The Bend Film Festival is celebrating its 22nd year the second week of October. Over a five-day period, viewers can watch 116 films. The average runtime per short film is 15 minutes with several grouped together for a 90-minute block. Feature films are between 80-130 minutes. The movies are spread out among various theaters including three screens at Regal Old Mill, Tin Pan Theater, Open Space Event studio, Tower Theatre, Volcanic Theatre Pub, Madras Performing Arts Center and Madras Cinema 5.
The event attracts filmmakers from around the country. “We’re excited to launch a new North American competition this year, spotlighting innovative filmmakers from across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico,” BendFilm Executive Director Giancarlo Gatto told the Source. About 15 of the films have ties to filmmakers from the region or were shot regionally.
Among the feature titles showing this year is “Griffin in Summer,” about a 14-year-old boy whose life is impacted by a 25-year-old handyman. The movie won three awards at the Tribeca Festival. The festival’s opening film, “She Dances,” starring Ethan Hawke and Steve Zahn, is about a father-daughter working to repair their relationship against the backdrop of a Young Miss dance competition. “Anxiety Club” is a documentary seen through the eyes of a group of stand-up comedians. “Predators” is an exploration of the show “To Catch a Predator” and the world it helped create. Stone Mountain is a documentary about homeowners in a small southern town living with the largest Confederate monument looming over their homes. Other film categories include environmental documentaries and indigenous features.
BendFilm’s Indie filmmaker of the year is Dee Rees. Her first feature film, “Pariah,” will be shown this year in Bend as well as her 2017 film, “Mudbound.”
“At BendFilm, a lot of the competition films we screen are first features of the filmmakers, so it’s great when we can bring someone out who’s farther ahead in their career and show their first feature and have them speak to that,” says Selin Sevinc, director of programming for BendFilm who’s responsible for the films selected. Rees will be participating in Q&A panels.
Film festivals offer more than just a chance to watch a variety of independent movies with heartfelt themes. Sevinc says a record number of filmmakers are attending the festival this year with about 60% of the films represented by a director or cast member. That number jumps to nearly 80% when you only look at the shorts and competition features. Industry panels will offer Q&A on a number of topics including how to get financing for new projects, how to market films, a documentary panel, a first features panel and advice from special guests, jurors and filmmakers.
The short films showcase movies from 16 countries. It’ll be the first time that 22 of them have been shown in the pacific northwest. Another 27 shorts are making Oregon debuts.
“Independent film is actually a pretty tricky thing to define,” Gatto says. “We often get asked, ‘What really makes something independent?’ Originally, the term referred mostly to where the money came from — films made outside the big Hollywood studio system. Over time, it also came to be shorthand for smaller budgets. But today, “indie” has grown into more of a cultural idea, a set of values and perspectives. It’s less about the size of the checkbook and more about the creative freedom, unique voices, and personal stories on screen. What we celebrate at BendFilm are those distinct points of view — films that feel authentic, daring, and made by artists who aren’t afraid to push beyond the mainstream.”
There are also some changes to this year’s festival. “In response to audience feedback, we’re also adding an extra day to the festival so film lovers have more time to catch screenings, attend parties and panels and explore all that Bend has to offer — from local restaurants to outdoor adventures,” Gatto explains. “This expanded schedule kicks off with a “Shorts Open” showcase at Regal on Wednesday night. In addition, we’re celebrating the second year of our Basecamp Filmmaker Retreat, which brings emerging filmmakers together with world-class mentors. For the first time, both mentors and fellows will come to Bend for the Basecamp Pitch Competition, where the winning project will receive a $5,000 grant to support their work. The Pitch Competition will also be open to the public as a ticketed event.”
Film festivals are an opportunity for budding filmmakers to launch careers and meet mentors, collaborators, find support and gain direct access to viewers. Audiences have a chance to be entertained, often with creative, thought-provoking storylines. “In an era when so much of what we watch is driven by algorithms or big-studio marketing, festivals champion unique voices and perspectives that might otherwise be overlooked,” Gatto says. “I’d want people to know that the Bend Film Festival is for everyone. You don’t have to be a film expert or even someone who goes to the movies all the time to enjoy it.” He says BendFilm works to keep the festival approachable and non-pretentious. He believes it’s the spirit of inclusivity and community that sets it apart from other film festivals. In his opinion, the best part is the conversations around the films, whether it’s hearing from filmmakers or talking with other audience members who were also moved by a subject.
Last year, more than 10,000 tickets were sold. Gatto says according to a study done in 2023 by Americans for the Arts, BendFilm is estimated to contribute over $1.3 million to the local economy. The festival has been dubbed one of MovieMaker’s 50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee and Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World. Gatto says, “We feel this highlights the value we provide to emerging filmmakers — not just as a showcase for their work, but as a supportive community invested in their careers.”
Sometimes indie films become big breakouts. This year’s Best Picture Oscar winner, “Anora,” which won five Oscars total, was featured at last year’s Bend Film Festival. Sevinc says it was quite challenging to bring that film to Bend. “When a film is so big and about to be released and it’s a great Oscar contender, distributors are pretty precious about where it will screen and to how many people. They’re very protective about it,” Sevinc says. “It took me months of pestering and coming back and coming up with different angles to get the film into the festival… And this year our closing night film is similarly a fantastic film.” That will be “Sentimental Value” by Joachim Trier which is about two sisters reuniting with their estranged father, a movie director. They navigate their relationship around an American movie star featured in their father’s latest film.
Tickets and passes are on sale now with a price range from $17 to $325 for all access. The festival is going cashless this year, which includes concession stands.
“There is something in the festival for everyone,” Sevinc says. “So if people are on the fence about coming because they’ve been in previous years and they saw something that they didn’t like, I think it’s definitely worth diving into the festival guide and seeing what they might be drawn to because I can’t imagine anyone feeling like there’s nothing in here. It’s such an eclectic group of films.”
Bend Film Festival
Wed.-Sun., Oct. 8-12
Bend: Tower Theatre, Tin Pan, Regal Cinemas, Volcanic Theatre Pub, Open Space
$17-$325
This article appears in the Source September 25, 2025.
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