BEND, OR — September 10, 2024 — BendFilm today announced two of their Festival’s honorees – Karyn Kusama, Indie Filmmaker of the Year, and Sydney Freeland, Indigenous Honoree – as well as this year’s jurors alongside the latest additions to this year’s feature film program. The 16 feature films from today’s announcement (including one late-breaking Documentary Competition addition) bring this year’s slate to a total of 38, alongside multiple Oscar-qualifying shorts programs, music videos, offscreen events and panels, all be presented in person October 10-13, 2024 across venues in Bend and Madras.

“Spotlight films are the programming team’s curation of favorites from a full year of scouting the many other festivals we love,” said BendFilm Program Director Selin Sevinç, “They’re gems that come highly recommended, and we’re excited to showcase them alongside a really bold competition slate.”

Four of the added works outside of competition are by Kusama, this year’s Indie Filmmaker of the Year, and Freeland, this year’s Indigenous honoree. “Our honorees this year are visionary women whose films illuminate stories of long odds and resolute determination,” Sevinç continued, “Karyn and Sydney have talents that transcend genre and, with a sharp focus on individual stories, strike at universal truths about self-determination.”

“I’m honored to be accepting the Indie Filmmaker of the Year award at the 2024 Bend Film Festival,” said Kusama. “It’s particularly special to me to be acknowledged within the indie film space, as it’s long been the stomping ground for artists who make work with a specific and deeply personal point of view – I’m humbled to have joined those ranks.”

Most recently, Kusama is an executive producer of Showtime’s coming-of-age survival drama, the nine-time Emmy-nominated Yellowjackets; prior to that, she helmed the Golden Globe-nominated Destroyer starring Nicole Kidman; other feature credits include indie thriller The Invitation, cult horror comedy, Jennifer’s Body, sci-fi love story Aeon Flux, and her Cannes and Sundance award winning debut, GirIfight. Destroyer and Girlfight will screen at the 2024 Bend Film Festival.

Freeman, who will also serve on the Indigenous (Features and Shorts) Jury, said: “I’m incredibly excited to be this year’s Indigenous Honoree, and to be a part of this jury. There is a lot of amazing talent at this festival and I feel honored to be a small part of it.”

Freeland is an Emmy-nominated writer, director, and producer known for her work across film and television that centers on marginalized characters. Her upcoming film Rez Ball, which she directed, executive produced, and co-wrote with Sterlin Harjo, premiered at TIFF and will screen at the Festival as the Opening Night Film. She also recently directed and executive produced Marvel’s limited series Echo, two episodes of which will screen in Madras as part of the Festival’s program. Additional TV work includes Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, P-Valley, and Reservation Dogs. Freeland’s previous films include Drunktown’s Finest and Deidra and Laney Rob a Train, which both premiered at Sundance.

Honoree-directed work joining the lineup:

Destroyer
Dir. Karyn Kusama | USA
A police detective reconnects with people from an undercover assignment in her distant past in order to make peace.

Girlfight
Dir. Karyn Kusama | USA
Diana, without her father knowing it, trains as a boxer and achieves impressive success, blazing new trails for female boxers.

ECHO (miniseries; Eps. 1 & 2)
Dir. Sydney Freeland | USA
Marvel Studios presents Echo, spotlighting Maya Lopez as she is pursued by Wilson Fisk’s criminal empire. When the journey brings her home, she must confront her own family and legacy. The gritty, grounded, five-episode series is a self-contained story that follows Maya’s pursuit of power and revenge. But at the heart of the action-packed series is a burgeoning antihero with roots in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Rez Ball
Dir. Sydney Freeland | USA
In the heart of Chuska, New Mexico, the Chuska Warriors, a high school basketball team rich in Native American heritage, face their greatest challenge. After the loss of their star player, the team must unite like never before to keep their dreams of a state championship alive. Opening Night Film

Documentary Feature Competition

The 2024 Documentary Feature Competition section comprises bold nonfiction films which present their subjects in unflinching detail and formal innovation.

Zurawski v Texas
Die. Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault
USA | Central Oregon Premiere
Filmmaker scheduled to attend
Women denied abortions under Texas’s ambiguous and unforgiving bans band together with a fearless attorney to sue Texas. While battling in court against the state and its immovable Attorney General, the extent of their traumatic experiences is revealed as they wrestle to regain their reproductive futures and set a precedent for millions of other women and families.

NARRATIVE FEATURES SPOTLIGHT

A Different Man
Dir. Aaron Schimberg
USA | Oregon Premiere | A24
Aspiring actor Edward undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare, as he loses out on the role he was born to play and becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost.

Anora
Dir. Sean Baker
USA | Oregon Premiere | Neon
Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled. Closing Night Film

Bird
Dir. Andrea Arnold
UK | Oregon Premiere | Mubi
12 year old Bailey lives with her single dad Bug and brother Hunter in a squat in North Kent. Bug doesn’t have much time for his kids and Bailey who is approaching puberty seeks attention and adventure elsewhere.

The Gutter
Dir. Yassir Lester & Isaiah Lester
USA | Oregon Premiere | Magnolia
Walt is an unemployed underachiever who discovers a newfound talent for bowling. Encouraged by a barfly named Skunk, he launches a pro career to save the local bowling alley from foreclosure. With his powerful rolling skills and unconventional style, Walt becomes an unlikely bowling hero—much to the chagrin of legendary champion Linda “The Crusher” Curson.

Night Call
Dir. Michiel Blanchart
Belgium, France | West Coast Premiere | Magnolia
This night is like all the others for Mady, student by day, locksmith by night. But Claire, the enigmatic young girl he helps out that night, is not who she claims to be. Mady has only one night to prove his innocence in a city in turmoil.

