Portland Festival Celebrates Multicultural Films & Plays

The Pacific Northwest Multicultural Readers Series and Film Festival (PNMC Fest) kicks off its third year on August 14, 2025, in Portland, Oregon. The event includes a film festival, a reader’s series of plays, a formal gala, and master classes. The festival is produced by the Passionary Theatre under the leadership of Artistic Director, Jerry Foster.

This year’s festival ambassador is award-winning actress, playwright, and director, Regina Taylor. Taylor earned a Golden Globe Award, NAACP Image Award and two Emmy nominations for her role as “Lily Harper” in the television drama, I’ll Fly Away. She was the first Black woman to play “Juliet” on Broadway’s Romeo and Juliet. Taylor will kick off PNMC Readers Series with her newest play, Exhibit. Winner of the Theatre Aspen Solo Flights Award, Exhibit is a solo performance written and performed by Taylor.

The PNMC Fest features other celebrity guests from film, television, and theatre. Confirmed attendees include actor Javon Johnson (Tyler Perry’s The Oval, American Soul), actor Roscoe Orman (Sesame Street, The Wire), director Allie Woods (Founder member of the Negro Ensemble Company), Aduleco-award winning playwright Jeannette Hill, award-winning director Bobby Yan, along with an outstanding list of other talented artists.

The reader’s series features nearly thirty scripts will be read, many featuring celebrity actors of stage, film, and television. The film festival will feature thirty independent, award-winning selections and some from overseas representing Italian, French and German artists. The event will screen a special presentation of Bull Street, starring award-winning actress Loretta Devine, a family fights to keep their land amid small-town legal and backroom shenanigans

New to the PNMC Fest this year is Youth Artists Expo. Classes and activities will be held for young people, ages 15-20, interested in filmmaking and theatre. Industry celebrities will also share their experiences of the diverse opportunities available in these professions. Festival “all access” tickets will give attendees access to: Master Classes for skill enhancement in the film and theatre industries, a networking reception and celebrity conversations.

The PNMC Fest runs August 14th-16th and will be hosted entirely at the DoubleTree Hotel located at 1000 NE Multnomah Drive. The first PNMC Fest in 2021 was a virtual gathering with readings and film screenings shared over Zoom. For the full list of events and tickets, please visit at www.pnmcfestival.org.