Portland's scrappy independent-film scene is getting another big-screen moment this weekend, when a locally backed short rolls into the Hollywood Theatre. The screening gives a grassroots production built with neighborhood support a marquee night in one of the city's most recognizable movie houses.
Directed by Portland filmmaker Thom Hilton, Waking Up From a Nap on a Long Day of Doing Nothing follows a young painter guided by his best friend and a mystical grandfather on a surreal skateboard trip through the city, according to KATU. The short stars Portland performer Anthony Hudson and was supported by more than 75 local donors and 30 business sponsors.
The Hollywood booking is the film's latest local stop, not its first public premiere. Willamette Week reported that the movie opened with a sold-out May 7 screening at Clinton Street Theater before continuing its summer run around Oregon.
A DIY Portland Production With A Very Local Footprint
The movie treats Portland almost like a supporting character, sending its central duo across more than 50 miles of streets, parks and landmarks while they skate toward Ezra's first gallery show. Axios Portland reported that the production relied on local relationships rather than major arts grants, with friends, skateboarders and restaurant owners helping bring it together.
Hilton's original Indiegogo campaign sought $12,000 for production and post-production, pitched a film inspired by offbeat hangout movies and offered local donors the chance to appear as extras. The screenplay had already picked up recognition in several competitions, including a best-screenplay award at the Bridgeport Film Festival.
The finished short leans into anxiety beneath the whimsy: Ezra is supposed to be celebrating his first gallery show, but spends much of the day worrying about how his art will be received. A review by the Portland Mercury framed the film as a dreamy portrait of Portland, creative ambition and the uneasy business of trying to relax into one's own life.
Why The Hollywood Theatre Screening Stands Out
The screening arrives just after the Hollywood Theatre celebrated its 100th birthday with a week of rare prints, live organ accompaniment and archival programming. As Hoodline's centennial report noted, the theater is also part of a broader effort to build a Hollywood film district connecting the theater with Movie Madness and additional screening spaces.
That makes Hilton's film a particularly fitting guest: a community-financed movie about Portland creatives landing at a nonprofit cinema that has made local film culture part of its identity. In other words, the short's route from crowdfunding campaign to neighborhood movie palace is almost as Portland as the skateboard odyssey onscreen.
The Hollywood Theatre's showtime listing places the double feature with Go at 7 p.m. Saturday at 4122 NE Sandy Blvd. The program offers a chance to see Hilton's short in a full theater setting, where its strange streets, nervous artist and community-made spirit can finally take up the big screen.
