This year’s festival will consist of WORK MADE FOR FILM ONLY.  All tickets are Pay-What-You-Can, as always. Now, we’re offering a limited-time virtual option for anyone who missed the fest to check out these incredible films by PNW artists. Buy your tickets at the link above, and you’ll receive a link to the films.

Check out the program!

Announcing our 2021 Festival Artists!

PRINCESS BOUTON (pictured above)
First Laugh | dance film (Portland, OR)

WOBBLY DANCE
TIDAL | film (Portland, OR)

MORIVIVÍ THEATRE IN ASSOCIATION WITH HAND2MOUTH
Distancias | devised theatre digital project (Portland, OR)

KELLY NESBITT & MAD COMPOSER LAB 
PENNY – THE CONDUIT | magical realism mumblcore dramedy (Portland, OR)

THE MYTH OF NARCISSUS
the myth of Narcissus | poetry performance dance film (Portland, OR)

Stay tuned for more information about our artists and their work!

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Pre-Show Events at Oaks Park Hanger

This year, we’ve invited live bands to play before the films begin. At 8pm each night, you’ll see these musicians rocking out — something we know we’ve missed throughout the past year! Join us for food, drinks, and a whole lot of fun starting at 7:30pm.

Thursday, June 24 at 8pm: TEETH (presented by Friends of Noise)

Friday, June 25 at 8pm: Major Tomboys (all-womxn David Bowie cover band)

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This year’s work was curated in collaboration with a panel of local tastemakers including:

Jerry Tischleder (he/him), Founder of Risk/Reward

Katie Watkins (she/her), Producing Artistic Director of Risk/Reward

Kisha Jarrett (she/her), Managing Director of Artists Repertory Theatre

Aiyana Cunningham (she/her), Development Director of Portland Playhouse

TJ Acena, Arts Journalist

Marilou Carrera (they / siya / she), Risk/Reward Board Member

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What is the Risk/Reward Festival? 

Each day the festival includes the same five new works, performed back-to-back over an evening-length extravaganza with short breaks and one intermission. 

We solicit proposals from regional artists for new works that can be performed in less than 20-minutes. A panel of local artists and tastemakers select a lineup and we challenge the artists to run wild – encouraging creative risks, experimentation and bold investigation. No one really knows what to expect until opening night. Several performances are staged back-to-back nightly in a festive environment. Audiences come to sample a variety of artistic voices and art forms in what the Willamette Week calls, “speed dating for contemporary performance.”

Thanks to our festival sponsors!

The Risk/Reward Festival is dedicated to the presentation of new performance and preference is given to works that are currently in development or that have not been produced fully in the past. Risk/Reward addresses some of the most pressing needs of local artists and audiences by providing a platform for artists to present new work while introducing Portland audiences to artists from across the west coast.

The festival’s major goals are:

• To provide a supportive environment for artists to present new work with full technical, administrative and marketing assistance.
• To introduce audiences to new artists and forms.
• To provide a place for artists and audiences to mingle and connect over a shared artistic experience.
• To promote creative experimentation in the performing arts