(Photo courtesy of Bend Film Festival)
Love Bend
As our community continues to process the tragedy at Silver Rail Elementary, our hearts remain with the families, students, educators, and everyone affected. We hope you and your loved ones are safe, finding support, and taking care of one another. Our community has experienced something unimaginable, and we are holding everyone close.
For those seeking support, please visit the City of Bend’s Community Support Resources. For those wishing to help financially, GoFundMe has established a centralized collection of verified fundraisers supporting families and individuals affected by the tragedy.
Wrapping Up the 2026 Bend Film Fest
The 23rd Annual Bend Film Festival brought 42 feature films and 68 shorts to six distinct venues for five days of independent film in Bend and the surrounding area. Audiences saw a wide variety of movies, including shorts, documentaries, animations, and narratives, ranging from local productions to international films.
Thank you so much to our filmmakers, attendees, sponsors, staff, and volunteers for making this festival possible. We look forward to next year and hope to see you there.
Congrats to the 2026 Award Winners
At our ceremony Saturday evening (December 10, 2026), the Bend Film Festival honored 12 films and gave out 14 awards, including our two honorees. See all the winners here.
In addition, the people have spoken and the 2026 Audience Award Winners are:
Short Film: First Descent: Kayaking the Klamath
Feature Film: The Cycle of Love
The Cycle of Love will be opening at the Tin Pan Theater in November. Keep an eye out for more Bend Film Festival alumni and Oscar-contender screenings as we close out the year.
Year Three of Basecamp Continues to Support Upcoming Films & Filmmakers
The third year of BendFilm: Basecamp successfully brought together 31 filmmakers and 10 mentors for four days of intense pitch development, industry insight, and community building.
The program concluded with the 2026 Basecamp Pitch Competition at McMenamins Old St. Francis School, where Basecamp fellow Shizue Roche Adachi was declared the winner of the $5,000 grant for her project SMALL CLAIMS.
To learn more about Shizue, her project, and the other Basecamp fellows and mentors, check out the 2026 Basecamp site.
Join Our Team
BendFilm is hiring for the position of General Manager to oversee our Tin Pan Theater operations. To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and three references to operations@bendfilm.org by November 13, 2026, with the subject line “Tin Pan Theater GM Application.” Applicants can expect to hear from the BendFilm team by mid-November.
Job description and details: https://tinpantheater.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/TPTGeneralManager-JobDescription.pdf
Central Oregon Gives
If you’re planning any year-end giving, consider donating to BendFilm through Central Oregon Gives. Through this program, 100 percent of your donations will go directly to BendFilm, and all donors have opportunities to receive perks as well as entries into drawings for prizes. The program begins November 5 and ends December 31.
Make a donation to BendFilm.
