– OCTOBER 26 AT CINEMA 21
Filmed by Bike founder, Ayleen Crotty, retiring as festival director
Portland, Ore. (September 21, 2023) – Portland’s locally produced Filmed by Bike Festival will celebrate its 21-year history with a special Greatest Hits Show curated by outgoing Founder and Festival Director Ayleen Crotty, an accomplished artist and bicycle advocate. The Filmed by Bike Greatest Hits Show will feature award-winning films, crowd favorites and rare gems from the archives. The one-night screening will be held at Cinema 21 on October 26 from 6:30 to 9 p.m., with a live streaming option. Tickets are $15 in person and $12 streaming and are now available at Filmed by Bike.
Festival Director Ayleen Crotty launched the Filmed by Bike Festival in Portland in 2003. Since then it has become a beloved film festival both in Portland and on the traveling film circuit around the country. The Filmed by Bike tour program is licensed by 20 to 50 locations every year and used in fundraisers that bolster cycling communities and inspire people to ride bikes.
“The festival started in 2003 as a small gathering of local filmmakers to celebrate Portland’s distinct bike culture and has amassed a cult following of global filmmakers and bike enthusiasts around the world,” says Crotty, who is retiring after 21 years as festival director.
Portland filmmaker Mike Vogel, who has had many films featured at the festival, says Filmed by Bike creates a special experience. “As a professional filmmaker, I never really felt I had a film community, until I found Filmed by Bike,” he says.
Passing the Torch
Filmed by Bike has paralleled the global rise in cycling over the past two decades from a recreational, professional and social justice angle, with curated film programs that bring people together through a shared love of cycling.
“I had the amazing opportunity to create this film festival, and now it is time to see where it can go next,” says Crotty. “Filmed by Bike has been an artistic and advocacy dream come true, and the impact we’ve made on communities around the world has had a lasting effect, including our BIPOC filmmaker grants that showcase the diversity of our bicycle culture.”
Before the festival finds a new owner, Crotty will curate one final show as her gift to the bike and film community. “I found old VHS tapes in our archives with movies shown at the first-ever Filmed by Bike, held at the former La Palabra Café-Press,” says Crotty. “Including a few of these films in the final show will offer a unique glimpse into Portland’s gritty, creative early bike scene.”
For more information and tickets, please visit Filmed by Bike or follow us on Instagram and Facebook, or go here to view the Filmed by Bike Greatest Hits Show trailer.
