10th Annual Walla Walla Movie Crush Lineup Announced

The Walla Walla Movie Crush, named one of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World by Moviemaker Magazine, today announced the official lineup for its 10th annual celebration of American short-form cinema. The festival will take place July 10–12, 2026, at the historic Gesa Power House Theatre in the heart of Washington wine country.

This year's program features 80+ shorts selected from more than 2,600 submissions spanning a mix of narrative films, documentaries, animated shorts, music videos, and more. Films are presented in hour-long thematic blocks, 17 in total, over the three-day weekend.

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The Crush lineup includes works by 38 female or non-binary filmmakers, featuring locally made shorts ROLL MODELZ (d. Yahir Tzec-Carasco & Oliver Rodriguez Dickson), shot in Walla Walla, and many shot in Seattle, including SCOUT’S HONOR (d. Isabel Pask), FITTED SHEET (d. Celia Beasley), DICK’S-A-THON (d. Dylan Young), and several premiere micro-shorts from director Aaron Bourget.

“Every year we promise the best of American short-form cinema, packaged in such a way that the whole really is greater than the sum of its parts.” said Artistic Director and co-founder Warren Etheredge. "We like to think of it as 'the ultimate movie mix tape.' "

2026 HIGHLIGHTS

• Presentation of the inaugural VitalCulture Award: Honoring an individual or institution who has worked tirelessly to create a healthier, heartier environment for the Arts to survive and thrive in the Walla Walla Valley.
• New Work from Oscar® Winners: This year's program includes new short films from Academy Award winners Don Hertzfeldt, Steph Curry, John Kelly, Ben Proudfoot, and Renée Zellweger.
• Saturday Night Block Party featuring DJ 9Lives: The weekend's centerpiece celebration takes over the streets with music, dancing, and the full Movie Crush community.
• Closing Night Party at Foundry Vineyards: The festival closes Sunday night with a “ChillFest” at Foundry Vineyards, in their beautiful outdoor sculpture garden.
  

AWARDS & JURIES
In addition to its new VitalCulture Award, The Crush will present awards across multiple categories, including Best Narrative, Best Documentary, Best Animation, Best Screenplay, Best Performance, the Alex Sichel Memorial Award (honoring female and non-binary storytellers), and the prestigious Iron Ass Award — the festival's uniquely honest audience prize, determined solely by attendees who watch all 17 hours of programming over the weekend. Warren Etheredge will also bestow his Curator’s Choice award, and Executive Director and co-founder Nancy Dragun will announce this year’s “Beast of the Crush,” an award recognizing the best animal performance in the 2026 lineup.

This year’s jury members include: Geeta Gandbhir — Oscar®-winning director of The Perfect Neighbor; Alice Wu — writer/director of The Half of It and Saving Face; Catherine Hardwicke — director, Twilight and Thirteen; Patrick Fabian — actor, Better Call Saul; Naja Pham Lockwood — filmmaker and advocate; Alex Barreto — actor, The Fosters; and legendary producer Ted Hope, an unofficial spokesperson for NonDē filmmaking.

TICKETS & INFORMATION

Passes for the 2026 Walla Walla Movie Crush are available now at themoviecrush.com and via FilmFreeway.

Festival Dates: July 10–12, 2026
Venue: Gesa Power House Theatre, Walla Walla, Washington
Passes: themoviecrush.com

Instagram: @themoviecrush
Subscribe: crushworthy.substack.com