Artist Testimonials

A few words from EOFF Alumni

“EOFF was one of the first festivals that accepted something that I made. Knowing that my short was being seen and felt, fueled me to keep going beyond that project. I’m forever grateful.”

— Andrew Droz Palermo, RICH HILL (2015); A FACE FIXED (2011)

“Eastern Oregon Film Festival is a sacred haven for independent filmmakers. They truly have an eye for authentic, individual work and they care about what matters most in filmmaking. Submit, and by god if you get in, go! You will meet great people, see great films, and walk away stronger!” (ed. note: Ben ripped a phone book in half at EOFF)

— Ben Petrie, HER FRIEND ADAM (2016); BANANAS (2015); NICE IS COOL (2014)

“Don’t sleep on EOFF. This tiny festival in a gorgeous corner of Oregon has the friendliest hosts,
crazy parties, and generous, adventurous audiences.”

— Cambria Matlow, WOODSRIDER (2017)

“Beyond anything, knowing that our film was received by an audience dedicated to progressive forms and truly independent filmmaking was supremely validating. I make movies for people to gather, dream, and unpack, and every opportunity to do that with an engaged crowd is a gift. To be included on a slate of some of my favorite films of the year is quite the honor and I’m so grateful that our movie set in the east coast woods was screened on the other side of the
country in Oregon.”

— Dylan Hansen-Fliedner, DRIVING NOT KNOWING (2016)

“I couldn’t make it out for A Wonderful Cloud at EOFF but really wanted to do a Q&A with audiences, so we did it over Skype. After a little bit of technical troubleshooting, it turned into one of the most intimate 20-minutes talks I’ve ever had about the film. Somehow felt very appropriate for our goofy comedy about re-connecting and the blurry lines of intimacy, that features an awkward Skype call with my mom. Glad to be a part of the warm legacy of the fest and hope I have a chance to be there IRL in the future. :)”

— Eugene Kotlyrenko, A WONDERFUL CLOUD (2015)

“This festival sets the bar for other festivals in the U.S. Its programming is fresh and adventurous, and I look forward to its lineup every year. Been incredibly proud to have had some of my work under the banner of EOFF.”

— Frank Mosley, PARTHENON (2017); SPIDER VEINS (2016)

“You programmed my very first film, which meant the world when I was wondering, ‘Is this something I should stick with?’”

— Jason Headley, TO SAY GOODBYE (2011)

“EOFF is the coolest and coziest film festival. I got to throw axes, discover PNW musicians, watch edgy and original films, and meet other filmmakers. I had a fantastic time at this weekend festival surrounded by mountains. It’s a wonderfully curated weekend!”

— Masami Kawai, NAMI (2016)

“I was deeply impressed by the way audiences engage with the festival’s visionary programming. EOFF has created a singular space where visiting filmmakers and local residents can learn from each other. The representation of women filmmakers, in particular, should be the envy of major festivals everywhere.”

— Monica Peña, HEARTS OF PALM (2016)

“My short documentary Sand Men was selected for Eastern Oregon Film Festival in 2017. My film, together with two other shorts, was selected to stream on Filmmaker Magazine exclusively for 48 hours during the festival, as part of EOFF’s showcase, gaining great exposure as a result. The quality of films selected for the festival is very high and communication with
filmmakers is fantastic. I cannot recommend EOFF highly enough and I’d be delighted to come back there again with my next film”

— Tal Amiran, SAND MEN (2017)

“I rode a sled towed from the back of a quad, laughing uncontrollably as my beer sloshed out of its can at each bump or bend in the path. I received nunchuck lessons from a man with very little nunchuck experience. I mistook a woman’s fake mustache for real and we laughed about it together over a joint, cross-legged on the floor of a house party with a full-sized iron maiden in the corner. And in addition to these things, I saw great movies. Thank you Eastern Oregon Film Festival. Moviemaking may not pay the bills, but organizations such as yours make it that much less regrettable.”

— Zach Weintraub, SLACKJAW (2015); YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO YOUNG (2014); THE INTERNATIONAL SIGN FOR CHOKING (2013)