Welcome to the official site of KIFF2024: 12th Annual Klamath Independent Film Festival
Your all-in-one site for info, tickets, and schedule
The Klamath Independent Film Festival continues its run as the leading all-genre, Oregon-centric film festival, presented for the fifth year both in-person and on-demand/livestreaming!
For the 2024 rendition we continue to showcase the best in independent Oregon filmmaking at the historic Ross Ragland Theater. We plan to continue our hybrid online festival presentation and opening night gala honoring one iconic Made-in-Oregon film. The ever-popular custom awards designed by local artists in the Southern Cascade Woodcrafters Guild will also return in 2024, and the second year of the prestigious James Ivory Award for career achievement in film with Oregon roots.
The 2024 Klamath Independent Film Festival will once again be held at The Ross Ragland Theater in Klamath Falls, Ore., Sept. 27-29, 2024. Activities will include an opening night gala on Friday featuring three films, a day of feature films on Saturday, and a full slate of shorts on Sunday culminating with our festival awards.
Every on-stage event will be livestreamed, and all films will be available to view on-demand for a limited time after the festival with exclusive filmmaker Q&As online - all thanks to the Eventive Virtual Festival platform. Watch the entire festival from the comfort of home via computer, tablet, phone, Apple TV, or Roku.
Awards & Prizes
Celebrating, growing, and bringing attention to filmmakers is our primary purpose. We program and award Northern and Southern films separately in order to give the greatest opportunity for filmmakers to be seen and recognized for their work. We aim to pass our success back to filmmakers through awards and promotion, both of which increase as our success increases.
KIFF2024 will feature $5,000 in prize money!
Southern films: shot predominantly in, or by residents of Oregon (and California counties on the Oregon/California border):
- Jury Grand Prize Feature $500
-Jury Runner Up Prize Feature $300
-Jury 2nd Runner Up Prize Feature $200
- Jury Grand Prize Short $600
- Jury Runner Up Short $400
- Jury 2nd Runner Up Short $300
- Jury Best Kindergarten-College Student Short $200
Northern films: shot predominantly in, or by residents of the remainder of the State of Oregon:
- Jury Grand Prize Feature $500
-Jury Runner Up Prize Feature $300
-Jury 2nd Runner Up Prize Feature $200
- Jury Grand Prize Short $600
- Jury Runner Up Short $400
- Jury 2nd Runner Up Short $300
- Jury Best Kindergarten-College Student Short $200
All submitters, regardless of whether their film is selected for the festival or not, are entitled to two (2) free Weekend Passes (Saturday/Sunday), in order to bring filmmakers together and encourage them to meet/network/see each other's work!
KIFF2024 Program
KIFF 2024 FILM SELECTIONS & SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, SEPT. 27, 2024
4:00 p.m.: opening night gala opens
6:15 p.m.: Introductions and Welcome
6:30 p.m. Films Begin
6:30 p.m. One Fighting Irishman
Director: Sharon Yamato
The story of one man’s legal battle to regain American citizenship for more than 5,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry forced to renounce amidst turmoil and violence at the Tule Lake Segregation Center, considered the worst of America’s ten WWII concentration camps. It took attorney Wayne M. Collins more than 23 years to restore citizenship for nearly all of them. Narrated by George Takei.
Q&A with Sharon Yamato to follow the film at 7 p.m.
7:20 p.m. John Sunshine's Lost Rock n' Roll Tapes
Director: Alice Wells
John Sunshine - determined to get a job at CREEM - America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine - enlists his unwitting friends to film him interviewing Killer Joe, the outrageous front man of Atomic Pink Jellyfish, an underground experimental rock band at the infamous Pogo-Pudz Club.
Content warning: language, violence, gore
Q&A with Alice Wells to follow the film at 8:20 p.m.
8:40 p.m. Freedom, Wisconsin
Director: Molly Preston
Freedom, Wisconsin is a coming-of-age story about a young woman who has experienced a great deal of loss during her lifetime while growing up in small-town Wisconsin. She is introduced to a struggling writer from the big city who disrupts her routine and becomes a catalyst for her journey to self-discovery.
Content warning: language
Q&A with Molly Preston to follow at 9:50 PM
10:15 p.m. After-party at Basin Martini Bar
SATURDAY (FEATURE FILMS)
Breakfast Meet & Mingle with fellow filmmakers - 8:00 a.m.
Introduction and Welcome to Saturday will begin at 9:00 a.m.
9:15 a.m.: Bent
Director: Brad Douglas
Desperate to find her missing niece, a woman poses as an FBI agent and travels to the mountains of Oregon to find her, only to become embroiled in a sinister cult that puts her life at risk.
