Portland Film Festivals
Check out our guide to the city's top cinematic events.
Portland hosts more than 20 film festivals every year. Here’s an overview of some of the city’s top cinematic events.
Portland Jewish Film Festival
(January)
Hosted by the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education and featuring both short and full-length films, the Portland Jewish Film Festival explores the complexity, history, and joy of Jewish life. The films are all new releases presented at PSU’s Lincoln Performance Hall. After each screening, a question and answer session allows audiences to further explore the themes and context of the films.
Portland International Film Festival (PIFF)
(February)
Founded in 1977, the Portland International Film Festival (PIFF) now draws an audience of more than 35,000 attendees, making it the biggest film event in Oregon. More than 100 films — including features and international shorts — premiere each year at the largest festival presented by PAM CUT.
Filmed by Bike
(May)
In a city that loves bicycling almost as much as it loves movies, it’s only natural that there’s a festival celebrating both. Filmed by Bike is a two-day festival at the Hollywood Theatre, screening bike-themed independent short movies from around the world. In all, about 30 films, all under eight minutes in length, celebrate bike culture.
Flicks on the Bricks
(July)
Gather up the family and head to Pioneer Courthouse Square for free movies and popcorn under the stars. Flicks on the Bricks transforms Portland’s Living Room into Portland’s largest outdoor movie theater. Arrive early to score one of the limited theater-style seats, or bring your own low-back chairs, blankets or cushions.
Portland Film Festival
(October–November)
The Portland Film Festival brings a broad diversity of independent voices together on one stage. In 2021, the festival will screen over 150 films from around the world virtually, along with offering limited screening pods for in-person viewing.
QDoc: Portland Queer Documentary Film Festival
(November)
QDoc is the first festival of its kind in the United States and only the second in the world devoted exclusively to documentaries with queer content. QDoc aims to engage with the core issues of queer identity in politics, history, culture, family, aging and coming out issues, queer diversity, gender identity and sexuality. Films screen at the Hollywood Theatre.
Fungi Film Fest
(December)
A festival featuring films and shorts highlighting the magical worlds of mushrooms, lichens and micro-fungi shot by filmmakers of all backgrounds. In 2022, the Fungi Film Fest celebrates all things fungi with over two hours of film time from sixteen different films from ten different countries. Films are screened at Cinema 21 in Northwest Portland.
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