ROSS RAGLAND THEATER

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 OPENING NIGHT GALA AND FEATURE FILM

*via Festival Pass, or individual show ticket
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OPENING NIGHT GALA AND NO MAN'S LAND

*via Festival Pass only

7:00pm FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 - ROSS RAGLAND THEATER

Representatives from Southern Oregon Film and Media, Oregon Media Production Association, JOMA films, Governor's Office of Film and Television, filmmaker guests and filmmakers Ray Robison, Sean Nipper, and Brad Douglas at KIFF2016 opening night.




Help us kick off KIFF2017 with a full course dinner and dessert in the lobby of the beautiful Ross Ragland Theater. Many of our sponsors and filmmakers will be in attendance, so be sure to thank our sponsors and engage our filmmakers about their work.

The dinner will consist of bread, salad, chicken or egglant parmigiana (depending on your eating preference), and an Italian creme cake dessert provided by Gino's Cafe and Sports Bar. When you order your tickets, please note your meat or veggie preference on the ticket order form where indicated, or ask about an alternative if you have other dietary considerations.

Dinner will be followed by an introduction to the festival, and our opening feature film, "No Man's Land", an unfettered inside look at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge occupation, directed by David Byars and produced by Oscar-nominated Morgan Spurlock.

Note: the Gala dinner with filmmakers and sponsors is via Festival Pass only. The Festival Pass is an all access pass for admission to all of KIFF2017. In addition, Festival Pass holders will get first seating at all shows, if they arrive at least 15 minutes prior to show time.

NO MAN'S LAND

David Byars - New York, NY

9:00pm FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 - ROSS RAGLAND THEATER

Mature content: language


Join us for our opening night, exclusive feature film, the Oregon premiere of "No Man's Land" from Director/Cinematographer David Byars of New York, NY, and produced by Oscar-nominated Morgan Spurlock.

With unfettered access, Byars gives a detailed, on-the-ground account of the 2016 standoff between protestors occupying Oregon's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and federal authorities. After the leaders of this occupation put out a call to arms via social media, the Malheur occupiers quickly bolstered their numbers with a stew of right-wing militia, protestors, and onlookers.

What began as a protest to condemn the sentencing of two ranchers quickly morphed into a catchall for those eager to register their militant antipathy toward the federal government. During the 41-day siege, the filmmakers were granted remarkable access to the inner workings of the insurrection as the occupiers went about the daily business of engaging in an armed occupation.

NO MAN'S LAND documents the occupation from inception to its dramatic demise and tells the story of those on the inside of this movement - the ideologues, the disenfranchised, and the dangerously quixotic, attempting to uncover what draws Americans to the edge of revolution.

The film will be preceded by a brief introduction to this year's Klamath Independent Film Festival


Runtime: 1 hour 22 min. + festival introduction

PELICAN CINEMAS

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2017
FEATURES AND LONG SHORTS

*via Festival Pass, Weekend Pass, Day Pass, or individual show tickets
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LOCAL/REGIONAL LONG SHORTS

Various Local/Regional Filmmakers

1:00pm SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 - PELICAN CINEMAS

Kicking off our day of longer films, this roughly hour-long program consists of three longer shorts from Southern Oregon Filmmakers.


Overall runtime: 1 hour 5 min. + introduction and filmmaker Q&A

• "Concrete Canvas"

  Luis Rodriguez/Gary Lundgren - Medford/Ashland, OR

  
  
  Mature content: language
  
  Ex-boxer Evan Sanchez lives on the streets, haunted by headaches and failure. But when he runs into his ex-girlfirend, desperation drives him to try to get his life back. While hesitant to fight again, his street buddy sets up a winner-takes-all-bout at the local gym against the bullying homeless punk Ray.
  
  Runtime: 18 min. 38 sec.
  
  
  

• "Refuge"

  Mohammed Alsultan/Ron Huffstutter - Saudia Arabia/Australia/Ashland, OR

  

  A refugee woman finds herself stranded in a foreign land estranged from her family and home. Relying on the kindness from a stranger she finds shelter on a small farm with an aging lonely man. Soon it is apparent that they need each other as his health declines. Together they form a beneficial bond as she fights through her post traumatic experience of her exile and the memory of her sister being stripped away from her.
  