Content warning: language, horror, violence
Q&A with Brad Douglas to follow at 10:25 a.m.
10:45 a.m.: Red Wine Drive
Director: Dana Kay Fykerud
Red Wine Drive is a compassion-driven human narrative film, set in 1979. A young nurse working in a mental institution forms a risky friendship with a patient that shares a similar condition to her lost brother.
Q&A with Dana Kay Fykerud to follow at 12:15 p.m.
1:30 p.m. Somewhere Confidential
Director: Casey Siegel
"Somewhere Confidential" is a darkly comedic film noir that plunges viewers into the twisted world of detective Guthrie Hayward. As he spirals through a labyrinth of vice and deceit, his unconventional allies include a loyal dingo accountant, his drug-addled siblings, and an enigmatic Mennonite with possibly mystical abilities.
Content warning: language
Q&A with Casey Siegel to follow at 3:15 p.m.
3:40 p.m.: Famous Agoraphobic Woman Tells All!
Director: AR Nicholas
FAMOUS AGORAPHOBIC WOMAN TELLS ALL! is SUNSET BOULEVARD minus the glamour and Hollywood stars. Set in suburban Oregon, we follow Zoe Marks, a washed up commercial actor who's still hoping to make it big and failing miserably. When her disastrous public access show turns her into a shut in, she fills her days writing ghost novels and fearing for the kid next door. Then one day an errant satellite crashes and Zoe's heroic actions thrust her into the celebrity status she'd always craved. But by this point, she doesn’t want it.
Q&A with AR Nicholas and Dale Basye to follow at 5:10 p.m.
5:30 p.m.: Above the Trees
Director: Gary Lundgren
After a deadly assault leaves a good man in a coma, a local boxer is charged with the crime. The story follows a mosaic of people linked to the tragedy as the criminal trial unfolds in Jackson County.
Content warning: language
Q&A with Gary Lundgren to follow at 7:45 p.m.
8:05 p.m.: Breakup Season
Director: Henry Nelson Tracey
A young man brings his girlfriend to his rural Oregon hometown to introduce her to his family, only for things to go terribly wrong upon arrival.
Content warning: sexual content
Q&A with Henry Nelson Tracey to follow at 9:50 p.m.
10:30 p.m.: Filmmaker After-Party at Basin Martini Bar
SUNDAY (SHORT FILMS)
9:00 a.m.: Introductions
9:15 a.m.: K-College Block
The Audition
Directors: Justin Crawford
A new actor attends a casting session, and the Casting Director has high demands.
I'm Seeing an Invisible Man
Directors: Matthew Hagen, Ethan Lex
Elderly JoAnne has been going out with someone new lately, but her daughter’s family becomes concerned for her sanity when she insists that Tom, the new boyfriend in question, is invisible.
The Culture Keepers
Director: Anais Katherine Wilson
A Klamath Tribal member is determined to save his people's culture during the 1950's Termination of his Tribe by hiding his culture in plain sight at his "Museum Gas Station"; and making the songs and dances "half-time entertainment" for what is now the oldest "All-Indian Basketball tournament" in the nation; and with the help of a bicultural school teacher who finds a way to help finance it in it's very early days.
The Kelp Keepers
Director: Anna Lueck
Kelp forests are essential to a healthy ocean, serving as habitat, storm break, carbon sink, and food source all in one. However, like so many other essential habitats, these forests are rapidly declining. This film introduces us to Dave Lacey, a Port-Orford based outfitter who was among the first to notice kelp forests collapsing on the South Coast of Oregon, as well as the civilian divers now working to survey these sites before it’s too late.
Tell-Tale Heart
Director: Kian Doughty
A modern retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, shot on 8mm film.
The Virus
Director: Adam Burkett
After trying to forget a figment of his dark past, a man finds himself being stalked by a living computer virus.
Content warning: horror, violence
Scarecrow
Directors: Zen Stec, Lucas Adelman
A person takes an odd job at a farm in the middle of nowhere. Things seem to be off about the whole place. Especially the noise being heard from the scarecrow outside...
Content warning: violence, horror
Highlife
Director: Benjamin Suk
Alex witter breaks the united states woman highlining distance record
10:15 a.m.: Q&A Session with Student Category Filmmakers
10:50 a.m.: Awards for Film Camp Films
11:o0 a.m.: Lighthearted Comedy Block
Pip & Squeek Go Viral
Director: Rob D'Arc
A short Live Action Puppet film from Heather Henson's Handmade Puppet Dreams Collection.
In a Retirement Home for animals, two elderly puppet mice reflect on their long, somewhat less than successful television careers and plan a comeback on the internet.
