The Walla Walla Movie Crush showcases America's most intoxicating blend of short cinema, from vintage filmmakers as well as fresh upstarts. We promise a flight for every fancy.

TOP 10 REASONS YOU SHOULD SUBMIT YOUR SHORT TO THE WALLA WALLA MOVIE CRUSH

* Every submission is personally reviewed by our Artistic Director, Warren Etheredge, who has twenty years of experience on the festival circuit, the founder or co-founder of three, and programmer for many others. Warren watches over 2,000 shorts every year. Your work will be judged by the individual making the final decisions.

* Selected shorts represent the very best of current American movie-making. If your work is programmed, you know it is amongst the best of the best.

* Your selected short will be thematically programmed, packaged with other fantastic movies exploring similar content/themes. Any hour-tour long grouping will like include short narratives, doc, animation, music videos, etc. In total, these curated collections prove the whole is greater than the sum of its shorts.

* Selected finalists for top prizes — Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short, Best Animated Short, Best Short Screenplay and Best Performance — will be determined by all-star juries of Oscar-winners, nominees and revered moviemakers. Past years' jurors are responsible for such movies and television series such as: CAPTAIN MARVEL, WINTER’S BONE, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — FALLOUT, ALIEN, OCEAN’S 11, SCREAM, LOGAN, ABDUCTED IN PLAIN SIGHT, BRING IT ON, GLOW, PARKS & RECREATION, IN THE COMPANY OF MEN, EDITH+EDDIE, LEAVE NO TRACE, OZARK and many more.

* Selected shorts are screened at the historic, 300-seat Gesa Power House Theatre, a handsomely appointed venue with top-notch projection and sound systems.

* Should you attend, the Crush staff will treat you like royalty and family. Our goal is to celebrate every moviemaker’s talents and welcome them into the fold.

* Attending moviemakers are treated to daily, gratis Happy Hours, nightly parties and an invite-only Sunday brunch. The Electric Lounge (aka The Crush Green Room) is open all day for you to eat, drink and be cozy. These events and this pace also provide near ‘round the clock opportunities to network with fellow artists and industry guests.

* The Crush audience is committed, passionate and vocal. They will sit rapt with attention and express their affection for your work.

* A committed group of attendees we call “The Iron Ass Jury” selects an annual Audience Award winner. What separates this audience award from others is that is the only one that is determined by a jury comprised of viewers who have sat through every single screening, thus elevating the prize from popularity contest to true, absolute meritocracy.

* Walla Walla is the Napa Valley of Washington State — a lush and lovely wine region — noted for its beauty and bounty of dining and drinking options. Downtown Walla Walla is abuzz with activity and the scenic surroundings provide countless options for exploration and adventure. In fact, for early-arriving moviemakers, we will guide a Saturday morning hike that shows off the city and allows you to network in nature.

For more information, please visit https://www.themoviecrush.com and subscribe — for FREE! — to *Crushworthy*, the official, mostly monthly e-newsletter of the Walla Walla Movie Crush.

Best Narrative Short
Best Documentary Short
Best Animated Short
Best Performance
Best Screenplay
Best Score
Best Music Video
Alex Sichel Memorial Award
Beast of The Crush
Curator's Choice Award

* submissions may be no longer than thirty minutes
* submissions must have been shot in the United States OR feature someone above-the-line who is a citizen of the United States OR have been created by a student attending a school in the United States OR feature American content
* submissions must have been completed after January 1, 2024

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • An Unforgettable Weekend at Walla Walla Movie Crush
    I recently had the pleasure of attending Walla Walla Movie Crush. It was a blast!!! The festival brought together an incredible array of filmmakers, leading to some fascinating conversations and connections.
    The film selection was outstanding, with each film offering something unique and engaging. It was evident that a lot of thought and care went into curating a lineup that showcased diverse voices and high-quality storytelling. Every film I watched was truly remarkable.

    July 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you, Neely. Please know your two artful shorts were important additions to this year's blend. Getting to show them *and* getting to display some of your process/materials for making them at FVC Gallery — were amongst our 2024 highlights. Please come back next year. You are #Crushfam4eva❤️

  • Warren and the whole team was a pleasure to work with. Thanks for having us.

    July 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you, Niels. It was an honor to screen THE RED BIKE and to introduce audiences to the stellar performance by Michael Ray Escamilla, his passing is devastating. I wish you could have been in attendance for the rapturous response your short received.

  • Nostril Film

    This is a really special weekend-long event for filmlovers and filmmakers. Warren, Nancy and the whole team behind the Movie Crush create a fun, energetic and welcoming environment, all in celebration of short films. It was a delight to take in a truly wonderful curation of films, all of which were thoughtfully programmed into thematic blocks. For any filmmakers with a short film, no matter the genre or medium, submitting to the Crush is an absolute must! We went home feeling inspired and excited about the future of filmmaking. Thank you to the whole team behind the Movie Crush!

    July 2024
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    Response from festival:

    We are so happy to welcome you to our #CrushFam4eva❤️, Shay and Michael. NOSTRIL is such an odd and delightful tale and we are suckers for stop-motion; we are fortunate that Walla Walla was your first stop on the festival circuit. But now, Michael, have you looked into getting a CPAP machine? 😉

  • Matt Mazany

    An absolute joy of a festival. The selected films were excellent with a lot of variety in both style and content. There was a feeling of care into the selection process that went up on the screen. From a filmmaker's perspective, Warren and Nancy went out of their way to make me feel welcome and to put me in proximity with so many great filmmakers. There was an enthusiasm there that was hard to beat. Highly recommended to submit to this festival!

    July 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Happy to welcome one of the BIG BROTHERS into our #CrushFam4eva❤️. Thank you, Matt, for sharing your short and your big heart with the audience and your fellow moviemakers. You are welcome back any time, but please do return, with or without a short. We promise it will be a big hoopla!

  • this festival easily gets 5 stars across the board. i've attended a lot of festivals now as a filmmaker and what Warren Etheredge accomplishes with Walla Walla Movie Crush is like no other. for starters, he's found the perfect little town that offers great food and wine. it's walkable and has a fantastic theater space with areas for private events. the Crush is also thoughtfully curated by Warren himself. you walk into the opening party and instantly feel special to be apart of this chosen group of filmmakers. it's just not like that at most festivals. you can tell he and his partner Nancy really care and understand the work that goes into indie films. you will walk away feeling very loved and celebrated. i hope to come back in the future.

    July 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you, Erika. From the moment I saw OUT OF TUNE, I knew I would want to close this year's Crush with a screening of your glorious, heartfelt short. In a time, where many of us question whether or not we belong, Maya's, er, journey reminds us of all the shame and pride and joy and terror and risk and empowerment that awaits us if and when we ignore the judgement of others and embrace our particular passions. I can't think of a better message when we ought to be celebrating each others' individuality.