  Runtime: 14 min. 40 sec.
  
  
  

• "Courage of Two"

  Marc Wells/Ron Huffstutter - Medford, OR/Ashland, OR

  

  When two young boys find friendship in an unlikely place, they vow to be best friends for life. Take a journey with Patrick and Denver as they find the meaning of friendship and develop courage as they battle against the odds. Patrick and Denver will cause you to look inside and discover how we can help others around us. Courage of Two is a powerful story that is sure to warm your heart and show that a person can help to change the world, no matter their age. Based on a local true story.
  
  Runtime: 31 min. 45 sec.

  
  

THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS

David West - Medford/Klamath Falls, OR

2:50pm SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 - PELICAN CINEMAS

The Pilgrim's Progress tells the story of Christian as he sets off on a journey to free himself from the burden of sin. Along the way he has many adventures, meets a cast of colorful characters, and develops an unshakable faith in his lord and savior Jesus Christ.

Filmed in Southern Oregon with a large volunteer effort, David West gets the most out of this musical adaptation of John Bunyan's classic allegorical novel.

Director David West is expected to be on hand for Q&A with the audience after the film.


Runtime: 1 hour 22 min. + introduction and Director Q&A

BUZZ ONE FOUR

Matt McCormick - Portland, OR

5:00pm SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 - PELICAN CINEMAS

Crashed planes, lost thermonuclear bombs, and an Air Force cover-up: a filmmaker unpacks the secret history of how his grandfather nearly blew-up the eastern seaboard, and leaves us wondering if the United States was in greater danger of nuking itself than being attacked by the Russians.


Runtime: 1 hour + introduction

EARTH SEASONED...#GAPYEAR

Molly Kreuzman - Ashland, OR

7:00pm SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 - PELICAN CINEMAS

Diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, Dyslexia, and short-term memory problems, Tori finds her greatest teacher in nature, spending a "gap year" living semi-primitively with four other young women in the Oregon Cascade Mountains.


Runtime: 1 hour 15 min. + introduction

SHUT UP ANTHONY

Kyle Eaton - Portland, OR

9:00pm SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 - PELICAN CINEMAS

Mature content: language, mild drug use


Closing our night of features is Kyle Eaton's comedy, Shut Up Anthony.

Anthony talks too much. A neurotic creative grinding out a living at a Portland ad firm, he loses his girlfriend, job, and dignity over the course of a few days. With nothing else to do, Anthony flees to his family's timeshare where he encounters Tim, an estranged family friend who happens to also be an alcoholic theology professor. The two are forced to share the space as they clash over relationships, religion, vodka, and coaster etiquette. Shut Up Anthony is a film about relationships, family dynamics, wrestling with religion, sobriety, and even survivor's guilt. But you know... it's also a comedy.

Director Kyle Eaton and lead actor Robert D'Esposito are expected to be on hand for Q&A with the audience after the show.


Runtime: 1 hour 33 min. + introduction and Director/lead actor Q&A

ROSS RAGLAND THEATER

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
PANELS, SHORTS AND AWARDS

*via Festival Pass, Weekend Pass, Day Pass, or individual show tickets
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FILMMAKER PANEL & AUDIENCE Q&A:
INDEPENDENT FILMMAKING

*Free admission - first come first serve

11:00am SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2017 - ROSS RAGLAND THEATER

Come join us for a panel discussion with independent filmmakers sharing their experiences making films with the resources available in the current filmaking environment. Hear about their successes, failures, how you too can make films, and engage them in a Q&A session with the audience.

