Industry Spotlight: Marisa Cohen
Director of the Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology
Published July 15, 2025
Written by: Carolina Nascimento
This month, we’re excited to spotlight Marisa Cohen, Director of the Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology (PFCAT)—a five-day film festival happening August 6–10 that highlights unique storytelling, creative collaboration, and Portland’s growing film community.
With roots in theater and a deep love for cinema and animation, Marisa’s journey into film began early. “As far back as I can remember, I’ve always been obsessed with watching and learning about indie film and animation,” she shares. After teaching acting and improv in her early years, she found herself drawn to organizing film festivals as a way to uplift other creators and celebrate their artistic visions.
“I love that film festivals are an inspiring place where you can see people set and achieve their creative visions and then celebrate their work in front of an audience,” she says.
PFCAT grew from a festival Marisa organized for a decade that toured internationally. She reimagined it for Portland with a focus on animation, creative technology, and storytelling innovation. “I’m particularly interested in how filmmakers on a low budget can leverage technology to achieve results that rival big budget productions,” Marisa explains.
Marisa sees Portland as a city full of talent that often goes unrecognized. “Just like Portland has so many different interesting neighborhoods, I feel like we have different artists and creatives quietly doing their thing and perhaps no one even knows about them,” she says. “I love how talented, humble, and often low-key people are in Portland, but on the other hand I hope to see our local artists gain attention and get celebrated on a wider scale.”
That spirit of celebration and connection is central to PFCAT’s mission. “Portland clearly has incredible filmmakers, animators, and tech innovators, but sometimes there is a lack of a unified platform to showcase how these fields could work together,” Marisa explains. “We want PFCAT to be a home for creators who are using animation in unconventional ways, making experimental work, or trying to build something that’s never been seen before.”
Support from the Events & Film Office’s Scale Up Grant has played a key role in growing PFCAT’s impact. “Even aside from the financial benefits, the Scale Up grant has inspired us to go out and make more connections with other local organizations… and support local businesses as well,” she says. “On the financial side, the grant has allowed us to dramatically boost our advertising and expand our reach outside of Portland’s boundaries.”
Marisa believes that supporting film, especially in animation and creative tech, is essential to keeping Portland’s artistic energy alive. “Portland’s creative pulse is what is going to continue to draw people here to grow and thrive and contribute to the magic of the artistic scene we have here.”
Through her leadership, vision, and passion for inclusive, innovative storytelling, Marisa Cohen is building more than a festival—she’s helping define what’s next for Portland’s animation and cinema community.
Learn more about PFCAT and how to get involved here!