High Anxiety
Director: Dustin Wood
When Joe lies down to relax with a marijuana edible, he soon realizes he has bitten off more than he can chew. A dark comedy about that all-too-relatable moment you realize you are too high.
Yule Have Revenge
Director: David DeRienzo
See the holidays from a different perspective, as a discarded Christmas tree takes vengeance against the family that once celebrated it.
Content warning: language, violence
Worst Therapist Ever
Director: Jason Rosenblatt
A man seeks therapy only to learn mental health is a seller's market.
Subaru Cult
Director: Jill Murphy Long
Going door-to-door to spread the good word about the Pacific Northwest’s obsession with their favorite mode of transportation.
The Cross-Eyed Dominatrix
Director: Jason Rosenblatt
A dominatrix shows up at the wrong address.
Content warning: sexual content
11:45 a.m.: Q&A with Lighthearted Comedy Block Filmmakers
12:15 p.m.: Doc Block
The Story Project of Measure 110, Part One: Peers
Director: Sarah Shively
Oregon voted on Ballot Measure 110 to increase funding for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services throughout the state. One pillar of the increase in services is Peer Support. The Story Project of Measure 110, Part One; Peers, introduces the stories of the Peer Support workforce and those receiving peer support while also introducing the sweeping changes of this first-in-the-nation Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Act. The Measure 110 Movement is gaining momentum in Oregon and beyond.
Undammed: Amy Cordalis and the Fight to Free the Klamath
Director: Shane Anderson
After witnessing a massive fish kill on her ancestral home waters, Yurok tribal attorney Amy Bowers Cordalis dedicated her life to reversing the generations-long destruction wrought by the Klamath River dams. Undammed follows her journey to free the Klamath, from testifying before Congress to passing down fishing traditions within her young family. Now that the Klamath dams are finally coming down, she remains confident that the future of her tribe is bright. “It’s not a test,” Bowers Cordalis says of the largest dam-removal project in US history. “It will work.”
Klamath Bird Observatory
Director: Ross Williams
A look at the Klamath Bird Observatory based out of Ashland, Oregon. This organization advances bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships.
Disrupting Patterns
Director: Felipe Santacruz
A group of mothers tackle their fear of water to prove to their children anything is possible. The documentary follows Latino families in Oregon who have participated in the Bend Parks and Rec Family Swim Lessons in Spanish. The family swim program was created in 2018 as a collaboration between the BPRD Aquatics team and the Outreach team who focus on reaching historically underserved community members to build trust and awareness of BPRD programs and opportunities.
Postcards Road to 30: Owyhee Canyonlands
Director: A.J. Carter, Lauren Bogard
Covering millions of acres of sagebrush, river canyons, and geologic wonders, the Owyhee Canyonlands is the largest conservation opportunity in the American West. The vast, intact ecosystem is home to hundreds of bird species, mule deer, pronghorn, lizards and reptiles, and myriad plants and insects. Due to its remoteness, it boasts some of the darkest night skies in the lower 48. The region is the ancestral homeland of the Northern Paiute, Bannock, and Shoshone peoples.
1:30 p.m.: Q&A with Doc Block Filmmakers
2:30 PM: Questioning Reality Block
Scare Support
Director: Cosmo Spada
A support group for monsters who are dealing with their inadequacies of being perceived as monstrous. Once they can accept their own fears, they can then instill fear in others.
The Payphone
Director: Taylor Morden
An experimental film incorporating A.I. in which a young woman receives a mysterious phone call.
Content warning: violence
Viral
Director: Nicholas Lackides, Adrian Morales
“Viral” explores the dark side of internet fame, centering on a young man obsessed with becoming a social media sensation. Willing to do anything for views, he and his reluctant friend embark on a series of increasingly dangerous stunts. As their videos start gaining traction, the line between right and wrong blurs, leading to a shocking climax that forces them to confront the real costs of their quest for viral fame.
Kids For Kidnapping
Director: Justin Zimmerman, Torrance Maurer
Kids for Kidnapping is a young brother and sister’s journey into a dark and seedy adult world.
Endless
Director: Derek Willis
Three friends are stuck in a reality loop just as they confront their interconnected relationships in the most violent of ways.
Content warning: violence, horror
3:20 PM: Q&A with Questioning Reality Block Filmmakers
3:45 PM: Human Connections Block
Dolly's Room
Director: Mariel Eve Bennett
When 17 year-old Dolly befriends a popular ‘bad girl,’ she wants to dump her friend Alexa, but that's always easier said than done. After Alexa convinces Dolly to let her tag along to a party, Alexa surprises everyone but herself when she turns out to be wilder than she seems –– all the way into Dolly's bedroom. Against the backdrop of Dolly’s evolving identity, this film is a forced coming-of-age story where Dolly learns how quickly trust can be broken and leaves her questioning the ambiguity of her friend’s intentions.