Current list of Participants:

• NISHA BURTON - Director/Editor/Director of Photography
• ROBERT D'ESPOSITO - Producer/Actor
• KYLE EATON - Producer/Writer/Director
• RON HUFFSTUTTER - Producer/Writer/Director/Editor/Director of Photography
• RAY ROBISON - Producer/Writer/Director
• ROSS WILLIAMS - Producer/Writer/Director/Editor/Director of Photography
• DAVID WEST - Producer/Writer/Director/Editor/Director of Photography

Runtime: approximately 1 hour

FILMMAKER PANEL & AUDIENCE Q&A:
KLAMATH RESIDENTS WITH HOLLYWOOD EXPERIENCE

*Free admission - first come first serve

12:00pm SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2017 - ROSS RAGLAND THEATER

Did you know Klamath Falls is home to several Hollywood professionals? Reknowned directors James Ivory and Chris Eyre grew up in Klamath and went on to acclaimed film careers, but we have other residents with extensive Hollywood experience who have returned to town or retired here. Come join us to hear some of them tell their stories, and ask them about their experiences. Help us recognize and celebrate Klamath's film successes!

Current list of Participants:

• DON PEDRO COLLEY - Actor with 50+ film and television roles including a leading role in George Lucas' THX-1138, Sheriff Little in The Dukes of Hazard, and more
• LISA GABRIEL - International independent film distributor, currently on location in Asia *via Skype call into the panel
• PAUL HARRIS - Stagehand on roughly 100 Hollywood films, including the Matrix and Men In Black series
• GEORGE TYSON - "The Piano Man" who owns and runs A Music Store on Main Street was a Hollywood sound man for 25 years
• MARK WINTERS - set builder on multiple productions, including experience with Disney Imagineering

Runtime: approximately 1 hour

LAIKA SHORTS

Various Filmmakers

1:30pm SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2017 - ROSS RAGLAND THEATER

We are proud and honored to be able to present a special retrospective of animated shorts from current and recent employees of Oregon's own Oscar-nominated animation company, Laika Entertainment, the studio behind Coraline, Paranorman, The Boxtrolls, and Kubo and the Two Strings.

Please note, while some of the shorts may appeal to children, some may not, and at least one short contains mature content. This program is not intended for children.


Overall runtime: 40 min. + introduction

• "The Mouse That Soared"

  Kyle Bell

  

  A famous flying circus mouse reflects back on his humble beginnings in this high-altitude adventure in aerodynamics.
  
  Runtime: 5 min. 48 sec.
  
  
  

• "IQ"

  Ian Whitlock

  

  A lab chimp bests his test.
  
  Runtime: 1 min. 24 sec.
  
  
  

• "The Box Game"

  Danie Townsley

  

  Kevin's sister is too grown up for the make-believe games that he and his friends like to play. When she tries to stop their cardboard box game, she discovers that the vital worlds of imagination have their own reality and are available to all ages.
  
  Runtime: 6 min. 00 sec.
  
  
  

• "To Have and to Hold"

  Jessica Polaniecki

  
  
  A portrait of a woman's life told through stop motion animation.
  
  Runtime: 3 min. 39 sec.
  
  
  

• "Pinched"

  David Vandervoort

  
  
  Mature content: cartoon violence, mild drug use, brief nudity
  
  A schizophrenic pickpocket scours the underground trains at the command of his inner demons. But when an accidental score reconnects him with a long-lost love, he must test his strength and defy the voices in his head. In the end, the quest for love proves the most meaningful endeavor of all, and the final cure for his sickness.
  
  Runtime: 11 min. 15 sec.
  
  
  

• "Scrap Metal"

  Anthony Straus

  

  In post-apocalyptic New York, a lone robot's only companion is a screw. But can this unusual friendship survive the threat of the terrible Gigaplant?
  
  Runtime: 3 min. 42 sec.
  
  
  

• "Lady and the Frog"

  Tina Hsu

  

  A frog wakes up in a bag of mixed vegetables at a supermarket. A lady runs by and grabs the bag.
  
  Runtime: 3 min. 12 sec.
  
  
  

• "The Horror in the Clay"

  Hals Reynolds

  

  The 1st scene of the stop motion animated adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's CALL OF CTHULHU.
  
  Runtime: 3 min. 26 sec.
  
  
  

• "Funkeyframe"

  Danie Townsley + various

  

  20 animators. One epic dance battle.
  
  Runtime: 4 min. 01 sec.

