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
