Acoustic, electric, onstage, in the studio — you name it, he could play it. He was the “guitar chameleon” of Portland, Oregon whose name never graced the marquee. On the street, he was an average guy who might not elicit a second look. But on stage, Tim Ellis became a rip-roaring guitar god who rocked the center of the music universe in Portland for over three decades. 

How can one man — always the sideman, never the star — shape a community and change the face of a local music scene? THIS IS TIM: A MUSICAL LIFE follows renowned Portland musician Tim Ellis and his journey through life, love and tragedy, as told through the eyes of his daughter and the musicians he inspired.

This film is sponsored by Home System Solutions

Director's Bio

Tiffany Ellis is a documentary filmmaker with interests in music, dance and culture. With projects spanning across Australia, South Africa and the United States, she has worked with such diverse organizations as Nike, Microsoft, the American Dance Festival, National Indigenous Television and the Community Arts Network of Western Australia. She served as Post Production Supervisor on award-winning PBS documentary NA KAMALEI: THE MEN OF HULA and created short oral history films with Australian Aboriginal communities for the nationally touring Voices of the Wheatbelt exhibit.