  
  

STATEWIDE SHORTS

Various Statewide Filmmakers

3:00pm SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2017 - ROSS RAGLAND THEATER

A first for KIFF as we continue to expand, this year opens up to short films from around the state. This is a great opportunity for our audience and filmmakers to get exposed to films and filmmakers from outside the region. As with our other programs, there is something for everyone in this block...comedy, sci-fi, art films, documentary, animation, action, etc. Come see what the rest of Oregon is up to!

A number of the filmmakers are expected to be on hand for Q&A with the audience after the show.


Overall runtime: 1 hour 28 min. + introduction and filmmaker Q&A

• "Linea"

  Will Cuddy - Portland, OR

  
  
  Mature content: language, drug use
  
  While his less-than-faithful girlfriend sleeps in the car, Theo watches two young lovers fondle each other in the parking lot of a gas station. As his tank fills, he is forced to reflect on a relationship gone wrong, and the unique position in which he now finds himself. He's stuck, and it's nobody's fault but his own.
  
  Runtime: 14 min. 45 sec.
  
  
  

• "The Oregon Trail"

  Zach Putnam - Portland, OR

  

  After several of his journalist colleagues were killed in Iraq, Ahmed Al-Zubidi applied for refugee status in the United States. This is a portrait of his family's new life through the eyes of his children.

  This film was produced as a student project in the University of Oregon Master's in Multimedia Journalism program.
  
  Runtime: 3 min. 34 sec.
  
  
  

• "Going Outside"

  Curtis Randolph - Portland, OR

  

  Trav has never left his home town. He decides to use his 2 week vacation to walk out with nothing but a backpack and see what happens.
  
  Runtime: 7 min. 27 sec.
  
  
  

• "The Beast from a Bazillion Fathoms"

  Patrick Neary - Portland, OR

  

  Follow along as an ill-tempered sea monster, bent on world destruction, achieves one small victory during his ferocious rampage.
  
  Runtime: 2 min. 02 sec.
  
  
  

• "Naimuni: Connecting Oxbow Conservation Area"

  Wahoo Films - Bend, OR

  

  Dredge mining occurred on the Middle Fork John Day River from 1939 to 1943. Tailings were leveled in the 1970s, but the river was locked into a ditch-like channel, lacking habitat and function.

  Restoration of the mined section began in 2011. The last major construction effort was completed in 2016. Over two miles of salmon-bearing streams were treated and reconstructed to benefit both fish and other ecological processes.
  
  Runtime: 8 min. 00 sec.
  
  
  

• "INCENDIO"

  Slater Dixon - Portland, OR

  
  
  Mature content: comic violence
  
  INCENDIO is the hottest dating app on the market. But when "the girl," a feisty, hangry Brit finally shows, her mild-mannered date gives in to his passionate side. The night doesn't start well and it ends even worse. But will the couple kill each other, or fall in love trying in this over the top take on the highs and lows of online dating?
  
  Runtime: 5 min. 54 sec.
  
  
  

• "Sammy's Measle"

  Anthony Orkin - Portland, OR

  

  Lily performs surgery on her favorite stuffed animal. Unfortunately, there are complications. Lily hides her deed from her mother. That night, she has a nightmare. Animated in stop-motion, her doll Sammy has a measle-ectomy. The next morning, Lily finds that Sammy has risen from the dead. Daddys are good for something.
  
  Runtime: 9 min. 01 sec.
  
  
  

• "Pastor Phillips"

  Zach Putnam - Portland, OR

  

  The story of what happened when an evangelical pastor opened the doors of his new church to the LGBTQ community.

  This film was produced as a student project in the University of Oregon Master's in Multimedia Journalism program.
  
  Runtime: 5 min. 08 sec.
  
  
  

• "EVE: The Prologue"

  Devin Tau - Portland, OR

  

  A sunny day at the park takes a dark turn when a mysterious event marks the arrival of Eve, a young girl who may not be as innocent as she appears.
  
  Runtime: 7 min. 50 sec.
  
  
  

• "Things They See"

  Will Cuddy - Portland, OR

  

  We all put on an act to get ahead in life. Sometimes to a fault.
  
  Runtime: 3 min. 00 sec.
  
  
  

• "Ascendant"

  Leah Brown - Portland, OR

  

  Seven mysterious women are gathered around a table quietly eating and drinking, until one woman disrupts the silence.
  
