Slated for demolition in the 1990s with its doors closed in 1986, the Holly Theatre in Medford reopened last Thursday, March 13, with opening ceremonies and a live performance by the Piano Guys to a full house. The revitalization of downtown Medford through the Holly, helped by all the volunteers, donors and people of Ashland’s Jefferson Public Radio, took more than 13 years and $13 million.
Haleigh Martin: The festival is designed to inspire and engage your inner activist, to remind you that you hold power to create change and be a critical part of creating the world you wish to see.
For the 11th time, MovieMaker Magazine has named Ashland one of the best small towns in the U.S. and Canada for filmmakers — landing at No. 7 on the 2025 list and proving once again that this artsy mountain town is a cinematic gem.
If you happened to stroll through Lithia Park or the Southern Oregon University campus this weekend, you might have caught a glimpse of a short film production in progress in Ashland. Filming continues this weekend on Sunday, Nov. 10, at various locations, and at Calle Guanajuato on Monday, Nov. 11, depending on weather.
After the AIFF opened the doors to their newly remodeled center, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, leading the festival to go virtual. Now, the AIFF is up and running with their first in person event to be held since 2019.
Audiences at the premiere of the documentary “Including Us” during the Ashland Independent Film Festival 2024 were clearly moved by the film, with some tears shed to the accompaniment of applause and a standing ovation on Oct. 5.
Ashland’s Richard Seidman, a screenwriter turned filmmaker, has taken matters into his own hands after years of unproduced scripts in the hope a crowd-funded short film will bring his vision to life: “Schmendrick: The Thirteenth Disciple.” Seidman plans to submit the movie to film festivals and competitions, including the Ashland Independent Film Festival.
Oregon’s energy landscape is charging into the future, and Southern Oregon PBS is capturing every watt of it with “Energy Horizons,” a new six-part documentary series premiering this fall. Directed by Keegan Van Hook (“Us As We Are”) and filmed by longtime collaborator Tripp White, both Ashland residents, the series takes viewers on a powerful journey across the state, spotlighting Oregon’s renewable energy breakthroughs, cutting-edge technologies, and the challenges of storage and transmission.
A locally made short film entitled “I AM FINE” that centers on the experience of a gay man named Ryan as he grapples with his religion and sexual identity will make its premiere on Dec. 6 at John Pugh’s Big Dog Studio in Ashland.
The Ashland Independent Film Festival kicks off its four-day run Thursday, Oct. 3, with the centerpiece film for the festival, ‘Including Us,’ set for its world premiere Saturday. The film, made by local director Brandon Givens, is about the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s production of “Hairspray: A Broadway Musical” in 2019. The story focuses on four actors with disabilities who starred in the musical, along with the rest of the cast.
The still-undefeated SOU women’s basketball team plays in the national quarterfinal round Saturday for the third time in program history — and the first time since the NAIA’s two divisions merged — after a 67-60 victory over Xavier on Thursday.
Oregon lawmakers on Tuesday tweaked a bill intended to increase fire mitigation to ensure it does not also offer utilities immunity from liability in lawsuits for wildfires ignited by power lines. The change to a single sentence in House Bill 3666 comes as a relief to some critics, who feared that giving utilities wildfire safety certificates that establish they’ve “acted reasonably” by state standards would in effect offer them absolute immunity from liability in lawsuits if their equipment causes a wildfire.
The slate includes country artist Wynonna Judd, pop favorite Natasha Bedingfield and the pairing of Taj Mahal and Steve Earle. Among the notable first-timers performing on the Britt stage are Dirtwire with special guests Free Creatures, and a much-anticipated performance from Tash Sultana.
Obituary: Lawrence David Nagel, 80, passed away peacefully at Ashland Sky Senior Home in Ashland on March 5. Lawrence was a fixture in the community, especially at the Ashland Food Co-op, where he will be remembered for his kindness, goofy energy and sincere desire to connect with people from all walks of life. A celebration of life will be held in Ashland on June 1.
Ashland postal workers and supporters joined Thursday in a “Day of Action” coordinated by the U.S. Postal Service workers union, gathering at the Ashland Post Office to wave signs and hand out information.
The cost of a new water treatment plant project combined with the length of time since its last water rate increase force the city’s hand, Public Works Director Scott Fleury told the Ashland City Council during its Tuesday business meeting: rates must be increased. A rate study says a customer with a ¾-inch meter using 700 cubic feet would see an increase of about $7 a month next year and $8 in the following year, moving up to around $11 per month five years out.
(It’s free)
