Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology

Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology (PFCAT) embraces cutting-edge technology and its role in modern filmmaking. We are looking for amazing new films and animated works and the visionary voices behind them. Our event takes place at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), home to the Empirical Theater, which is a 300 seat IMAX. OMSI was recognized as the #1 Science Museum in the 2024 Newsweek Readers Choice.

In addition to 100+ film screenings in two theaters and our annual award ceremony, the festival includes various parties, networking events, and panel discussions in the Kendall Planetarium.

We are open to a wide variety of films and animated projects. In fact, many of our official selections and award winners do not have technology as a main point of focus. The “technology” part of the festival's name also refers to the cutting-edge tech we incorporate in festival screenings.

Since a picture really is worth a thousand words, we encourage you to check out our photo section, as it speaks volumes about what PFCAT filmmakers can expect when attending, namely large crowds and a high-quality screening experience.

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Networking Opportunities

We believe that meeting other people is a key part of the festival experience and that’s why we host parties, informative panels, and special events. PFCAT events are attended by entertainment industry people including animation and visual effects professionals from companies like Disney, LAIKA, Industrial Light and Magic, Pixar, and Shadowmachine. These festival networking events are designed to help participating filmmakers meet interesting people in a fun and memorable way.
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Jury and Awards

2023 PFCAT jury members have received recognition for their work on Oscar and Annie nominated films, are Guggenheim Fellows and have directed for many of the entertainment industry’s largest players from 20th Century Fox, HBO, and MGM to Netflix and more.

Our one-of-a-kind awards are created by one of Portland's favorite local artists, Mike Bennett. Many of our award winning filmmakers have commented that their PFCAT award is the best award they have ever received.
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Portland is the "Second Hollywood of Animation"

In 2023, we screened numerous animated shorts and features, as well as a special presentation from legendary animator and 2X Oscar nominee Bill Plympton. Portland, Oregon is home to some of the world’s top animation companies and animators. At the 2023 event, Plympton noted that Portland is the “second Hollywood of animation.”
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Festival History

Previously a touring festival (International Festival of Cinema and Technology), the festival rebranded in 2022 to reflect our home in Portland, Oregon.

Since its inception, the festival has screened 1200+ films including hundreds of World Premieres and Regional Premieres. And we’ve had the pleasure to host hundreds of judges and filmmakers from around the globe. PFCAT has proudly been a stop for some of the very best independent shorts, features, animations, documentaries and other projects during their festival runs. Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure to screen works that range from microbudget projects to those created by the most accomplished filmmakers, featuring some of the world’s favorite actors.

Past Cities: Brisbane, Melbourne & Sydney, Toronto, Paris, Quezon City, London, Sheffield, Burlington, Los Angeles, New York City, Orlando, Portland, OR, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

Our 22 Past Venues Include: Oregon Museum of Science & Industry, CN Tower-Maple Leaf Theater, The Canadian Broadcast Centre, The Sony Theatre Culver City-LA, Fox Studios in Sydney, CNIT (Centre National des Industries et Techniques) Paris, Tribeca Grand Scene-NYC, The Ontario Science Center, Federation Square Melbourne, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Northwest Film Forum, Seattle, The Horse Hospital-London, Metro Arts, Brisbane, and Universal Citywalk Orlando.