Content warning: language, drug use, sexual assault, implied rape sequence
Around To It
Director: Michael William Dodge
Around to It is the story of a person dealing with loss, regret, and jealousy. Amanda, having been Liana’s primary caregiver as well as her roommate, has to deal with things left unsaid while working through a list of calls Liana wanted made after her death.
Navidad de Reserva
Director: Roberta Cumbianchera
A South American immigrant struggles to connect with the ''American Dream'' during Christmas Eve.
Snow Day
Director: Rollyn Stafford
Two strangers meet at the Oregon Holocaust Memorial and ask each other some unusual questions. Shot on 16mm film.
Sew Into You
Director: Emma Josephson
A widowed older woman seeks guidance from her younger queer coworker to ask out a woman for the first time.
Outta Sight, Outta Mind (Music From the Inside)
Director: Nili Yosha
Every week, men incarcerated at Columbia River Correctional Institution gather to work on, share, and record music. The CRCI Studio is a program of Open Hearts Open Minds, a non-profit arts in prison organization whose team members support the guys on the inside by providing equipment, production support, and connections to the community at large.
Content warning: language
4:50 PM: Q&A with Human Connection Block Filmmakers
6:00 PM: Scares & Laughs Block
Echo
Director: Haley McCoy
Two hikers veer off the path to find an amazing view, but it is quickly tarnished when they suddenly start hearing a familiar voice yelling at them.
Content warning: horror
Vines
Director: Luke Zwanziger
A mad botanist experiments on an unwilling human subject to give plants a fighting chance against climate change.
Content warning: horror
It's Zombies!
Director: DJ Hupp
Parody of The Walking Dead. Why don't they call them zombies ?!
A Man Alone
Director: Alyssa Roehrenbeck
HUNTER has been surviving on what he can forage and kill. It isn’t fun. With a wild sunburn his survival skills are being put to task. Just when things start to go horribly awry; he’s dehydrated, drunk and famished - his wife turns the tables and saves him in true “Real Housewives” fashion.
Ghost of Recent Past
Director: Edgar Garcia Chavez
A newly wedded couple moved into a new house. Soon they realized that the house was hunted. Strangely the supernatural phenomena only affected him. Only him.
6:10 PM: Q&A with Scares & Laughs Filmmakers
6:40 PM: Awards and Closing
Stick around after our last films for $5,000 in cash prizes plus our custom-made awards specific to each winning film in six categories created by the Southern Cascade Woodcrafters Guild. Additionally, who will receive the JAMES IVORY AWARD -- Klamath Film's legacy award for an individual with Oregon roots who has had a profound impact on the TV/film industry.
LODGING RECOMMENDATIONS
FAIRFIELD INN & SUITES (click to visit website)
The Fairfield Inn & Suites is located in downtown Klamath Falls, less than one mile from the Ross Ragland Theater where the festival begins and ends, alongside the banks of Lake Ewauna. It features an indoor pool, gym, business center, breakfast, and more.
Klamath Film is happy to announce reimbursements of 10% upon receipt for filmmakers.
RUNNING Y RANCH RESORT (click to view website)
Running Y Ranch Resort is a full resort community located off Highway 140 West about 15 minutes out of Klamath Falls. Running Y features restaurants, a spa, grocery store, the only Arnold Palmer designed golf course in the state, a covered outdoor ice rink in Winter, and more. Running Y is Klamath's upscale resort experience, but very reasonably priced.
ZENHAVEN AIR BnB
Looking to save money on lodging, and meet some of your fellow KIFF filmmakers? The Klamath Independent Film Festival has reserved the Zen Haven Air BnB in Klamath Falls just five minutes from the Ross Ragland Theater. Operated by a local film producer, this fully furnished AirBnB has a full kitchen, multiple bedrooms and baths, a hot tub, and is adjacent to Fred Meyer.
Space for 9-1212 on a first-come first-serve basis for traveling filmmakers and guests. Cost $100/person for all three days of the film festival.
Want to reserve bed(s) at Zen Haven? Email us at exec@klamathfilm.org to save your space.
-1 King size bedroom
-1 Queen size bedroom
-Multiple additional beds
-Pet friendly
-Free washer/dryer in unit
-Full kitchen
-Hot tub
-Free parking on site
-Free WiFi
KIFF2024 SPONSORS
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER SPONSORS
