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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 23, 2022)
March 23, 2022 Page 7 Arts & ENTERTAINMENT Insecurity, Loneliness and Rejection Portland filmmaker on dating scene horrors Filmmaker Sommer Martin is back again with the release of a horror short film, Swipe Left. In a timely message of missing Black and Indigenous women in America, Swipe Left story is of two individuals from diverse backgrounds, dealing with inse- curity, loneliness, and consistent rejection using online dating to connect in the notorious dating scene in Portland. One of the characters responds with deep disappointment, the other with blind rage. Swipe Left stars Portland KOIN-6 Anchor Ken Boddie as himself, Fallyn Burton as Vanessa, Rollyn Staf- ford as Frederick, and Marlena Littleton as Mikayla. Sommer Camp Productions, LLC., a film, and television com- pany, launched in November 2020 to redefine Oregon's film and television industry by em- phasizing and highlighting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in horror. "Starting a horror production company was a natural progres- sion of my work," Martin said. "I've always been an avid fan of horror, and I want to see people who look like me in front and be- hind the scenes. I don't normally see this in my reality, so I decided to create it." Born and raised in Portland, Sommer has a B.S. in Mass Com- munications and Theater from Tennessee State University and an M.S. in Multimedia Journalism from the University of Oregon. A timely message about the epidemic of missing Black and Indigenous women is captured in She's currently the Director of Portland filmmaker Sommer Martin’s short film Swipe Left. Downtown Marketing for the Port- Part of the inspiration for 64,000-75,000 Black women and year internet predators reportedly land Business Alliance and, in her Swipe Left is the real-life statis- girls are currently missing in the commit more than 16,000 abduc- free time, enjoys the arts, spending tics of missing Black women in U.S., according to the Women's tions, 100 murders and thousands time with family, and volunteering the United States. An estimated Media Center. In addition, each of rapes. for humanitarian efforts. Some classes can change the course of everything. From carpentry and construction to computer science, Career and Technical Education classes may be the path to your passion. Talk to your school counselor or visit Oregon.gov/CTE to learn more. The CTE brand logo, brand positioning, theme, and brand extensions are the property of NASDCTEc.