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From its start as a film club in 2009, the Portland Film Festival has curated a series of diverse and fascinating film submissions, shown to a community that’s always been passionate about its locally sourced art diet. Each year, a wider net gets cast for artists who might not get the proper attention otherwise, all with the help of founder Joshua Leake and PFF’s countless volunteers.
With 78 films screening running Oct. 16–20 online and at McMenamins Kennedy School—the main theater, the cozier Moth and Butterfly theaters, and the school gym—these four movies can’t reflect all the new voices the festival’s organizers spotlight for its 13th year. But for anyone who needs a jump-off point for one of the city’s most earnest film festivals, these recommendations make for a damn fine start.
Queen of the Ring (2024, dir. Ash Avildsen)
Adapted from a 2009 book of the same name by Jeff Leen, Queen of the Ring is a feminist biopic about Depression-era pro wrestler Mildred Burke (Emily Bett Rickards). At a time when women’s wrestling was largely banned in the professional American leagues, Burke became the sport’s first million-dollar female athlete with a career spanning almost 20 years. The combined star power of supporting players like Josh Lucas (Ford v Ferrari), Walton Goggins (Fallout) and Deborah Ann Woll (Marvel’s Daredevil) make this a perfect measure of ingredients that should be irresistible to the public. 6:30 pm Thursday, Oct 17.
That Happened (2024, dir. Robin Lane)
Qualifying for both the Documentary Feature and Portland categories given its Portland-based production, That Happened is the first full-length film from Lane’s touring physical theater company, DOJUMP, first founded in 1975. Described as a “theater-circus-danceumentary,” That Happened follows dancers and musicians from 2020 to 2024, all struggling through COVID and continuing to do what they love under these conditions. We see these forms of self-expression captured through intimate dances both in person and virtually, as a narrative is formed about a group of individuals trying to continue living through their art amid the most surreal circumstances. That Happened easily stands out among COVID docs and dramas that seem to forget the importance of experimentation and creativity revealed during this pandemic’s onset. 6 pm Friday, Oct. 18.
The Book of Jobs (2024, dir. Kayci Lacob)
There’s a hefty amount of intriguing submissions in the Competition category, a selection of the festival’s most-discussed films facing off for jury prizes like Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, etc., but The Book of Jobs stands out. The premise feels very specific and personal, yet with an open-ended theme that should make viewers curious to see how it plays out. Claudia (Victoria Pedretti), a Silicon Valley-raised entrepreneur, speaks at a book-signing event for her newly published memoir. In the wake of Steve Jobs returning to Apple, she reflects back on her life, especially as a teenager (Abigail Donaghy) dealing with the marriage trials and tribulations of her parents (Judy Greer, Rich Somner). There seem to be a few coming-of-age submissions among this year’s crop, yet this one has far different aspirations about growing up alongside your influences. Jobs’ presence looms large in Claudia’s life as she uses him as inspiration to keep moving herself forward in her life and career. Most compelling here is the difference that’ll be shown between the progression of ‘90s Apple technology versus the slickness of its current days, along with a seemingly accessible tale about persevering for your dreams. 5:45 pm Saturday, Oct. 19.
To Kill a Wolf (2024, dir. Kelsey Taylor)
Described as a modern reimagining of “Little Red Riding Hood,” To Kill a Wolf follows an isolated woodsman (Ivan Martin) who only leaves his remote forest home for trips to the grocery store. When he finds a teenage runaway named Dani (Maddison Brown) passed out near his property, the woodman agrees to accompany her to her grandmother’s house. The two bond over their pasts, and gradually trust each other in this coming-of-age thriller filmed entirely on location in Rhododendron, billed as “the Oregon Wilderness.” Nature is a character unto itself, and a beautiful selling point for audiences eager to bask in the state’s gorgeous scenery, filtered through a compelling lens centering on trauma and redemption. 10:15 am Sunday, Oct 20.
SEE IT: 13th Annual Portland Film Festival at McMenamins Kennedy School, 5736 NE 33rd Ave., 503-249-3983, portlandfilm.org. $8–$15.