"36" is among the narrative shorts in the 2023 BendFilm Festival.

I love a short film. Within their petit runtime, they can convey a complete story full of all the emotions you’d get with a feature, but if you don’t like it … don’t worry, it’ll be over soon. At this year’s BendFilm Festival, there are over 60 short films screening, with 50 of them being Oscar-eligible after their festival premiere.

This year’s selection is incredible in terms of quality and diversity. Stories come from all over the globe but each of them holds universal truths. With over a dozen hours of combined runtime, this intrepid movie critic and all-around fan watched them all, and here are my picks for what you should try to see this year, a few of which will no doubt have special, local interest.

Indigenous shorts

“Apayauq” (directed by Zeppelin Zeerip) — Transwoman Apayauq Reitan, races the Iditarod for the second time, the first since transitioning making her the first out transwoman to compete. The film features footage Reitan shot while on the legendary race across the Alaskan wilderness as well as her thoughts on both the figurative and literal journey she’s on. Poignant and thoughtfully told, Zeerip lets Reitan shine.

“Paddle Tribal Waters” (directed by Paul Robert Wolf Wilson and Rush Sturges) — Ahead of the 2024 Klamath dam removals, a project through Rios to Rivers has already started to teach a group of Indigenous youths to whitewater kayak in order to prepare them to be the first people to paddle down the once-again free-flowing river. The emotional weight sneaks up on you when hearing these young people describe what the river means to them and the fight their ancestors undertook in order to get to this point. The project as a whole aims to bolster the next generation of Indigenous land stewards.

Narrative shorts

“36” (directed by Ana Lambarri) — There is a point about three-quarters of the way through this 22-minute, immensely tense Spanish film that literally took my breath away. Told through an unbroken “one-shot” following Sara (Nerea Barros) as she tries to hold together through a dinner party being thrown for her abusive husband’s new bosses, the film ramps up the heart rate expertly until all is revealed to one character in a stunning performance from Loreto Mauleón.

“Confessions” (directed by Stephanie Kaznocha) — A darkly funny, and ultimately lovely story of two elderly nuns who, upon the death of one of their colleagues, discuss their persistent, almost quaint, fantasies of their own deaths. Through the course, both decide that maybe they’d better give a couple more things in life a try before that reaper comes knocking. Actors Carol Herman and Eve Sigall are fantastic in their almost wide-eyed wonder over a newly embarked adventure, maintaining something that feels authentically like a decades-long friendship.

“Shoes Off” (directed by Joel Jay Blacker) — Probably the film that made me laugh the most just because of the sheer ridiculousness of it all. Two buddies return home after a night out, and the drunkest one (Rick Darge) passes out not before telling the other to take off his shoes for him. The conscious one (Clayton Farris) then shows the wider lengths he’s willing to go to to care for his friend. Blacker keeps ramping up the absurdity but never cheapens the humor or the care these two characters feel with it. Kicking off with an “I know your mom just died of leprosy,” he keeps sight of the fact that these two besties really are looking out for each other in the best way.

“TH3 P4YPH0N3/The Payphone” (directed by Artificial Intelligence) — Local filmmaker Taylor Morden set out to make a film using free AI software from the script to the direction. The result is a largely incoherent trope- and cliche-filled … something. But Morden and his team make their point: Is AI the next worst thing to happen to film, or is it another tool in a filmmaker’s toolkit? The result of the experiment is fascinating given the conversation over AI and its use in filmmaking is incredibly prescient and will no doubt continue to be a hotly debated topic.

“We Were Meant To” (directed by Tari Wariebi) — Told through a supernatural lens, this beautiful allegory on how the world over-polices and limits spaces and opportunities for people of color is one of my favorite shorts this festival. Akil (Tim Johnson Jr.) is a young Black man who has wings and is planning for his first flight. This is a special ability that only a few African American men have, but the wider world is uncomfortable with it and blames upticks in crime on these abilities, establishing no-fly zones and strict consequences for those that break it. But Akil, a normal teenager, is determined to fly despite the risks.

Animated shorts

“American Sikh” (directed by Ryan Westra and Vishavjit Singh) — An American-born, turban-wearing Sikh examines the racism he faced upon returning to the U.S. in the ‘90s and how it was amplified after Sept. 11. With all the vitriol lobbed at him because of his turban, he decides to don a Captain America costume, complete with a red, white and blue turban, embracing his faith and his patriotism to largely positive results. I love both the animation style at work and how it embraces those comic book threads within it as well as themes of the search for identity. Be prepared for a beautiful, gut-punching dedication at the end.

“The Voice in the Hollow” (directed by Miguel Ortega) — An ultimate, “be careful what you wish for” story told in stunning style. Presented in Swahili it tells a fable of two sisters, one who is a great hunter and the other who longs to be one. The latter, Coa then encounters a strange voice in a hollow that teases her with her every wish come true. A dark and ultimately heartbreaking story and visually captivating throughout.

Documentary shorts

“Strong Grandma” (directed by Cecilia Brown and Winslow Crane-Murdoch) — Catherin Kuehn, a 95-year-old Redmond woman, is a world record-holding powerlifting champion, though as she says coyly, it’s not exactly hard because the competition pool isn’t as deep at her age. She and her story are equally charming and her message to keep moving is one to remember.

“The Orchestra Chuck Built” (directed by Christopher Stoudt) — Another one of my favorites from this year’s festival that hits all the right notes. The film focuses on Chuck Dickerson, a former Los Angeles attorney turned youth orchestra founder and leader. Spurred on by his love of music and desire to help out young people in his community, he started a first-of-its-kind orchestra specifically for inner-city youth, which has blossomed into an incredible program with some remarkable music.

Outdoor environmental shorts

“Range Rider” (directed by Colin Arisman) — An interesting, mostly well-rounded look at the long debate surrounding more wolves entering eastern Washington. Arisman focuses on range rider Daniel Curry, whose job it is to ride with the cattle left on public grazing land to help dissuade wolves from coming near the herd in the first place. Curry works with ranchers to help protect the herd as well as the wolves from being shot by the ranchers should they go after stock. Opinions are presented from old ranching families, stalwart in their hatred over the wild canine, and those who hope to see a balance struck.

“The Right to Joy” (directed by Jay Melena and Tim Kressin) — Izzy Sederbaum, a trans biker, was attacked by a cougar while out on a ride along a logging road in Washington. His friend who was riding with him died from their injuries, and Sederbaum’s long recovery included overcoming anti-trans hatred online and anxiety stemming from the attack. The highly polished doc about getting back on the literal and proverbial bike is inspiring to see.