEING TOO HEAVY HANDED ALSO HAS
SOME -- IT'S ABOUT SOMETHING
AND HOPEFULLY PEOPLE WILL BE
ABLE TO TAKE SOME LIFE LESSONS
AWAY FROM IT, TOO.
>> I LOVE IT.
TOMORROW NIGHT AT 6:30,
EVERYTHING AT THE FILM FESTIVAL
THIS YEAR IS AT THE HIGH LOW
HOTEL.
HOTEL.
HOTEL. THEY HAVE TO GO TO ONLY ONE
PLACE, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH
HAPPENING THIS WEEK.
>> I THINK WE HAVE OVER 120
FILMS THAT WE'RE SCREENING
WHICH IS AMAZING AND OVER 53%
OF THE DIRECTORS ARE WOMEN THIS
YEAR, WHICH WE'RE SUPER EXCITED
ABOUT AND EVERY DAY OF THE
FESTIVAL YOU CAN SEE A FILM
MADE BY OR FILMED IN PORTLAND,
WHICH IS GREAT.
WE HAVE -- TODAY IS INDIGENOUS
DAY AND WE HAVE AN INDIGENOUS
TRACK.
TRACK.
TRACK. SO
TRACK. SO YOU CAN WATCH AN INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE EITHER ABOUT OR BY
INDIGENOUS FILMMAKERS EVERY DAY
OF THE FESTIVAL.
WE'VE PARTNERED UP WITH GENERAL
PATTON'S GRANDSON AND MADE SOME
FILMS WITH SOME VETERANS THAT
WE'LL SCREEN SUNDAY.
I'M JUST SUPER EXCITED BECAUSE
IF YOU'RE A FILMMAKER AND
YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SEEING
SOME OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE AND
UP AND COMING INDEPENDENT
VOICES, THIS IS A GREAT
FESTIVAL TO ATTEND.
YOU CAN WATCH MOVIES.
YOU CAN LEARN HOW TO MAKE
MOVIES.
MOVIES.
MOVIES. WE HAVE FREE EVENTS.
IN FACT, YOU CAN GET LUNCH AND
DRINKS EVERY DAY AT 11:30
BETWEEN 11:30 AND 1:00 AND COME
LISTEN TO THE DIRECTORS THAT
ARE PLAYING THEIR FILMS THAT
DAY.
DAY.
DAY. >>
DAY. >> OH.
>> OH.
>> OH. >>
>> OH. >> IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME AND --
>> IF YOU WANT TO HAVE LUNCH
WITH ME TOMORROW --
>> 11:30 AT THE HIGH LOW.
TICKETS AND INFORMATION IS
AVAILABLE AT PORTLANDFILM.ORG.
YOU CAN BUY A PASS OR GET A
TICKET A LA CARTE.
OF COURSE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO
COME DOWN AND SEE THE MOVIES
AND WE'RE BIG FANS OF YOUR
YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
YOUTUBE CHANNEL. >> OH, THANKS!
>> THERE'S TONS OF WRITERS AND
PRODUCERS AND DIRECTORS THAT
WILL BE THERE AND BE ABLE TO
TALK ABOUT WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR
FILM MAKING GAME IF YOU'RE
INTERESTED IN GETTING INTO THE
FIELD.
FIELD.
FIELD. WHAT A GREAT EXAMPLE, SOMEONE'S
FIRST FILM, THEY GET BILLY.
THAT'S JUST WOW.
IT'S AN INSPIRATION AND AS WE
LOOK AT SOME OF OUR ALUMNI FROM
THE FILM FESTIVAL, LAST YEAR WE
HAD ONE OF OUR ALUMNUS WHO HAD
THE BIGGEST GROSSING FILM IN
THE WORLD, JASON MOMOA.
SO IT'S ALWAYS KIND OF COOL TO
SEE SOME OF THE PEOPLE AND
WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO GO.
THIS IS YOUR FIRST MOVIE.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING NEXT?
WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE THAT.
COME OUT AND --
>> ARE YOU WORKING ON SOMETHING
NEW?
NEW?
NEW? >>
NEW? >> ALWAYS, ALWAYS SPINNING
PLATES.
PLATES.
PLATES. I
PLATES. I FEEL LIKE MY KID'S FINALLY
GETTING OFF TO COLLEGE WITH
THIS FILM AND IT'S TIME TO
START THINKING ABOUT WHAT'S
NEXT.
NEXT.
NEXT. >>
NEXT. >> YOU CAN HAVE LUNCH WITH MATT
TOMORROW AND ASK HIM ALL THOSE
QUESTIONS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE
TIME FOR.
TIME FOR.
TIME FOR. >> WE HAVE OVER 80 FILMMAKERS
FROM THE 120 FILMS THAT ARE
COMING TO THE FESTIVAL.
COME DOWN ANY TIME BETWEEN
MONDAY AND THIS UPCOMING SUNDAY
AND YOU CAN WATCH A MOVIE.
>> YOU CAN FIND THE WHOLE
SCHEDULE AND THE DETAILS AT