Alain LeTourneau: Notes

RACC Budget Cuts 2013-2014

Wed, 01 May 2013 18:43:00 -0700

RACC has posted their budget request to the City of Portland. Mayor Hales has asked all city agencies and bureaus to cut their budgets by 10%. This at a time when house sales are on the rise, and new construction returns to many parts of the city. Funny how one can be up, while they other down. In RACC's proposed budget, they will cut $59,840 in project grants. This could be as much as 12 awards. With 2012 being a record year for project grants awarded, it is very sad news to see this as a follow up to last year.

Empty Quarter Spring Tour Ends

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 09:00:00 -0700

Our spring tour with Empty Quarter has come to a close. On March 4th, Empty Quarter screened at Portland State University's 5th Avenue Cinema with the support of the School of Art & Design, School of Film/Theatre, and the Portland Center for the Humanities. Outside of Portland, we had screenings in the mid-west, New England and New York City.

RACC Awards Funds to Swan Island Industrial Park

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:33:00 -0800

The Regional Arts and Culture Council has awarded funding to my photographic survey Swan Island Industrial Park. I will begin and complete this project in 2013. Though I have been engaged in black and white photography for the last 23 years, my photographs have largely served to supplement my moving image work. The Swan Island project will result in my first exhibition of still photographs.

Los Angeles Visit

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:23:00 -0800

We made a 5-day trip to Los Angeles for three engagements. The first, was a screening hosted by the Los Angeles Filmforum at the Egyptian Theatre, in the smaller Spielberg Theatre. Our other stops included Pitzer College in Claremont, and USC. On our last night, a friend took us to Griffith Park, a place I have wanted to see for years. It was the perfect way to end our trip.

Empty Quarter Fall Tour Wraps

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:47:00 -0800

I returned to Portland after being on the road with Empty Quarter. It was our longest tour yet at four weeks. We would like to thank those we met along the way for your interest in the film, as well as your warmth and generosity. It was exciting to see what seems like a growing interest in experimental documentaries and programs that are developing around this hybrid work. I'm thinking of Duke's MFA program, as well as the program at Georgia State in Atlanta. The final show of the tour was part of the San Francisco Cinematheque fall series.

Open Road Awarded NW Film Fund

Sat, 06 Oct 2012 12:11:00 -0700

Open Road was awarded funding from the Northwest Film Fund. The Northwest Film Forum created this fund to help support documentary projects in the region. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Dave Hanagan, Northwest Film Forum staff and board, and this year's jury for selecting Open Road. It's an honor to receive this award from one of the best film organizations in the northwest. I've always respected NWFF commitment to exhibiting important and challenging work, and for working so diligently to support and fund local makers.

Open Road Featured on Portland Architecture

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 21:28:00 -0700

Arts and architecture writer, Brian Libby, posted an article about Open Road on his blog, Portland Architecture. I read PA frequently, so I'm thrilled Open Road is the subject of a PA post. I've known Brian for some time, having first meet when he wrote film reviews for a local weekly. PA is good reading, and covers not only what one would expect from an architecture blog (buildings and their builders), but also focuses on aspects of art and culture in the region, with stories on art openings, interviews with artists, commentary on urban design, mass transit, parks and green space.

Open Road Fundraising on USA Projects

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 05:31:00 -0700

Today is the start of my fundraising campaign on USA Projects. At the link you will find a description of my latest project, Open Road, and a short video clip that talks about my approach to this new project. This is my first attempt at crowd funding, so while I am optimistic about this fund raising platform, I am also finding my way with how to use the tools available to me through USA Projects. One of the great thing about USA Projects is that all donations are tax deductible, and Open Road will also be eligible for matching funds.

EFF Portland This Week

Wed, 23 May 2012 14:37:00 -0700

This week, Grand Detour kicks off Experimental Film Festival Portland. This event marks the return of an annual festival of experimental film/video. One of the programs I'm looking forward to is Jim Trainor, a co-presentation with Cinema Project. Though Trainor's films have shown in Portland over the years, including a program curated by Brian Frye that paired Trainor's The Fetishist with Chrisopher MacLaine's The End, the filmmaker has yet to appear with his films in Portland. This will be the largest collection of his work to be shown in Portland to date.

Spring Tour Wraps, New Projects Ahead

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 12:47:00 -0700

We got back to Portland yesterday afternoon. I must have been tired as I went to bed around 6 pm, sleeping some 13 hours. It's not unusual for me to underestimate the toll traveling can take. That said, the tour was great fun, putting names to faces and meeting a lot of wonderful folks. I will be assembling a schedule for a fall tour in October. We'll return to the midwest and New England, and make stops in a number of southern states. Now that I'm back in Portland, I'll direct my attention to the completion of Open Road, as well as authoring and distributing a DVD of Empty Quarter (for libraries and university film/media programs), doing some grant writing and starting work on a new still photography project.