BendFilm is back and celebrating its 16th year as a destination film festival for the Pacific Northwest, once again shepherded by executive director Todd Looby, festival programmer Erik Jambor and a small army of volunteers. In keeping with tradition, this year’s fest has seen another 72-hour Filmmaker Scramble and Future Filmmaker events, while also having […]
todd looby
Posted inNews
Alley Cats
Tin Pan Theater and BendFilm combine
The first time I walked into Tin Pan Theater, I knew I wanted to make it my life. I was hosting trivia at Goodlife Brewing and was looking for prizes to give away. Tin Pan had been open for two weeks, and after Google Maps incorrectly led me to Gasoline Alley, I found my way […]
Posted inBend Nest
Meet Todd Looby, Executive Director of BendFilm and Dad Extraordinaire
What is the single best thing you’ve learned from running a film festival? The assumptions I had previously about the importance of film as a forum to unite, excite and inspire are much truer than I thought. Festivals, when done right, work in the vast majority of communities, but having experienced festivals all over the […]
Posted inNews
Q&A with BendFilm
Ahead of the 2017 fest, a word with the festival’s leaders
The 14th annual BendFilm festival is almost here! Ahead of the fest, Source Editor Nicole Vulcan sat down with BendFilm Director Todd Looby and Festival Programmer Erik Jambor to talk about what they’re looking forward to (everything, of course!), films that speak to a Central Oregon audience (all of them, duh!) and other stuff. Here’s an excerpt of […]
Posted inCulture
Sitting Down with BendFilm’s Todd Looby
Todd Looby has been with BendFilm for a few years now, and with his team of programmers, workers and volunteers, has crafted a festival that Bend can be proud of. Here Todd takes a few minutes to talk about his favorite movie, the culture of film and what he’s looking forward to in this year’s […]
Posted inCulture
BendFilm Kickoff Party Goes Glam
Crisp autumn air in Bend means a number of things, but perhaps most exciting is the return of the BendFilm Festival. This year’s festival, which takes place October 8-11 and marks its 12th year, includes 15 narratives, 16 documentaries, and 50 shorts. For the second year in a row, G5 hosts the BendFilm Kickoff Party […]
Posted inCulture
Triple Threat Todd Looby
BendFilm director brings filmmaking, business, and nonprofit experience
When Todd Looby was growing up in a middle class neighborhood on the south side of Chicago in a community full of cops, firemen and teachers, arts were not particularly encouraged. “Art was not a hugely celebrated thing,” the largely self-taught filmmaker said. “In recent years, it has gotten better, but I had to discover […]