Portland’s Most Immersive Art Party Just Got Even Bigger
Portland has always been a sanctuary for the unconventional, but this May, the boundaries of storytelling are being pushed even further! The Portland Art Museum’s PAM CUT// Center for an Untold Tomorrow has announced a big expansion of its signature event, transforming the annual Cinema Unbound Awards into a five-day extravaganza–Cinema Unbound Week.
From May 23 through May 31, the Portland Art Museum, South Park Blocks, and PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater become a living gallery for the "unbound." This isn’t your standard festival; it’s a high-energy collision of film, fashion, pop culture, music, and culinary arts designed for those who aren’t content to be contained by a single medium. Expect a hand-picked roster of global innovators spanning comedy, visual art, fashion, and food appearing in events that bridge that span art forms. These aren't just moments to watch; they are experiences that spill out of the theater and into the city.
The crown jewel of this year’s expansion is the arrival of the Criterion Mobile Closet as part of the PAM CUT x Criterion Partnership. Making its Portland debut, this legendary cinephile pilgrimage site offers a rare, hands-on look at the films that shaped the medium. But the "closet" is just the beginning of a week curated as a multi-sensory journey.
The signature event, the Cinema Unbound Awards on May 29, celebrates the visionaries—the filmmakers, storytellers, and multi-faceted artists—who are redefining how we experience narrative in the 21st century.
This year’s honorees include artist and filmmaker Titus Kaphar, actress and comedian Maria Bamford, and Wildfang’s CEO and activist Emma McIlroy.
Culinary artists Tom & Mariah Pisha-Duffly, whose restaurant, Gado Gado, is a 2026 James Beard Award–finalist restaurant, will host the culinary takeover of the night alongside live performances and creative interludes.
More than a party, the evening serves a vital purpose: proceeds directly benefit PAM CUT’s year-round youth programs and artist services.
Get Out and Unbound!
With more than seven days of ways to take part in the Cinema Unbound Week, there is something for everyone.
Criterion x PAM CUT @ The Whitsell
May 23 - 30 | Portland Art Museum | 2 p.m.
Criterion x PAM CUT @ The Whitsell presents a series of films in celebration of PAM CUT’s Cinema Unbound Wild + Free weekend!
May 23—Monterey Pop
May 24—Paris Is Burning
May 30—Something Wild
Carte Blanche with Michelle Zauner
Wednesday, May 27 | PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater | 7 p.m.
Multi-faceted bestselling author (Crying in H Mart) and indie pop sensation Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast joins PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater in Southeast Portland for a discussion about writing, music, and inspiration.
PAM CUT x Criterion Mobile Closet
Friday, May 29 – Sunday, May 31 | Portland Art Museum, South Park Blocks | 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Friday & Saturday; 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Sunday
The week’s standout residency brings a piece of film history to Portland. The Criterion Mobile is an 18-foot traveling sanctuary meticulously crafted to recreate the legendary floor-to-ceiling film closet at Criterion’s headquarters. For years, fans have watched icons like Guillermo del Toro and Cate Blanchett raid these shelves for the viral "Closet Picks" series—now, it’s your turn. Step inside for a high-speed, three-minute window to browse over 1,000 of the world’s greatest titles and record your own picks on the in-closet camera.
Visit the Criterion website to register for more details.
Unbound Comedy Weekend
Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story
May 30 | PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater | 2 p.m.
On Saturday, May 30, PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater will host Comedy Unbound Saturday, presenting a sneak preview of Sundance 2026 Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story, followed by a conversation between PAM CUT’s Amy Dotson, Cinema Unbound Awards honoree Bamford and co-director Neil Berkeley. The film explores Bamford’s transformative comedy, addressing her own mental health journey with radical honesty.
May 30 | PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater | 7 p.m.
In partnership with Kickstand Comedy, Holy Shit! Improv features some of LA’s best comedy talent, featuring Ify Nwadiwe, Jordan Myrick, Casey Feigh, and Colton Dunn!
May 31 | Portland Art Museum | 7 p.m.
Join Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein for a live recording of the Criterion Channel’s original series Adventures in Moviegoing. In this intimate conversation, the longtime collaborators reflect on how they came to love cinema and the movies that inspire them.