2026 Award Nominees

Congratulations to our 15th Annual McMinnville Short Film Festival Nominees!

SCREENPLAY FINALISTS

(Winner receives a one-on-one consult with Jonathan Raymond)

-BRIDGE THE GAP, Screenwriter Cleveen Dominguez

-GORGEOUS AS YOU ARE, Screenwriter Keaton A Morris-Stan

-MEETING YOUR MAKER, Screenwriter Gregory JM Kasunich

-MEOW, Screenwrither Jason Rosenblatt

GRAND JURY AWARD

(Winner receives $1,000 cash prize)

-THE NIGHT BOOTS, Dir. Pierre-Luc Granjon

-OH WHALE, Dir. Winslow Crane-Murdoch

-THE LONG-REIGNING KING OF ROLLERCASTLE SKATELAND, Writer/Dir. David Hull

-THE PEARL COMB, Writer/Director Ali Cook

-THE SINGERS, Dir. Sam Davis

-WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH BIRDS?, Writer/Dir. Taylor Bakken

FOUNDERS AWARD - OUTSTANDING FEMALE FILMMAKER

(Winner receives $500 cash prize)

-EDGAR, Writer/Dir. Virginia de Witt

-ELVIRA, Writer/Dir. Sarah Segal-Lazar

-PRIME, Writer/Dir. Meagan Coyle

-SHE SAID SO, Writer/Dir. Madeline Clayton

-THERE’S A DEVIL INSIDE ME, Writer/Dir. Karina Lomelin Ripper

-WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH BIRDS?, Writer/Dir. Taylor Bakken

BEST OREGON FILMMAKER

(Winner receives a $2,000 digital camera package courtesy of Koerner Camera)

-AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR, Writer/Dir. Gary Lundgren

-BARRIO, Writer/Dir. Alexander Ibarra

-CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE, Writer/Dir. Eva Moss

-IF TEARS WERE GOLD, Writer/Dir. Adam Patrick Sweeney

WILL VINTON AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATION

(Winner receives $300 cash prize)

-COMO SI LA TIERRA SE LAS HUBIERA TRAGADO, Dir. Natalia León

-LES BELLES CICATRICES, Dir. Raphaël Jouzeau

-MUMMY ISSUES, Writer/Dir. Missy Mark

-THE NIGHT BOOTS, Dir. Pierre-Luc Granjon

-THE WHISTLE, Writer/Dir. Greg Franklin and Writer Wendy Willis

BEST DRAMA

-CONTENTE :), Writer/Dir. Ale Peralta and Writer Melissa Rebelo Kerezsi

-I’M NOT SURE, Writer/Dir. Mylissa Fitzsimmons

-SUBTRACT NINE SUNDAYS, Writer/Dir. Julya Jara

-THE SINGERS, Dir. Sam Davis

-THE THINGS WE CARRY, Writer/Dir. Thibaud Goarin and Writer Elizabeth Grullon

BEST COMEDY

-BULLDOZER, Dir. Andrew Leeds and Writer Joanna Leeds

-I HATE HELEN, Writer/Dir. Katie Lambert

-THE LONG-REIGNING KING OF ROLLERCASTLE SKATELAND, Writer/Dir. David Hull

-THE PIC, Writer/Dir. Frances Chewning

-YOUR OWN FLAVOR, Writer/Dir. Alisha Ketry


BEST ENVIRONMENTAL

(Winner receives $250 cash prize courtesy of Zero Waste McMinnville)

-FREE TO GROW, Dir. Jesse Andrew Clark

-THE THEORY OF SPICE, Writer/Dir. Gilly Barnes and Writers Gaby Moreno, Paul Kruse, Patrick Glorieux and Ben Jaffe

-WAY OF THE SHEPHERD, Dir. Matthew Boyd

BEST DOCUMENTARY

-DRAG ME TO CHURCH, Writer/Dir. Isabella Sullivan

-OH WHALE, Dir. Winslow Crane-Murdoch

-OLD GIRL IN TUTU: SUSAN RENNIE DISRUPTS ART HISTORY, Writer/Dir. Cheri Gaulke and Writer Sue Maberry

-TINY TREE CONCERT, Dir. David Neptune

-VOICES FROM THE ABYSS, Writer/Dir. Irving Serrano and Victor Rejón

BEST EXPERIMENTAL/A BIT STRANGE

-APOLOGY GHOST, Writer/Dir. Brian Padian

-IT DOESN’T PASS, Writer/Dir. Dan Lopez

-MAKING BEAUTY, Writer/Dir. Pam Salzl

-STEW TO EAT, Writer/Dir. Nathaniel Jameson and Alex Saltiel


BEST NATIVE AMERICAN

(Shawash Ilili Award courtesy of Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde)

-BORROWED FROM THE EARTH, Dir. Zach Johaneson and Writer Jesse DesRosier

-POW!, Writer/Dir. Joey Clift

-REDBIRD, Dir. Emma Barrow

BEST HORROR/SCI FI

-BARLEBAS, Writer/Dir. Malu Janssen

-FOLLICLES, Writer/Dir. Daniel J. Egbert

-MONDEGREEN, Writer/Dir. Linda Mai Green

-THE PEARL COMB, Writer/Director Ali Cook

BEST LOCALS

(Winner receives $250 cash prize courtesy of Arts Alliance Yamhill County)

-MABEL 23, Writer/’Dir. Tomas A Miller

-RICKY ROBOT, Writer/Dir. Sydney True Moriarty

-THE MINDS OF MADNESS, Dir. Soren Smithrud

-TRIPPY, Dir. Phillip Guzzo