2025 Film Festival
Thursday February 27th - Sunday March 2nd
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Congratulations to all of our nominees. Winners will be announced at our Awards Luncheon - March 2, 2025 @ 2pm at the Bindery event space. Check schedule for details.
SCREENPLAY FINALISTS
(Winner receives a one-on-one consult with Jonathan Raymond)
-GONE TO THE DOGS, Screenwriter A. R. Nicholas
-HUNTING, Screenwriter Aaron C. Wong
-AMY AND DAD, Screenwriter Diana Robertson Bond
GRAND JURY AWARD
(Winner receives $1,000 cash prize)
-AN ORANGE FROM JAFFA, Dir. Mohammed Almughanni
-PERCEBES, Dir. Alexandra Ramires, Laura Gonçalves
-SAY WUFF! Dir. Fabian Podeszwa
-THE HEART OF TEXAS, Dir. Gregory JM Kasunich
-ANUJA, Dir. Adam J. Graves
FOUNDERS AWARD - OUTSTANDING FEMALE FILMMAKER
(Winner receives $500 cash prize)
-SALLY, GET THE POTATOES, Writer/Dir. Danicah Waldo
-RIPE!, Writer/Dir. Tusk
-BUSCANDO ALMA, Writer/Dir. Melissa Fisher
-GET YOU BETTER, Writer/Dir Danica Jensen
-JANE AUSTEN’S PERIOD DRAMA, Writer/Dir. Julia Aks
BEST OREGON FILMMAKER
(Winner receives a $2,000 digital camera package courtesy of Koerner Camera)
-CHISPA, Dir. Karina Lomelin Ripper
-A MAN ALONE, Dir. Alyssa Roehrenbeck
-THE WINEMAKER, Dir. Sarey Martin
-IMPROVEMENTS, Dir. Erica Terpening-Romeo
WILL VINTON AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATION
(Winner receives $300 cash prize)
-PERCEBES, Dir. Alexandra Ramires, Laura Gonçalves
-LE CHARADE, Dir. Erika Totoro
-PINTO VARIETY HOUR, Dir. R.J. Sullivan
-RETRIEVING ROADIE, Dir. Luke Stone
-FLOCKY, Dir. Esther Casas Roura
BEST DRAMA
-ANUJA, Dir. Adam J. Graves
-THE HEART OF TEXAS, Dir. Gregory JM Kasunich
-AN ORANGE FROM JAFFA, Dir. Mohammed Almughanni
-SIO ROHO YANGU, Dir. Joe LoBianco
-AMPLIFIED, Dir. Dina Naser
BEST COMEDY
-SAY WUFF!, Dir. Fabian Podeszwa
-CAMPING IN PARADISE, Dir. Eirik Tveiten
-JANE AUSTEN’S PERIOD DRAMA, Dir. Julia Aks, Steve Pinder
-CHILDREN’S BOOKS, Dir. Nino Mancuso
BEST COLLEGE
-WASHED UP, Dir. Thomas Bayne
-THE LIGHTS ABOVE, Dir Luke J. Salewski
-NUCLEAR, Dir. Sebastian Ibarra del Castillo
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL
(Winner receives $250 cash prize courtesy of Zero Waste McMinnville)
-LIVING LEGACIES, Dir. Jesse Andrew Clark
-SUBSTANCE OF VENOM, Dir. Cherie Sampson
-TERMINUS, Dir. Jeremy Rubingh
BEST DOCUMENTARY
-BEYOND NORMS: MASC vs MASC, Dir. Kelly Balch
-GONNA NEED A BIGGER BOAT: THE JASON WELLS STORY, Dir. Jason Rosenblatt
-THEY CALL ME THE TATTOO WITCH, Dir. Lindsay Nyman
BEST EXPERIMENTAL/A BIT STRANGE
-FEAST, Dirs. Simón Bucher, Claudia Saldivia, Amanda Rivera
-MEOW! Dir. Michal Vojtech, Ariel de la Garza Davidoff
-ONE DAY, Dir. Kimberly Dillon
BEST NATIVE AMERICAN
(Shawash Ilili Award courtesy of Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde)
-THINGS YOU KNOW BUT CAN NOT EXPLAIN, Dir. Michelle Hernandez, Chantal Jung
-WEST SHORE, Dir. Jordan Riber
-ANISHINAABEMOWIN, Dir. Shaelyn Johnston
-WHERE WE ONCE ROAMED, Dir. Ruthie Weeks, Madee Sabatier
BEST HORROR/SCI FI
-RASH, Dir. Lyssa Samuel
-DREAM CREEP, Dir. Carlos A.F. Lopez
-YULE, Dir. Griff Jones
-AT SKYVIEW ENTERPRISES, Dirs. S. Riley Moneymaker, Ashley Song
-HEATSTROKE, Dir. Nolen Scott
BEST LOCALS
(Winner receives $250 cash prize courtesy of Arts Alliance Yamhill County)
-I’M SEEING AN INVISIBLE MAN, Dirs, Matthew Hagen, Ethan Lex
-PSYCHIC DEATH, Dir. Allen Tyler
-PICKLE VISION, Dir. Shawn Welles Linzey
-THE PROMISE, Dir. Chris Liles
-KATE THE GREAT, Dir. Kelsey Tucker
Short Films. Oregon Wine Country.
