Oregon Public Broadcasting

The housing slowdown has been blamed for many things this year -- including a weakening of the state's overall economy. Now the housing bubble is being blamed for a money crunch at the Bend Film Festival.

Erik Jambor is in his first year as the executive director of the central Oregon international film festival.

He says the city of Bend didn't kick in as much money this year, and real estate developers closed their pocketbooks as well.Erik Jambor: "If we weren't able to get the full funds in this campaign, there would be cuts but the festival would still happen. And even things like how the real estate market has shifted here in Bend, that's certainly hurt a lot of our usual sponsors. Because we can't go the realtors who are usually very involved."

He says if he can't raise the target of $80,000, the festival will have to make cutbacks in help and filmmaker appearances.

In the past, the film festival has raised most of its half-million dollar annual budget at a fundraiser timed to coincide with the Academy Awards.

Jambor says he expects the fundraising push to finish by Labor Day, in time to start gearing up for the festival's start date in mid-October.