WELCOME TO THE
MANZANITA
FILM
FESTIVAL
OCTOBER 4, 2025
PINE GROVE COMMUNITY HOUSE
225 LANEDA AVE
MANZANITA, OREGON
SUBMISSIONS OPEN
Now actively seeking short documentary, live-action, or animated films that are made in, about or by filmmakers of Oregon and the greater Pacific Northwest.
DEADLINES
Early Bird Deadline: Feb 1; Final Deadline: July 1; Notification Date: Aug 1
ABOUT
The inaugural Manzanita Film Festival is dedicated to celebrating the rich cinematic heritage of the Pacific Northwest region.
A one day in-person event held in the picturesque coastal town of Manzanita, Oregon, this festival aims to showcase films that capture the essence, culture, crafts, and stories unique to the Pacific Northwest with a special consideration for the Oregon coast.
By highlighting the creative achievements of filmmakers from our region, we aim to foster community pride, inspire creativity, and provide a platform for local filmmakers to share their work with a broader audience.
OUR SPONSORS
Thank you to our sponsors for supporting the festival!
TEAM
FESTIVAL DIRECTORS
JUSTIN GRAHAM
Justin has been heavily involved in the Portland film and animation community as a VFX lead and artist on five feature films at Laika Studios and more recently on Henry Selick's film Wendell and Wild for Netflix. Justin got his start in film at George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch and Industrial Light and Magic in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to his VFX work he has also been active in the film festival world. His short film As Seen On TV premiered at the Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation and Technology at OMSI last summer and won an award for Best Oregon Short Film. He is working with PFCAT to screen films for entry into this year's festival. He has similarly been involved with the San Francisco Film Festival, the Brooklyn Sci Fi Film festival and ran the Short Attention Span Film Festival years ago.
PAMELA STATZ
Pamela grew up in Wisconsin and attended UW Madison earning degrees in Journalism and History. Pamela has worked in media and advertising for Lucasfilm, WIRED, Nike, and Wieden+Kennedy. She is the author of THORN CITY (Ooligan Press). She has seen Point Break one hundred and thirty seven times.
FESTIVAL JUDGES
TERA HATFIELD
A PNW native born in Bremerton WA, Tera Hatfield is a creative director at Penguin Random House for digital products and brand. She's a top-notch designer, humble team player, and a classy sneaker-wearer with a passion for film. As a kid obsessed with movies from a young age, she bluffed her way on to various film sets as a featured extra, including 10 Things I Hate About You and Pre. She'll happily nerd out on the smallest details—ask her about The Brutalist's title and end credits treatment. Every year her family camped on the Oregon coast by way of Astoria, and every year she was on the lookout for the Goonies HQ.
DANIEL LEATHERDALE
Originally hailing from Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, England, Daniel is a Senior Compositor at Laika Studios in Hillsboro, Oregon. He was nominated for a 2017 Annie Award in 'Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in an Animated Production' for his work on Kubo and the Two Strings. He also received a Visual Effects Society Awards nomination.
JESSICA OUTLAW
Jessica Outlaw is an Adobe experience researcher who studies the creative process. In her previous role as the founder of The Extended Mind, she studied and developed virtual reality experiences that facilitate embodiment and social presence across distances. Her virtual reality app 'Teachers Lens' won an Oculus Launchpad award from Facebook (now Meta).
She lives in Portland, OR and loves to forage clams on the Oregon coast in the spring and collect mushrooms in the forest in the autumn.
JULI STRATTON
Juli is actively involved in the Riverbend Players theater group. She is passionate about storytelling through various mediums including podcasting, live performances, photography and documentary filmmaking.
Juli lives in Manzanita with her wife and their two fur kids. Juli believes in embracing life to the fullest and inspiring others to do the same. To learn more about Juli and her passion projects visit jstratton.com.
GET IN TOUCH
For inquiries, volunteer opportunities, or sponsorship details, please get in touch!
