Our Northwest Tracking programs showcase the work of independent filmmakers living and working in the Northwest—Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington—whose work reflects the vibrant cinematic culture of the region. Whether presenting single artist retrospectives, new features, documentaries, or inspired collections of short works, Northwest Tracking offers testimony to the creativity and talent in our flourishing media arts community.

Czech cinema has been in the forefront of world cinema since the emergence of such great talents as Milos Forman, Jirí Menzel, and Vera Chytilová in the 1960s and up through a generation that came of age in the 1990s including such distinctive voices as Jan Sverák, Jan Hrebejk, Saša Gedeon, Petr Zelenka, and David Ondrícek. Bringing things up to today, this program features the best in recent Czech cinema, opening with WALKING TOO FAST, a multiple award winner from director Radim Špacek, who will be on hand to present his film. Among the other highlights are LEAVING, the film-directing debut of playwright and former Czech president the late Václav Havel, and FOUR SUNS, the latest drama from Bohdan Sláma which premiered at Sundance and the International Film Festival Rotterdam this past winter.

The program has been organized by the Czech Film Center and the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles and curated by Irena Kovarova. Our thanks go to the Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic in Portland and to the sponsorship of Becherovka, the host of our post-film opening night reception with director Radim Špacek. Additional support is provided by the Czech Center New York.

All films in Czech with English subtitles unless otherwise noted.

A Wienie King and the godfather of soul. A high-strung reporter hunting for ghosts and a transsexual rock artist looking for love. Zombie gore and a drugstore cowboy. For cinematic delights this far-flung, it can only be Top Down. Join us atop the Hotel deLuxe’s parking garage at SW 15th and Yamhill for our annual celebration of cinema under the stars. Doors open at 7 p.m., with food and beverages provided by Gracie’s Restaurant, Sierra Nevada, and TAZO Tea and live bands brought to you by Music Millennium. Screenings begin at dusk. Bring a sand chair, pillow, or blanket, but please, no pets or outside food or drink. A light jacket or sweater recommended.

Thank you to everyone who helped fund our Top Down Kickstarter campaign!

CASH ONLY EVENT

Thanks to our sponsors: Hotel deLuxe, Peter Corvallis Productions, Music Millennium, Gracie’s Restaurant, KIND Healthy Snacks, TAZO Tea, Sierra Nevada, Portland Mercury, Yelp! Portland, and 94.7 FM.

This touring series of recent films from Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America offers a unique survey of contemporary filmmaking from areas where economic realities make film storytelling—and the opportunity to reach international audiences—a challenge. Accomplished, entertaining, and thought provoking, the films are deeply rooted in the social and political realities of the countries where their talented and resourceful makers live. Organized by the Global Film Initiative, Global Lens is one of the non-profit organization’s many granting, distribution, and education initiatives promoting cross-cultural understanding through cinema and the growth of global film communities.

Inspired by his book of the same title, Mark Cousins’ 15-hour history of the cinema spans the silent era to today’s digital age. Produced over the course of six years, Cousins’ very personal, self-produced series explores the history of an art form, not an industry, focusing on the creative individuals and innovators who have molded and advanced film since the pioneering efforts of Louis Lumière in 1895. THE STORY OF FILM’S perspective is global, with director interviews and surprising clips from key foreign cinema traditions. The result is not only wide-ranging and knowledgeable but brimming with a love of movies. “A semester-long film studies survey course compressed into 15 brisk, sometimes contentious hours.”—The New York Times. Shown in five three-hour segments.

Series pass: $35 general, $30 Silver Screen Club Friends

Japan's oldest movie studio, Nikkatsu (Japan Cinematograph Company), founded in 1912, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Throughout the decades, its output has included early dramas, wild ’50s and ’60s action films—westerns, comedies, crime thrillers, and teen rebellion pictures—for which it is most famous, and even soft-core “roman Porno’’ which dominated its 1970s and ’80s productions. Over the years, such acclaimed films as Kon Icikawa’s BURMESE HARP and KOKORO, Shohei Imamura’s PIGS AND BATTLESHIPS and PROFOUND DESIRE OF THE GODS, Kenji Suzuki’s TOKYO DRIFTER and GATE OF FLESH, and Kenji Mizoguchi’s HOMETOWN were produced by the studio, films that also helped launch the careers of some of Japan’s most successful actors. This six-film, genre-crossing tribute dives deeper into the studio’s eclectic library to present some lesser-seen works that give testimony to the diverse talents the studio employed.

Special thanks to the Nikkatsu Corporation, the Japan Foundation, and the Consulate-General of Japan in Portland for making these rare 35mm prints available.

SPECIAL ADMISSION: $5. Thanks to the Japan Foundation.