Filmmakers
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Located one hour south of Portland, in the heart of (AVA recognized) Oregon wine country, the McMinnville Short Film Festival (MSFF) is a true filmmaker’s film festival. Our team carefully considers every submission and we strive to identify independent voices and original storytellers. The MSFF has been selected as a “Top 100 Best Reviewed Festival” by FilmFreeway multiple times. Once selected, the films are reviewed by our noteworthy film industry professionals and Academy-affiliated judges for category winners and awards.
"I've always encouraged filmmakers to make shorts. It's a great way to gain visibility and create a calling card for Hollywood to recognize new talent. It is a pleasure to watch so many high-quality shorts at the McMinnville Short Film Festival." - 2025 Grand Jury Festival Judge, Peter Billinglsey (Executive Producer, Iron Man, A Christmas Story, Couples Retreat, The Breakup).
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In an effort to raise visibility for underrepresented voices in film, we offer the following waivers:
LGBTQ+: Directors identifying as LGBTQ+ please use waiver code LGBTQMAC25 for 25% off the submission fee.
BIPOC: Directors identifying as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous of People of Color) please use BIPOCMAC25 for 25% off the submission fee.
All Yamhill County residents please email info@mcminnvillefilmfest.org for a full submission waiver. Proof of residency will be required.
The Festival
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Join us for the 14th Annual McMinnville Film Festival! Stay tuned for more information.
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We are grateful for the amazing panel of McMinnville Short Film Festival judges. These talented experts are responsible for the challenging task of narrowing down Official Film Selections and selecting our Award Winners.
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McMinnville is located in the northwest Willamette Valley, an hour’s drive southwest of Portland
Infamous for Pinot Noir, the Willamette Valley is considered globally to be the best and most well-known Pinot Noir winegrowing region in North America
This iconic wine region spans 100+ miles north-to-south, and 60 miles west-to-east.
With a population of approximately 34,000 people, McMinnville – or as the locals call it, simply “Mac” – is full of small-town charm, local vibes, and farm-fresh cuisine.
It takes a total of 10 minutes to drive from one end of town to the other, so you can be certain that nothing is far from MSFF festivities!
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--Media Inquiries: Angela Manginelli, Director of Marketing & Community Outreach, outreach@mcminnvillefilmfest.org
Sponsors
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Show your love for arts and culture in our community by partnering with the MSFF to support the power and passion of film. We offer a menu of marketing opportunities to our sponsors, from print to online, and on-screen to virtual, in appreciation of your support.
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Your donations help to bring filmmaker voices from around the world to Yamhill County. As a non-profit, your support in any amount helps keep the festival alive and thriving! Consider a $30 donation to cover the cost of a filmmaker’s submission fee to our 2023 festival.
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We’re cooking up something exciting with the launch of new memberships! Be sure to join our newsletter to be the first to learn more.
2025 Judges
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![Ione Skye]()
Ione Skye
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![Peter Billingsley]()
Peter Billingsley
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![Haroula Rose]()
Haroula Rose
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![Sara Hofstein]()
Sara Hofstein
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![Sonia Sebastian]()
Sonia Sebastian
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![Kyle Marvin]()
Kyle Marvin
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![Laura Silverman]()
Laura Silverman
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![Bojana Sandic]()
Bojana Sandic
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![Melissa Gregory Rue]()
Melissa Gregory Rue
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![Kendra Jacobson]()
Kendra Jacobson
“A fantastic festival run by wonderful people who want to help you succeed! I am so grateful and thrilled that McMinnville exists and hosted us at their festival. Intimate filmmaker networking events, great wine, compelling films, everything I crave in a festival. If you get into this festival, you should be proud, and you should definitely GO! Attending this was one of my favorite experiences.”
—Director Izzy Stevens (“Seafoam”) on FilmFreeway
MSFF NOW PARTNERING WITH TEENTIX
ANY teenager (13-19 years old) can sign up for a free TeenTix pass! The pass entitles teens to purchase $5 day-of-show tickets at any of our 100+ partner organizations.
Plus, we make sure teens know WHERE and HOW they can use their TeenTix pass once they get it. Teens and their families can explore the TeenTix.org Calendar for all the events available on a specific day, or in a specific genre, subscribe to our weekly E-Newsletter for a list of our top picks for the upcoming week AND follow us on Instagram for tutorials, vlogs, and even more recommendations.
2025 Film Submissions Closed.
Stay tuned for 2026 submission openings!
MSFF IS MADE POSSIBLE BY OUR
