From the Portland Tribune...
There’s no shortage of female movie stars, but when it comes to writing, directing and editing, it’s a different story. The Portland Women’s Film Festival (nicknamed the POW Fest) aims to promote and encourage female filmmakers with screenings of their work, as well as workshops and panel discussions.
The POW Fest had its start in 2003, with a series of films that screened at a small Northeast Portland screening room. The original organizer, Tony Fuentes, remains on the festival board. After a hiatus, some reorganizing, and some fundraising, the festival is being relaunched this year by the local production company Sour Apple Productions.
“Really, it’s a kind of rebirth,” says Tara Johnson-Mediger, who runs Sour Apple with business partner Stephani Skalak. “We are coming out strong.”
Johnson-Mediger, a 37-year-old Salem native, worked in television, first in Eugene and then in Los Angeles. While in L.A., she developed an interest in film and began moonlighting as a producer.
She founded Sour Apple in Portland in 2004. The company produces documentary and narrative films, and, in addition to the POW Fest, is gearing up for a revamped version of the 10 or Less Film Festival, which is dedicated to short films.
