10 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
PROJECTING THE
HUMAN SPIRIT
The 11th annual Astoria International Film Festival —
Oct. 20-22 at the Liberty Theatre — features foreign films,
American classics, documentaries and regional filmmakers’ shorts
By KATHERINE LACAZE
FOR COAST WEEKEND
R
on Craig, the executive direc-
tor and founder of the Astoria
International Film Festival,
feels such a strong connection to the
city of Paris he believes he might have
walked its backstreets in a past life.
His affinity for the place led to a love
of cinema that motivates him to this
day.
“For me, it’s part of my roots,” he
said of the French capital, which he
visits habitually.
Craig’s fondness for France as the
birthplace of cinema and a creative
hub of artists from around the
world endows the upcoming festival
— taking place Friday through
Sunday, Oct. 20 through 22, at the
Liberty Theatre — with a multicultur-
al richness. And his affection for the
Pacific Northwest and its homegrown
talent gives the annual event a local
flair.
A self-described “black Bohemian”
from Portland who has found suc-
cess as a filmmaker and author — he
bears his talent and accomplishments
humbly — Craig feels education is an
important part of what he can contrib-
ute to the region’s culture.
Now in its 11th year, the film
festival is a “vehicle to deliver that
education,” he said.
Viewers can check out foreign
films, American classics, documen-
taries and shorts created by regional
filmmakers, all threaded together by a
theme: “The Human Spirit.”
SHOWTIMES
FRIDAY, OCT. 20
5 to 6:40 p.m. A Man Called Ove
7 to 8:30 p.m. Whiplash
8:45 to 10:30 p.m. Dina
SATURDAY, OCT. 21
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. POW: Portland Or-
egon Women’s Film Festival (shorts)
1:15 to 2:45 p.m. I Am Not Your Negro
3 to 4 p.m. Forum: I Am Not Your
Negro
4:30 to 6:15 p.m. Neither Wolf Nor
Dog
6:30 to 7:45 p.m. America’s First Food-
ie, The Noble Spirit
8 to 9:30 p.m. A Tribute to James
Beard (at Baked Alaska)
SUNDAY, OCT. 22
11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Croissants &
Coffee
12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Neither Wolf Nor Dog
4:20 to 5:50 p.m. The Defiant Ones
‘I Am Not Your Negro’
Perhaps the most important aspect
of the film festival is promoting social
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Ron Craig, the founder of the Astoria
International Film Festival, poses with a
statue of Sacagawea at Fort Clatsop in
the fall of 2016. Craig incorporates local
history and lesser-known historical fig-
ures as prominent features of the festival.
consciousness — bringing awareness to
topics that are sensitive, controversial
or ignored.
“I always felt I wanted people to
scratch their heads going out of the door
after seeing a film,” Craig said. “To be
able to do that is really important.”
This year’s festival will feature “I
Am Not Your Negro,” a 2016 documen-
tary based on an unfinished manuscript
by American writer and social critic
James Baldwin.