(Jacy Mairs, Portland, OR, 2025, 100 min)

FILM SYNOPSIS
In the early years of the new millennium, 12-year-old Stevie lives with her single mother and little brother in a trailer park on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon. She spends the dog days of summer trampolining in the backyard and having jello-eating contests in the kitchen. That is, until she discovers a more adult, alluring world embodied by the older kids who smoke and drink their way through the hot summer nights. A raw, powerful film about being on the painful cusp of teenager-hood, Trash Baby celebrated its world premiere at SXSW in 2025 and was named an Academy Nicholl Semi Finalist. With its indie rock soundtrack and devastatingly naturalistic performances from young up-and-coming actors, Trash Baby presents an indelible Pacific Northwest spin on the coming-of-age genre.

Jurors highlighted Trash Baby’s authentic, lived-in portrait of a trailer park community in the early 2000’s, as well as Esther Harrison’s mesmerizing portrayal of a girl caught between two worlds.

(Jackson Devereux & Lachlan Hinton, Oregon, USA, 2024, 103 min)

FILM SYNOPSIS
Not One Drop of Blood is a haunting exploration of a 50 year old mystery: the killing and mutilation of cattle by inexplicable methods that have baffled ranchers and law enforcement alike. This surreal journey through Harney County, Oregon is a portrait of the modern American west. Under the surface of a seemingly idyllic cowboy lifestyle, danger and suspicion roil beneath this diverse but isolated agricultural community. Following the investigation of these bizarre events, what takes shape is a portrait not of the evasive killers, but of the fear, superstition and resilience within the American psyche.

Jurors praised the film’s refreshing cinéma vérité approach, intimate portraiture of rural life in the Pacific Northwest, and gripping portrayal of an insular community grappling with a decades-long mystery and searching for answers in the face of the unknown.

(Alexander Ibarra, Beaverton, OR, 2025, 14 min)

FILM SYNOPSIS
In the heart of Portland’s shifting landscape, a recent graduate confronts the enigma of her future while working as a cashier at her aunt’s beloved Mexican bakery. As the scent of tradition intertwines with the winds of transformation, our protagonist and her aunt grapple with the imminent closure and bittersweet farewell of their bakery amidst neighborhood gentrification.

Jurors highlighted Barrio’s poignant multigenerational story and multilayered commentary on gentrification and displacement in Portland.

(Davon Ramos & Paloma Ramos, Eugene, OR, 2024, 24 min)

FILM SYNOPSIS
The concrete slab atop of the College Hill Reservoir in Eugene, Oregon, has been a community recreational space for generations. It is beloved for its accessibility, open views and lack of a defined use; what someone could do there was only constrained by their imagination. It was an equalizer and encouraged people from all walks of life to mix amongst each other. In a country where public spaces are dwindling–privatized, commercialized, and fenced off–the College Hill Reservoir stood as a rare exception. Ahead of the reservoir’s demolition, A Public Space offers a stirring eulogy for a beloved local haunt.

Jurors highlighted the film’s beautifully bittersweet tone, nuanced portrayal of the interactions between populace and government, and brilliant execution in making the viewer care deeply about a “concrete slab.”

(Darren Dominique Heroux, Vancouver, BC, 2025, 9 min, in English)

FILM SYNOPSIS
A “Texas Switch” is a cinematic sleight of hand where one performer is swapped for another in a single shot, often hidden in plain sight. This experimental documentary short embraces bold acts of substitution, toying with visibility, presence, and what slips past the viewer’s gaze.

Jurors loved Texas Switch’s fearless reinvention of the documentary-interview format, including its inventive use of the cinematic technique of the Texas switch to illuminate the all-too-frequent invisibility of older women in society.