A beginners guide to the Bend Film Festival:
Everything you need to know to navigate it like a pro!

Let’s Set the Scene

Bend, Oregon is home to over 30 breweries, a world renowned ski resort, the most Patagonia puffers per capita* and a little something called the Bend Film Festival.

Film Festivals can be daunting. I picture film bros walking around talking about Cassavetes, making you follow them on Letterboxd and judging you for having never seen a Tarantino (Lynch, Nolan, insert fave director here) film. If you didn’t understand any of that, this article is for you.

On a fundamental level, film festivals are truly no different in form than going to your local AMC or Regal. You get a ticket, show up, grab your popcorn and enjoy the show. However, at film festivals you get something extra you don’t get at your typical cineplex film. Unique (& important) stories, insight directly from the filmmaker themselves and the knowledge that you are cooler than everyone around you for having attended a film festival 😉

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s break down some common misconceptions about the Bend Film Fest and give you all the insight on how to navigate it.

The Films: What’s on Screen?

When you think of film festivals you may think of bizarre, artsy films, with subtitles that leave you feeling…well, confused? We may have a few of these films (as we love to support bold stories, and people trying new things) but we also have films for everyone and anyone. Outdoor/political/emotional documentaries, Music Videos, Comedies, Dramas, Short Films, and so much more! Ever heard of a little Oscar winner called ‘Anora’? We had that at the fest in 2024.

“Indie” doesn’t mean crazy, or weird or exclusive. It simply means “independent”. As in, these films aren’t necessarily backed by big media companies, so this may be your only chance to see them. Or this is before they have been picked up by a distributor and you could be one of the first to see an Oscar Winning film! These are real people just like you and me. Not Hollywood billionaires, but people who care deeply about their art or a particular subject and want to share it with people. By coming to a screening you are directly supporting an artist, one whose work may not be seen otherwise. What a special honor it is to say you were a part of that!

The Logistics: Passes, Tickets and More

The Bend Film fest is a choose your own adventure type of event. Watch one film, or five films all four days of the fest, whatever works for you. We sell two types of festival passes, or you can buy individual tickets to a film. If you want to see more than 5 or so movies we recommend getting a pass. These let you reserve unlimited films & before the public has access. Plus, some passes give you entrance to our Awards Ceremony and Opening Night Party. If you just want to dip your toe in, and only see only one or two films, feel free to just purchase a ticket for an individual screening!

It’s not all or nothing! You DO NOT have to purchase a pass to attend the festival.

Here’s a brief overview of how we do ticketing:

  • Passes are available for purchase NOW!
  • Individual tickets to films go live in mid September
  • If you have a pass you still have to reserve tickets to individual screenings. Things book up so you have to plan ahead and reserve online (with a pass you can show up at the door if you want, but we can’t guarantee you will get a seat)
  • Tickets are released in waves: First for BendFilm Members, then All Access Pass holders, then Full Film Pass holders and then the general public.

Our film screenings happen all around Bend. At the Tin Pan Theater, the Tower Theatre, Regal Cinemas, Volcanic Theatre Pub and Open Space!

The Cherry on Top: Parties & Panels

There’s more than just films to enjoy at the festival! We have at least one party a day! Some of these are free and open to the public, while others are ticketed. Grab a drink and join us at our favorite local spots like San Simon, Bunk and Brew and more. At these parties, filmmakers and attendees mix & mingle, there’s no VIP area, no exclusiveness, just good brews and good conversation.

We also have a variety of industry panels if you are interested in learning more about filmmaking, or just want to hear filmmakers and industry professionals talk about their work. Think about all the behind the scenes footage from a DVD you watched as a kid, it’s like that but in real life. All panels are free and open to the public!

Well that’s a wrap folks (and the end of the film puns)! Long story short, you can make the festival whatever you want it to be. It’s your weekend, see one movie, see them all. Go to all the parties or just focus on getting as many movies under your belt as you can. Like the millions of movies in the world, there are endless possibilities on how you can experience the festival, and something out there for everyone. We hope you join us at the 2025 Bend Film Festival, October 8-12th!

The End

*This is a made up stat*