This has been a rough year for underground film organizations. The latest group to suffer serious indignity is Portland, OR’s Cinema Project, which finds itself in urgent need of a new home after abruptly losing the lease on its donated office and screening space.

Right now, Cinema Project is looking for a replacement office that has a minimum of 200 square feet, which they need to house their organizational records and hold a work station for administrative staff. If you have or know of such a space in Portland, please contact Cinema Project by going to their official site and clicking the “EMAIL US” link on the left side of the page. (It’s under the big “Donate” button.)

While the office space is urgent, the group is also looking for a new screening room, which can be either a shared or dedicated space. They need a screen that can hold around 50 audience members, as well as projection and sound equipment. Their spring season will begin sometime in late February, so they need a screen by then.

Although there’s not much initial info as to why Cinema Project lost its current lease, the situation is reminiscent of the one faced by NYC’s Film-makers’ Cooperative earlier this year when it lost its longtime home at the Clocktower Gallery. That situation eventually had a happy ending when a generous real estate developer, Charles S. Cohen, donated a new space for the organization. Hopefully, Cinema Project can find an equally altruistic benefactor.

In addition to space, Cinema Project is also looking for donations for their 2009 year-end fundraiser. Again, if you want to donate, please go to their website and click the big “Donate” button. Cinema Project screens a ton of great stuff, so I hope they find a new home soon. As for what the group has planned for 2010, I’ll leave you with their own words:

What’s in store for 2010? We’re continuing our international visiting artist series, “Beyond Borders”, with a focus on dynamic film and video from the Pan Asian region including artists from Russia, Indonesia, Palestine, and Japan. With both filmmaker Naomi Uman and curator Stephanie Schulte also among our invited guests, we think 2010 will be one of our most diverse years ever.