  Runtime: 3 min. 56 sec.
  
  
  

• "The Cutting Shadow"

  Vu Pham - Portland, OR

  
  
  Mature content: language, violence, mild drug use
  
  A man accepts an opportunity from the cartel to rise up in the underworld while his forsaken lover delivers cruel moral lessons from behind the veil of contempt. That very night, the couple meets with unexpected visitors, Vietnamese immigrant brothers who are cast into the dark seas of American life. One particular brother's affection for the woman entangles him in her machinations and mayhem is visited upon the group. Around the corner from this chaos awaits a revelation that reveals the secret architecture behind their thin walls of reality.
  
  Runtime: 17 min. 30 sec.

  
  

LOCAL/REGIONAL SHORTS, AWARDS
AND FILMMAKER Q&A

Various Local/Regional Filmmakers

6:00pm SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2017 - ROSS RAGLAND THEATER

Continuing the tradition of KIFF's roots, our annual local/regional shorts program is last, but certainly not least, to cap off our marathon weekend of films.

The program will be in two parts, with a brief intermission, and all festival winning films will be announced and awarded to the filmmakers after the show. Lastly, don't miss our last filmmaker Q&A of the night with feature and short filmmakers!


Overall runtime: 1 hour 43 min. + introduction, intermission, awards, and filmmaker Q&A

PART I




• "Papa Joe"

  Ross Williams - Talent, OR

  

  A short documentary about the life of rancher Joe Hurlimann who's lived on the same farm his entire life.
  
  Runtime: 4 min. 00 sec.
  
  
  

• "The Deer Whisperer"

  Howard Schreiber - Ashland, OR

  

  In this mockumentary short, The Deer Whisperer comes to the quaint, idyllic town of Ashland Oregon to solve the deer problem.
  
  Runtime: 12 min. 30 sec.
  
  
  

• "Danger in the Clear"

  Sean Thomas - Medford, OR

  

  Set in 1975, this is a story about three young boys making a movie together, but one of their decisions while filming might have a much more serious consequence than they realize.
  
  Runtime: 5 min. 12 sec.
  
  
  

• "The Last Letter"

  Moriah Doepken - Ashland, OR

  

  In the aftermath of a broken friendship, Simon writes one last letter in an attempt to move on from his good friend Isaac.
  
  Runtime: 3 min. 09 sec.
  
  
  

• "How to Marry a Vampire: Episode 1"

  Mig Windows - Ashland, OR

  

  Join us for the first installment of the chronicles of a doomed reality show that set out to record the first-ever dating show to feature a real-life vampire. Everyone vanished and only these tapes remain.
  
  Runtime: 5 min. 39 sec.
  
  
  

• "A Frame of Reference"

  Jesse Widener - Klamath Falls, OR

  

  A short documentary on the use of the camera frame in cinema.
  
  Runtime: 2 min. 20 sec.
  
  
  

• "Sangre De Cristo - The Inferno of Blood"

  Pace Encell - Ashland, OR

  
  
  Mature content: language, cartoon violence
  
  An Anime style American Western where the heroes drink vampire blood to become fast and strong enough to hunt vampires. The blood keeps them from aging too but all of this comes with a price as their bodies become addicted to the blood and they rapidly will die without it.
  
  Runtime: 4 min. 22 sec.
  
  
  

• "Dark Roast"

  Jimmy Leavens - Ashland, OR

  

  An avid coffee drinker's desire for tranquility leads him to unexpected endeavors.
  
  Runtime: 3 min. 44 sec.
  
  
  

• "The Walls We Create"

  Nisha Burton - Ashland, OR

  

  This is the story of how the Ashland community came together in these times when walls are being built to divide us from Mexico, to create a different kind of wall.

  The film highlights the creation of this beautiful mural designed by a Mexican artist, which draws Ashland closer to it's sister city of Guanajuato, Mexico. Does art have the power to transform walls into symbols of unity rather than force of division?

  Perhaps we can end the perception of separation by painting one wall at a time.
  
  Runtime: 12 min. 50 sec.
  
