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THE McMINNVILLE MYSTERY

THIS IS A PLACE HOLDER FOR A DOCUMENTARY THAT IS IN POST- PRODUCTION. THE FILM WILL BE UPLOADED UPON COMPLETION.

Synopsis:The most famous UFO photographs in Oregon history weren't taken in McMinnville—they were taken nine miles away in Sheridan. Yet McMinnville hosts an annual UFO festival while building its reputation as the heart of Oregon wine country.

The McMinnville Mystery explores how a small town lives with a borrowed legacy and a dual identity: sophisticated wine destination by day, alien capital for one weekend a year.

What we captured — costumed revelers, tin foil philosophers, and the occasional 'Rolling in 3, two, one!' — turned out to be its own kind of mystery. We're not done yet.

  • Milt Ritter
    Director
    Rising: The Art and Life of John Waddell, America's History in the Making
  • Dave Paull
    Director
    Roswell Revisited, Searching for Sasquatch, They're Coming!
  • Dave Paull
    Writer
    The First Wave, The Trent Saucer, Searching for Sasquatch
  • Dave Paull
    Producer
    Wordspeaker, John Lennon; A Conspiracy of Silence, Roswell revisited, Nightbumpers
  • Milt Ritter
    Editor
    Frontline, The Art and Life of John Waddell, America's History in the Making
  • Carl Winston
    Director of Photography
    Reunion, Forest People, Searching for Sasquatch, Lever of Justice
  • Dave Paull
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Sam Maupin
    Drone pilot & second unit cameraman
  • Kyle Gilmer
    Camera, music composer, audio sweetening
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Web / New Media
  • Genres:
    Sci-Fi documentary
  • Runtime:
    31 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Milt Ritter, Dave Paull

Dave Paull is an independent filmmaker whose projects are getting traction in film festivals worldwide. After a career in radio news reporting he has ventured into micro-budget filmmaking. Now in his late 70s, Dave says he's an octogenarian wannabe, still with movies to make.

" I'm into documentary style narratives, exploring off-beat stories and personalities. My style is to toss some whimsical humor into the mix, along with a serious exploration." - Dave Paull

Milt Ritter is a video editor known for his work on documentaries and historical projects. He has contributed to films such as Rising: The Art and Life of John Waddell, America's History in the Making and the investigative series Frontline. His extensive video footage was used in the Netflix documentary Wild Wild Country.

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Director Statement

Here's the promo copy: In The McMinnville Mystery, we unravel a decades-old UFO tale--not to prove or debunk, but to ask: What draws us to signs in the sky, legends in small towns, and stories that won’t die? Through myth and memory, the film traces a human hunger for meaning—where the search for extraterrestrials becomes a search for something larger: a higher power, a cosmic visitor, or simply a reason to keep wondering.

We had a two-camera shoot, interviewing costumed revelers at the annual McMenamins UFO festival. Lots of aliens and tin foil hats, plus some in-depth, more thoughtful interviews.

Thanks to our intrepid video crew: Carl Winston and drone pilot Sam Maupin. Kudos also for audio sweetener and music composer Kyle Gilmer. And of course, our editor Milt Ritter.