at the 2006 Filmed by Bike.
(Photo © J. Maus)
Filmed by Bike is gearing up for its biggest year ever. A truly homegrown success story, the event (April 11-13) has flowered from humble beginnings in 2003 into the West Coast’s premiere bike-themed film festival.
This year, organizers expect over 2,000 attendees to join in, “a celebration of the artistic side of cycling,” at one of eight screenings of 37 films from around the world.
For the past few years, opening night has been a mob scene where bike and film lovers from far and wide descend on the smallish Clinton Street Theater in southeast Portland for what organizer Ayleen Crotty calls the, “opening night throwdown.”
Crotty is one of Portland’s bike culture pioneers. She was riding through the streets, taking part in Portland’s unique brand of creative “bike fun” activism, long before Portland was on the map as a bike culture hotbed.
(Photo © J. Maus)
Formerly the program director at the non-profit Community Cycling Center, Crotty now promotes bike events for a living — and she’s a master of the craft. Crotty’s influence and energy can be seen at such major events as the Portland Century, the Hottest Day of the Year Ride, and many others.
But with Filmed by Bike, Crotty is working off the clock. The event is a labor of love that she has nurtured into one of Portland’s most-anticipated bike events of the year (it’s also a fundraiser for the Multnomah County Bike Fair).
A former photography major in college, Crotty says beyond the obvious link to bikes, what draws her in is the creative side of the festival. “I’m an artist who puts no time into my artwork, and this is a tremendous creative outlet. It’s really refreshing to be involved with the artists who made the event poster, to go through all the submissions, and to work with the amazing filmmakers.”
Crotty said the festival is her way to, “merge the art and cycling cultures together.”
The 37 films (from all over the world) that will be shown during this year’s festival are an engaging look into the art, culture and drama of the bicycle. From raging zombie unicyclists, to a touching profile of a bike messenger, bike love stories, and a film that makes even recumbents seem cool — there promises to be something for everyone at this year’s Filmed by Bike.
If you plan on going Friday night, show up early if you want to get a seat. And if you plan to take the train down from Seattle, you might be out of luck. Last year, Amtrak sold out of all its bike spaces during Filmed by Bike weekend.
Check out all the latest festival info at FilmedbyBike.org.