Festival to feature dozens of short films

Dozens of short films in various genres will be screened during the McMinnville Short Film Festival, Feb. 26 to March 1 in the McMinnville Cinema 10 and other locations.

Local entries chosen for screening are: “The Minds of Madness” by Soren Smithrud; “Trippy” by Phillip Guzzo; “The Mabel 23” directed by Tomas A Miller and produced by Kyle Dauterman; “End of Shift” by Buck Newman and produced by Smithrud; “Animal Farm News” by J.R.Joy; “Ricky Robot” by Sydney True Moriarty; and “My Back Door” by Galen Flinn

Viewers can attend blocks of films by category, panel discussions, an awards event and more. Tickets are $12 for each block and $10 for panels and speakers. Non-ticketed events include a closing mixer at Two Dogs Taphouse, which will follow the 4 to 5 p.m. awards event at Cinema 10.

The festival’s special guest will be Michelle Garza Cervera, who will speak at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, in the cinema.

She is a Mexican director and screenwriter who graduated from the Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica and Goldsmiths, University of London.

Cervera’s first feature, “Huesera: The Bone Woman,” premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival. The film won awards for Best New Narrative Director and later earned more than 40 international prizes.

She is currently developing “Ornamento,” a feature based on Juan Cárdenas’s novel, and serving as director and executive producer on the series “Jawbone.” She also directed a reimagining of “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” for 20th Century Studios.

Judges this year included Ellie Foumbi, Peter Billingsley, R.J. Daniel Hanna, Sara Hoftstein, Jonathan Raymond, Kyle Marvin, Laura Silverman, Bojana Sandic, Melissa Gregory Rue and Kendra Jacobson.

Among the selections to be screened in McMinnville is “The Singers,” which is nominated for an Academy Award in the Live Action Short Film category. Directed by Sam Davis and inspired by a 19th-century short story by Ivan Turgenev, the film depicts a pub of downtrodden men who connect unexpectedly through an impromptu sing-off.

Since its founding 15 years ago by Dan and Nancy Morrow, who previously owned Movietime Video, the McMinnville Short Film Festival has become known as one of the best such events in the world. It is particularly valued by filmmakers, organizers said.

It draws submissions from both Oregon filmmakers and those throughout the nation and in many other countries. They submit films of 20 minutes or less in categories such Native American, drama, LGBTQ, comedy, horror, experimental, animation and documentary.

The Morrows stepped away from festival coordination in 2022. Heather Older now is the director of the nonprofit event, which is held in late February each year.

For a complete schedule and tickets, go to the website www.mcminnvillefilmfest.org.