Bend Film Festival is Back

Poster for the 23rd Annual Bend Film Festival, Oct. 7–11, 2026, featuring a man seated in a row of classic red theater chairs with a rushing river in the background. Text reads: “Your annual big screen binge returns to Bend for five days of indie film. Passes on sale now.”

On Oct. 7-11, the Bend Film Festival is making its way to theaters and event spaces across Central Oregon for its 23rd year and film fans, filmmakers, industry professionals and other creatives are already securing their passes and planning their itineraries for the five-day event. To help festival-goers make the most of the weekend, we’ve created a brief guide to answer some of the questions that may come up before anyone calls “action!”

Bend Film Fest Screening Locations:

Every year, the city’s creative and theatrical community comes together to welcome locals and visitors from across Central Oregon and other parts of the region for the annual Bend Film Festival. Here’s where you’ll be headed:

  • McMenamins Father Luke’s – 700 NW Bond St., Bend, OR.
  • Oxford Ballroom by Flip Flop – 10 NW Minnesota Ave., Bend, OR.
  • Regal Old Mill ScreenX & IMAX – 680 SW Powerhouse Dr., Bend, OR.
  • Tower Theatre – 835 NW Wall St., Bend, OR.
  • Tin Pan Theatre – 869 NW Tin Pan Alley, Bend, OR.
  • Wyam Youth Center – 2130 Warm Springs St., Warm Springs, OR.

More location information can be found here.

Film Genres & Categories:

Bend Film Fest always has a variety of film categories, each filled with inspiring, creative works suited to a range of interests. Here’s what you have to look forward to:

  • Animated Short
  • Documentary Feature Competition
  • Documentary Short
  • Documentary Spotlight
  • Environmental/Outdoor Feature Competition
  • Environmental/Outdoor Short
  • Feature Film in Attendance
  • Indie Filmmaker of the Year
  • Indigenous Feature Competition
  • Indigenous Short
  • Indigenous Special Screening
  • LGBTQ+
  • Local Focus
  • Narrative Feature Competition
  • Narrative Short
  • Narrative Spotlight
  • PNW Spotlight
  • Shorts Filmmakers in Attendance
  • Woman Director

To see the full schedule and film lineup, visit https://bendfilm.org/festival/. A large vertical neon sign reading “Regal” stands above a horizontal neon sign reading “Cinemas 16” on the building exterior, illuminated in blue and red.

Panels – Discussions with the Filmmakers:

All panels are free to attend and will be hosted at Scalehouse Gallery, 550 NW Franklin Ave., Suite 138, in Bend. These panels offer a chance to go behind the scenes through discussions with filmmakers, programmers and producers and dig into the creative process of filmmaking. This year’s panels and dates include:

  • Conquering Indie Filmmaking – Friday, Oct. 9 at 11:15 a.m.
  • Risky Business: Landscape of Making and Distributing Docs – Friday, Oct. 9 at 1:15 p.m.
  • Short Films, Long Game: Building a Career on the Festival Circuit – Saturday, Oct. 10 at 11 a.m.
  • Industry Panel: Development, Packaging & Financing, Distribution – Saturday, Oct. 10 at 1 p.m.

More panel information can be found here.

Ticketing and Passes:

Bend Film Festival has a variety of tickets, passes and packages to choose from. To purchase tickets individually, visit the Film Guide or Schedule, or find a breakdown of Bend Film Festival passes and ticket packages here. Perks may include access to the Opening Night Party and Closing Night Ceremony, as well as admission to film screenings at all venues!

With a good baseline for where to start with this year’s Bend Film Festival, it’s time to start building your own itinerary so you can get the most out of the films.

More information can be found on BendFilm’s website and Instagram page. For a full list of FAQs, including information on pass holders, ticketing, seating, Eventive and more, find your answers here.

Kick back with a bucket of popcorn and happy film watching!

Exterior view of the Tower Theatre at night, with glowing neon theater lights against a dark sky.