This isn’t a boring Bend film school classroom. This isn’t an overcrowded college laboratory. This is life. Real Life. YOUR LIFE.

FILM CONNECTION is the alternative to film school in Bend, Oregon. In just six to nine months (approximately) you can complete your real-world filmmaking training as an extern to a working film or television professional, who serves as your instructor/mentor. You’ll gain valuable hands-on experience on real film or video shoots, and you’ll have the opportunity to make vital industry connections along the way. In fact, many FILM CONNECTION graduates get hired before or shortly after graduation. You could be one of them! Let us show you what we can do for your career!

Get Real World Film Production Experience in Bend

Bend, Oregon is located in the central part of the state, with the Cascade Mountains to the west and the high desert to the east. Bend is an up-and-coming area, with a growth rate of nearly 50 percent over the past decade, and with a current population of around 82,000 people. The abundance of diverse natural beauty in this area, plus its convenient position within driving distance of metro areas like Portland and Seattle, make Bend a prime spot for location filming. If you are considering a career in filmmaking as a film director, film producer, film editor, or cameraman, Bend can be an excellent alternative to relocating to Los Angeles.

Meet Our Mentors

Adam Weber

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Daniel Lir

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Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs

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Alejandra Huerta

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Daniela Larsen

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Our Bend Film Industry Mentors Help you Build Real World Connections

Some of the movies that have been filmed in Bend and surrounding regions include The Postman, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. Bend has also been a location for popular Disney classics The Apple Dumpling Gang and Hot Lead & Cold Feet, as well as documentaries like Sasquatch, the Legend of Bigfoot.

Don’t Spend More on your Film Education if You Don’t Have to

FILM CONNECTION is the alternative to film school in Bend, Oregon. In just six to nine months (approximately) you can complete your real-world filmmaking training as an extern to a working film or television professional, who serves as your instructor/mentor. You’ll gain valuable hands-on experience on real film or video shoots, and you’ll have the opportunity to make vital industry connections along the way.

Learn the skills you need to take your idea from paper to the big screen.

Real world film education by filmmakers for filmmakers, optimized for today!

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Success stories

Since he started his extern program with Uptone Pictures in Raleigh, NC, Grant Gilbert has been taking…

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Please take the time to read the experiences of one of our own, Korey Hehn of Pineville, OR…

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The Film Connection program provided me with an opportunity to "see it and believe it"!…

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