Filmed by Bike Fest Calls for Entries

Crowd waits to enter Filmed By Bike festival at Clinton Street Theater, Portland, OR.(Credit: Ayleen Crotty)

By Elizabeth Godley

PORTLAND, OR - The 8th Annual Filmed by Bike festival - of short bicycle-themed movies - is calling for entries. The only large-scale festival of its kind in North America, it will run from April 16 to 18, 2010, at the Clinton Street Theater in Portland, OR, with an opening-night street party.

Filmed by Bike is a festival of bike-themed independent short films from around the world, said organizer Ayleen Crotty. Submissions must be no more than eight minutes long and must focus on the central theme of bikes. Deadline for entries is February 15, 2010. For entry information, click here.

"We open the street in front of the theater for a beer garden, entertainers, bike dance troupes, DJs and so on,” said Crotty, who started Filmed by Bike eight years ago “to celebrate the artistic side of bicycle culture and to showcase bikes on the silver screen.”

Still from "Lords of the Chain Ring," a festival fave in 2005.(Credit: Adam Katzman)

“An advanced and mature society is one that recognizes, nurtures, revels in and celebrates its creative class, its art and culture,” Crotty added. “Here in Portland, our bike culture is way beyond the basics and we are wholly embracing our place in society as more than just bikers.”

Hundreds of international entries are submitted, but only about 30 make the final cut. “Our jury of esteemed bicycle and film enthusiasts from the Portland-Seattle area makes that tough decision,” she said.

Filmed by Bike is “creating bike community across borders,” Crotty added. “Our international festival offers a glimpse of bike cultures around the globe.” Moreover, DVDs are purchased by people all over the world, and people from across the region flock to Portland for the festival. “In 2008, there were so many people coming down from Seattle that Amtrak sold out all of their available bike spaces.”

You can watch some of the films shown in previous festivals at FilmedByBike.org/watch. Filmed by Bike supports the Multnomah County Bike Fair, a one-day festival of bicycle mayhem that takes place every June at Colonel Summers Park in Portland, OR.