  
  

  INTERMISSION

  
  

  PART II

  
  

• "Down (Don't let the bastards grind you down)"

  Sean Marc Nipper/Greg Goebelt - Ashland/Talent, OR

  

  This was an 'all-local' project (Ashland, Oregon, USA). Shot at Emigrant Lake, Ashland, Oregon, catching the beauty of the region on a cold February day. Produced by Greg Goebelt. The song is registered with BMI and is now available on iTunes. The band, a solo project by Greg Goebelt features guest stars: Jeff Pevar (guitarist for the stars), Shay Godwin (drummer for Andre Day), Bret Levick (producer) and Brent Daniels (soundscaping).
  
  Runtime: 4 min. 00 sec.
  
  
  

• "Oregon's War on Tui Chubs"

  Jes Burns - Medford, OR

  

  A pesky invasive minnow has been giving Oregon fits for 70 years. The state's efforts to eradicate it from an iconic trout lake in the Cascades has proven to be an exercise in tragicomic futility.
  
  Runtime: 2 min. 39 sec.
  
  
  

• "John the Astronaut"

  Hannah Mock/Orlando De La Cruz - Ashland, OR

  
  
  Mature content: brief language
  
  John fulfills his lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut when he builds his own spaceship.
  
  Runtime: 4 min. 16 sec.
  
  
  

• "The Separation Myth: Whose Utopia?"

  Nisha Burton - Ashland, OR

  

  "The Separation Myth: Whose Utopia?" begins to examine the constructs of opression and exclusion in Oregon. Through this project we can begin important conversations about what is really keeping us separate and how we can start to break down walls.

  Since this film deals with heavy subject matter this film utilizes humor to draw the audience into these sensitive discussions. The personal heartfelt stories from interviewees, and the filmmakers own story help the viewers to connect to the ultimate human desire of wanting to fit in and feel accepted. In this way it will not be a story of one 'niche' group, rather a story for us all.
  
  Runtime: 12 min. 01 sec.
  
  
  

• "Ashes of Time"

  Ryan Niemi - Klamath Falls, OR

  

  Southern Oregon captured through time-lapse photography.
  
  Runtime: 3 min. 02 sec.
  
  
  

• "Just Desserts"

  David West - Medford/Klamath Falls, OR

  

  This short screened online as part of a "film festival" on the Screen Junkies network, home the popular "Honest Trailers" videos. The idea was to make a short film featuring a spatula and the line, "I knew it was you."
  
  Runtime: 3 min. 05 sec.
  
  
  

• "Dial Tone"

  Sean Johnson - Klamath Falls, OR

  
  
  Mature content: violence
  
  An unknown man is stuck in a non-stop loop of carnage and mayhem.
  
  Runtime: 10 min. 17 sec.
  
  
  

• "After"

  Ray Robison - Medford, OR

  

  A man remembers and feels regret after his lackadaisical and mean-spirited attitude has created tragedy.
  
  Runtime: 4 min. 30 sec.
  
  
  

• "Rita's Home"

  Kristan Williams - Talent, OR

  

  A short documentary about a family learning to live all together with their elderly mother.
  
  Runtime: 5 min. 36 sec.
  
  
  

RECOMMENDED LODGING FOR KIFF2017

RUNNING Y RANCH RESORT (click to view website)

Running Y Ranch Resort is a full resort community located off Highway 140 West about 10 minutes out of Klamath Falls. Running Y features restaurants, a grocery store, the only Arnold Palmer designed golf course in the state, a covered outdoor ice rink in Winter, and more. The resort is upscale, but very reasonably priced.

15% discount for attendees who call in their reservation and mention the festival.

HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS (click to view website)

Holiday Inn Express is one of our newest lodgings, having been built within the last 10 years. It's location in the center of Klamath Falls provides easy routes to both our venues, as well as restaurants, gas, grocery and other shopping in central Klamath Falls.

$99 standard rooms and $109 suites for attendees who book through the rate link above.

OLYMPIC INN (click to view website)

Olympic Inn has been recently renovated, and is almost across the street from Holiday Inn Express, so it shares the same centralized access to our venues and Klamath Falls in general.

$99 single king and $119 double queen rooms for attendees who call in their reservation and mention the festival.