Congratulations to Crystal Nichols, filmmaker and producer of The Monument, a film about the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. The Monument is showing at the Klamath Independent Film Festival 2020. She received a 2019 Friends Research Fund grant, awarded to undergraduate or graduate students for faculty-supervised projects that enhance an understanding, appreciation, preservation, and/or protection of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.

Notes by Crystal Nichols

Crystal Nichols filming on location at the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Nichols image.

I had the Klamath Independent Film Festival on my mental radar before I even finished creating The Monument, with the support of the Friends. I lucked out and found the submission opportunity for the film festival on the very last day of the deadline. About a month later, I learned that the film had been officially selected. I am honored and so excited to have the film showcased to the regional community since the film festival will be both in-person and virtual this year.

I had a video call with the executive director of KIFF to complete a Q&A session about the making of The Monument. This Q&A session will be played at some point during the festival. He seemed thrilled to be able to include a film that showcases the Klamath region! My film will be competing for various awards that are a part of the festival, but I will not know the results until the festival.

The Klamath Independent Film Festival is proudly the only film festival to showcase films that were either made in Oregon or whose filmmaker is from Oregon. The festival is in its eighth year and it will be taking place from September 18-20, 2020. Right now, their goal is to have the festival be in-person, with a large theater venue that can accommodate a lot of people even while social distancing. Just in case, the festival will also be available virtually.

IF YOU GO:
More information and tickets at the Klamath Independent Film Festival.
From September 18-20, 2020 in Klamath Falls, Oregon.