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.
“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
2025 Film Submissions Open Now
New Screenplay Competition!
The MSFF is launching its inaugural screenplay competition for the 2025 festival. All aspiring screenwriters are encouraged to submit.
The top three screenplays will get personal coverage from celebrated screenwriter Jonathan Raymond, with the winning screenplay winning a one on one script consultation with Jonathan himself.
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Jon Raymond is the author of the books The Half-Life (a Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of 2004), Livability (a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, and winner of the Oregon Book Award, 2009), Rain Dragon (2012), Freebird (an Indie Next Great Reads selection, 2017), and Denial (a New York Time’s Book Review Editor’s Choice, 2022) . He also published a collection of art writing called The Community: Writings About Art In and Around Portland, 1997 - 2016.
He’s collaborated on six screenplays with the director Kelly Reichardt, including Old Joy, Wendy and Lucy, Meek’s Cutoff, Night Moves, First Cow, and Showing Up, numerous of which were based on his fiction, and on the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce with Todd Haynes.
He was editor of Plazm Magazine, an Associate and Contributing Editor at Tin House Magazine, and served on the Board of Directors of Literary Arts. His writing has appeared in Zoetrope, Tin House, Artforum, Bookforum, and many other places.
He lives in Portland, Oregon with his partner, the writer Emily Chenoweth, and their kids, Eliza and Josephine.
$10,000 PNW Indigenous Filmmaker Grant
The PNW Indigenous Filmmaker Grant will provide financial support ($10,000) to a single filmmaker or directing team based in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) that identifies as Native American or Indigenous.
At least 50% of production must take place in Oregon. This grant will assist and/or aid in a pre-production script, current production or post-production with the goal to complete a short film (20 minutes or less) to be premiered and promoted at the McMinnville Short Film Festival.
The MSFF has been a recognized partner with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde for over a decade, awarding each year the Shawash IIihi Award for Best Native American film. We are offering this grant in an effort to further elevate the visibility of Native American and Indigenous filmmakers.
Applications for the PNW Indigenous Filmmaker Grant are due by December 15th, 2024. Interested filmmakers can email us at info@mcminnvillefilmfest.org for an application. This grant is made possible with the support of Oregon Film.
2025 Judges
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![Ione Skye]()
Ione Skye
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![Peter Billingsley]()
Peter Billingsley
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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
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.
MSFF IS MADE POSSIBLE BY OUR
