Butter up the popcorn; a pair of noteworthy film events comes to Portland next week.

First up, is a sneak preview of The Great Migration, which chronicles the journey of endangered Snake River salmon, a species which migrate farther inland, and climb higher than any other salmon on earth. Focusing their lens on the native fish run is EP Films, a Portland-based adventure film crew that knows a thing or two about running rivers. EP filmmakers, Trip Jennings, Andy Maser, and Kyle Dickman happen to be a band of world-class kayakers and have completed dozens of first descents on remote rivers on four different continents. In 2007 the bunch launched their Rivers in Demand Project in order to chronicle their far-flung exploits and raise awareness for what they call “biodiversity hotspots.” For more on EP, check out Portland Monthly’s January issue here. To catch the advance screening of The Great Migration, which makes its official premiere at the 2011 Wild & Scenic Film Festival in January, stop by the Keen World Headquarters in the Pearl next Wednesday night (November 10) at 7:00 p.m.

Watch the trailer for The Great Migration here.

Salmon Film Teaser from Epicocity Project on Vimeo.

Speaking of the Wild & Scenic Festival, the festival’s 2010 film tour makes one of its last West Coast stops in Portland next Thursday night (November 11) at the Bagdad Theater. Plan to make a night of it. Hosted by Willamette Riverkeeper, the tour brings with it 10 productions, including Big River , a follow-up to 2007’s eyebrow raiser King Corn , which traced a single nugget of corn from seed to the dinner table, and another EP work, Flathead Wild, which examines mountain top removal mining that is threatening the Flathead River Valley in British Columbia. You’ll also be the first to lay your eyes on Willamette Riverkeeper’s 2010 Paddle Oregon documentary. That is if you can snag a seat. Last year some 300 attendees jammed the Bagdad to take part in the festival. So plan to arrive early (doors open at 5:30) or drop by REI downtown for advance tickets. (Tickets $8.00)

Watch the trailer for Big River here.

Big River Trailer from Wicked Delicate Films on Vimeo.