ABOUT US
JOY, HOPE AND OPTIMISM ON A CHANGED PLANET
A BIT ABOUT OUR HISTORY
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The Gorge Impact Film Festival is the result of three creative people pondering the same thing, bumping into each other at the right time. Unbeknownst to each other Alan, Leith and Sean had the idea of launching a film festival in The Gorge.
Alan, a dedicated-alternative-energy-or-bust-hello-people kinda guy, found himself back in Hood River after a couple of decades away and wanting to connect with community; Leith, can’t-say-no-to-juicy-creative-collaboration was resisting the whole retirement thing, and Sean, socially-conscious-swamped-with-fast-growing-film-production-company-parenting-young-kids-and-building-a-house, just couldn’t say no to a longtime dream to host a stellar film festival in The Gorge.
Somehow, they ended up around a table over coffee. They agreed The Gorge was ready for a premiere film festival, but one with a mission. That is, to start the conversation around what may be the most important question of our time: How does humanity go forward with joy, hope and optimism on a changed planet? The Gorge Impact Film Festival was formed in the fall of 2022 and a year later, it is ready to fledge with hopes of growing an annual multi-day, multi-venue cultural event supported by local communities and representative of our globally shared stories.
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MISSION
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Our mission at the Gorge Impact Film Festival is to explore the question of how humanity moves forward with joy, hope, and optimism on a changed planet. Through thought-provoking films, discussions, and creative engagement, we seek to inspire diverse communities. We embrace underrepresented voices and promote local and regional artists. And by fostering arts-based tourism, we contribute to cultural enrichment and economic growth in the Columbia Gorge area.
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VISION
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The Gorge region, known for its natural beauty and hospitality, is ready to host an annual premiere film festival that draws filmmakers and audiences from our communities and worldwide. In a world grappling with political, social, and environmental challenges, our festival aims to ignite transformative conversations through the art of impact focused film.
How indeed does humanity go forward with joy, hope and optimism on a changed planet? The goal of the Gorge Impact Film Festival is to explore this question.
Photo Credit: Sean O’Connor / Story Gorge
MEET THE TEAM
Sean O'Connor
Co-founder and Board Presedent
Sean is an EMMY® award-winning visual storyteller, passionate media educator, and internationally published photographer.
Since 2001 his work has created socially responsible stories and educated hundreds of students in impact storytelling.
His credits include his most recent internationally award-winning film screening in over 40 countries and translated into 14 languages. Contributions to broadcast television on PBS, as well as still photography publications with Smithsonian Magazine, The Wallstreet Journal, The Boston Globe, National Geographic Adventure, Outside Magazine, High Country News, and others. He has also juried films for The James Beard Foundation Media Awards and the PNW student EMMY® awards.
Leith Gaines
Co-founder and Board Treasurer
Ms. Gaines has been an arts administrator and events producer in private and public sectors for over 25 years. She was the Executive Director of Columbia Center for the Arts from 2019- 2021, and before that spent 11 years as Director of Arts in Education of the Gorge.
Her experience spans from managing operations of non-profit arts organizations to producing live performances, weddings and large fundraisers. She has collaborated with private and public community leaders, artists, event technicians and service vendors. Her passion is collaborating on impactful arts and culture experiences.
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Aly Arnold
Board VP
An Alaskan upbringing Imbued award-winning director and DP, Aly Arnold (nee Nicklas) with a deep love for wild places and wild people. She's a writer, photographer and filmmaker whose work is driven by an innate curiosity for everything on this miraculous planet we live on and a deep commitment to protecting it.
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A lover of natural light and gritty stories, her work is rooted firmly in documentary and sharing truth as best as she can with her camera. Aly is based in White Salmon, WA with her fisherman/photographer husband and their menagerie of children and animals.
Alisa Geiser
Board Member
Alisa is a creative director, producer, publisher and writer who has been making high-impact
media for over twenty years, with a focus on amplifying stories that bridge cultures to create a
more connected, informed and compassionate world. Her award-winning work & viral grassroots
campaigns have raised millions for social and environmental justice causes and garnered
international attention, including from the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian,
Aljazeera, NBC & CNN.
A native New Yorker now at home in Portland, OR, she finds her vibe skiing powder, running
mountain ranges, doting on her cat, reciting cosmic poetry, and simply wandering the
wilderness.
Jim Aikman
Board Member
Jim is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and podcaster with over 20 years of experience in the industry. He's directed and produced stories for dozens of clients and distributors around the world, with a unique creative vision and core integrity. He specializes in character driven stories about adventure, natural history, science and the triumph of the human spirit, creating content for brands including National
Geographic, Google and REI.