The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Dir. Mohammad Rasoulof
Germany, France |Oregon Premiere | Neon
Shot entirely in secret, Mohammad Rasoulof’s award-winning thriller, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, centers on a family thrust into the public eye when Iman is appointed as an investigating judge in Tehran. As political unrest erupts in the streets, Iman realizes that his job is even more dangerous than expected, making him increasingly paranoid and distrustful, even of his own wife Najmeh and daughters Sana and Rezvan.

Little Kid Flicks
For ages 5+ | NYICFF
Presented in English or with English subtitles
Let your little ones discover the magic of the big screen with Little Kid Flicks. Whether diving down into the ocean for a pufferfish standoff or skating to victory across the ice, these shorts are sure to enchant and delight all audiences (but especially our youngest!)

Take in the audience favorite and award-winning films from the latest edition of New York International Children’s Film Festival! These amazing short films from around the world are sure to inspire curiosity and conversation for viewers big and small.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES SPOTLIGHT

A New Kind of Wilderness
Dir. Silje Evensmo Jacobsen
Norway | Oregon Premiere | Cinetic
Presented in Norwegian and English with English subtitles
In a forest in Norway, a family lives an isolated lifestyle in an attempt to be wild and free, but a tragic event changes everything, and they are forced to adjust to modern society.

Black Box Diaries
Dir. Shiori Ito
Japan, USA, UK | Oregon Premiere | The Film Collaborative
Presented in Japanese with English subtitles (S)
Journalist Shiori Ito embarks on a courageous investigation of her own sexual assault in an improbable attempt to prosecute her high-profile offender. Her quest becomes a landmark case in Japan, exposing the country’s outdated judicial and societal systems.

Every Little Thing
Dir. Sally Aitken
Australia | Central Oregon Premiere | Kino Lorber
Amid the glamor of Hollywood, Los Angeles, a woman finds herself on a transformative journey as she nurtures wounded hummingbirds, unraveling a visually captivating and magical tale of love, fragility, healing, and the delicate beauty in tiny acts of greatness.

Look Into My Eyes
Dir. Lana Wilson
USA | Oregon Premiere | A24
A group of New York City psychics conduct deeply intimate readings for their clients, revealing a kaleidoscope of loneliness, connection, and healing.

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
Dir. Benjamin Ree
Norway | West Coast Premiere | Netflix
Presented in Norwegian with English subtitles (S)
Mats Steen, a Norwegian gamer, died of a degenerative muscular disease at the age of 25. His parents mourned what they thought had been a lonely and isolated life, when they started receiving messages from online friends around the world.

This is a Film About the Black Keys
Dir. Jeff Dupre
USA | Central Oregon Premiere
Featuring live music by Franchot Tone before the film
Filmmaker scheduled to attend
Dan and Pat’s journey from an Akron, Ohio basement to rock’n’roll super-stardom. Barely acquaintances when they first recorded they quickly recognized their strong musical connection and drive to succeed. They toured relentlessly for ten years blowing up with hit records Brothers and El Camino. 24 years later they’re tighter than ever, still making great music and asking what’s next.

OREGON SPOTLIGHT FILM

The Spirit of Halloweentown
Dir. Bradford Thomason & Brett Whitcomb
USA | Oregon Premiere
Filmmaker scheduled to attend

In 1998, the Disney Channel Original Movie Halloweentown was filmed in St. Helens, Oregon. Since then, the town has become a de facto Halloween destination with over 50,000 visitors each October. The Spirit of Halloweentown is an observational portrait of St. Helens 25 years later focusing on its residents as they transform the town and navigate their inescapable identity. Just as ghouls and ghosts inhabit the Halloweentown of the movie, many St. Helens residents believe their town to be truly haunted. As visitors pour into the city and specters of all kinds fill the autumn air, life for the locals in Halloweentown becomes much more than the celebration of a movie. It’s a quest for belonging and a reckoning with demons both personal and spiritual.

Finally, BendFilm also announced today the jurors for their 2024 Festival:

Documentary & Environmental/Outdoor Features Jury:
Rebecca Yeldham, storyteller, producer and creative leader
Bojana Sandic, Programming Director, NewFilmmakers Los Angeles
Lucy Lerner, programmer, curator, critic and producer; formerly with Mountainfilm

Narrative Features Jury:
Effie Brown, producer, CEO and majority owner, Gamechanger Films
Lucie Boulet, NEON theatrical distribution
Connor DeSha, Development Executive, Formerly Narrative Film at Participant

Shorts Jury
Ben Thompson, VP, Shorts Programming, Tribeca Film Festival
Luisa Murray, producer and Managing Executive Producer, BUCK
Toby Brooks, Sundance Institute’s Sundance Ignite Program

Indigenous (Features and Shorts) Jury
Sydney Freeland, writer, director, and producer (and 2024 Indigenous Honoree)
LaRonn Katchia, filmmaker and tribal member, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
Tazbah Chavez, performance poet turned WGA-nominated television writer / director

Music Videos
Andy Hines, director

These jurors will direct BendFilm’s filmmaker-focused efforts to award over $12,500 in prizes directly to independent feature and short filmmakers in these competition categories. These awards and others, determined by jury deliberation or audience balloting, will be presented at a dedicated Awards Show on the evening of Saturday, October 12, 2024.

Passes, which offer various levels of advance and exclusive access and benefits, are on sale now. Individual tickets go on sale for BendFilm members on September 12. Next, passholders get dedicated access (All Access, September 18; Full Film, September 19), and the general public can purchase tickets starting September 20.