Short Films. Oregon Wine Country.
Our Mission
The McMinnville Short Film Festival (MSFF), a 509 (a)(2) non-profit organization, was founded in 2011 to celebrate the art of independent film with the goal of introducing emerging creative voices to one another and to our audiences.
Held annually each February in McMinnville, Oregon, the internationally recognized MSFF, focuses on a range of narrative topics, including Native American, Drama, LGBTQ, Comedy, Horror, Experimental, Animation and Documentary films. In addition to supporting our visiting filmmakers, we also promote and raise visibility for our local Willamette Valley and Pacific Northwest based filmmakers and strive to increase the collaborative dialogue between creative peers. The MSFF offers an easily accessible cultural event with a goal to enlighten, educate, and provide invaluable exposure to filmmakers, while also providing the rural community of Yamhill County with a diverse, inclusive, and cultural experience that enriches the lives of its citizens and contributes to the local economy.
Promoting film in Oregon’s Yamhill County
MSFF offers a small but culturally-rich community experience usually only offered in large cities or higher-ed academic settings.
MSFF creates both a *market* and jumping off point for Oregon filmmakers as well as actors, directors, crew, etc.
Connecting local filmmakers with their counterparts around the world
MSFF exposes local and worldwide artists to each other to share their diversity and enrich their crafts.
MSFF brings filmmakers from around the world to our area, which boosts the local economy.
MSFF draws from a large base of participants from around the world due to current trends that focus on independent film production.
Providing a venue for culturally diverse screenings, events, and gatherings
MSFF brings voices from around the world to Yamhill County.
MSFF provides our local community with powerful and engaging stories they may not get to see.
MSFF is the ultimate type of artistic synergy and networking opportunity. MSFF provides a format which brings both the filmmakers and audience into the same space.
MSFF fosters community-based interactions, contributing to important conversations that continue long after the event.
Our History
In early 2011, a call went out to local businesses asking how they could get involved in the annual UFO Festival. Dan and Nancy Morrow, owners of the independent video store Movietime Video, volunteered to sponsor a UFO Video Contest where filmmakers could enter a 15-minute film with a UFO/Sci-Fi/Alien theme to it. The response was so positive and led to the Morrows creating the McMinnville Short Film Festival. The first Festival was held on October 25, 2011. The success of the first festival was so great that an official steering committee was put together to help plan and organize future festivals.
Today, the MSFF is part of the non-profit group McMinnville Film Festival Foundation, created in 2015 to direct the continued growth of the festival. Changes continue to be made and the festival continues to expand and improve year after year. It has grown from the original few films from only local filmmakers to over 100 films coming in from around the world.
