WILD to Premiere in Portland with Star-Studded Screening
Oregon Film and Travel Oregon Partner to Help Showcase Oregon's Starring Role in Film
PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Oregon is ready for its close up. On Dec. 8, the cast and crew of the movie WILD, based on the best-selling book by Cheryl Strayed, will be in Portland to showcase the movie, which was filmed almost entirely within Oregon.
"Oregon's stunning and diverse landscapes played a crucial part in landing this role for Oregon," said Governor Kitzhaber. "When a destination such as Oregon is featured so prominently in a film, it can bring much-needed economic impact to rural areas through cast and crew expenditures and increased tourism, which can lead to more jobs for Oregonians throughout the state."
The economic impact of WILD commenced last year in Oregon, when more than 200 cast and crew and 600 extras were hired to work on the film and at least 150 local vendors engaged in shoots throughout the state. The positive effect was widespread, with more locations shot throughout Oregon than any other film to date. Fox Searchlight considered California, New Mexico and Washington before selecting Oregon as the backdrop for the film.
"The difficulty in deciding where to shoot WILD stemmed from the unique nature of the story: it was a road movie…done entirely on foot," said Tim Williams, executive Director of Oregon Film. "Along the way, the audience needed to see some of the most dramatic settings in western America - from high desert to deep snow drifts."
Oregon's widely varying and scenic terrain, along with the ease of incentives offered by Oregon Film, were two of the reasons Fox Searchlight chose to spend three months shooting almost every scene in WILD within Oregon.
"The film is a tribute to the beauty of Oregon and the Pacific Crest Trail," said Todd Davidson, Travel Oregon CEO. "We anticipate an increase in visitation to the iconic spots highlighted in WILD, such as Crater Lake, Ashland, the Bridge of the Gods in Cascade Locks all of the scenic vistas detailed in the book that come across so well in the movie."
The movie regales the tale of Cheryl Strayed's transformative experience while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Hiking is a much-loved activity in Oregon, with studies suggesting that nearly 35% of visitors participate in this activity while visiting the state. Which is no small number, given that more than 26 million travelers chose Oregon as a vacation destination in 2013, contributing greatly to the $9.6 billion the travel and tourism industry generates for the state's economy, directly supporting nearly 94,000 jobs.
In order to elevate Oregon's starring role in this much-anticipated film, Oregon Film and Travel Oregon collaborated with industry partners throughout the state to donate Oregon products for the Pacific Northwest-themed red-carpet premiere in L.A. and to partner with Fox Searchlight on a contest called #LifeIsWild. The contest invites intrepid travelers to share their great-outdoors experiences by posting photos to Instagram and Twitter using the hashtags #LifeIsWild and #Contest. The Grand Prize Winner, to be selected by Cheryl Strayed and Reese Witherspoon, will receive a trip for two to Oregon, taking in some of the state's top attractions, from Portland's lively cultural scene to the stunning beauty of Crater Lake and, of course, the Pacific Crest Trail. The contest ends on Dec. 12.
Moreover, Travel Oregon is working with international media in Japan, Germany, U.K., Scandinavia and Australia to leverage Oregon's role in the movie with an international audience, further inspiring travel to the state.
The Oregon Governor's Office of Film & Television (The Oregon Film Office) has been helping productions find, secure, and utilize our magnificent locations since 1968. Our mission is to promote the development of the film, video, and multimedia industry in Oregon, and to enhance the industry's revenues, profile, and reputation within Oregon and among the industry internationally. www.OregonFilm.org
The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, works to enhance visitors' experience by providing information, resources and trip planning tools that inspire travel and consistently convey the exceptional quality of Oregon. The commission aims to improve Oregonians' quality of life by strengthening economic impacts of the state's $9.6 billion tourism industry that employs nearly 94,000 Oregonians. www.TravelOregon.com
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SOURCE Travel Oregon; Oregon Film
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