About Eugene Film Society

short film competitions

EFS Mission

The Eugene Film Society (EFS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community arts organization that supports regional film production and a grassroots film culture by encouraging visual literacy through competition and collaboration, promoting seasonal cinematic events, fostering innovation and investment in young filmmakers, and creating visual media arts opportunities in our community.

Eugene Film Society

Annual EFS events currently include the 72-Hour Music Video Competition, the 72-Hour Horror Film Competition, the Northwest Screendance Exposition, Youth Visions, and various educational screening events in the Eugene area.

EFS was founded in 2013, following the overwhelming popularity of the first annual Horror Film Competition. While pursuing non profit status during the ensuing years, EFS created and administered the first All Hallows Eugene events with the City of Eugene, hosted several free summer movie screenings in Kesey Square, developed the 72-Hour Music Video Competition as a collaborative project with the Eugene Weekly’s Next Big Thing competition, and participated in several social events with the media arts and tech communities, including TAD Talks, The Big Mix, and the EFS Screening & Social.

Board of Directors

EFS wouldn’t be possible without the tireless efforts of the following community members currently serving on its all-volunteer Board of Directors:

Edward Schiessl – Managing Director, Broadway Metro Cinema
Kate Sullivan – Faculty, Lane Community College Department of Writing and Literature
Andre Sirois – Faculty, University of Oregon Cinema Studies Department
Mel Stark – Faculty, Lane Community College Media Arts Department
John Watson – Managing Director, DanceAbility International

Former Members

We are also grateful to our former Board Members for their many contributions over the years:

Brian Hebb – Co-owner, Cowfish
Thomas Pettus-Czar – Co-owner, The Barn Light
Evangeline Laroque – Co-owner, Brainchildz Productions
Joshua Purvis – former EFS Executive Director and founding board member
Lesli Larson – Creative Director, Archival Clothing
Liz Martin – Operations Manager, IRIS Educational Media

Edward Schiessl

President

Edward Schiessl has worked in the film exhibition industry as a projectionist and theater manager for over 20 years, and is currently Managing Director of the Broadway Metro Cinema. He attended the NWFC, manages a large private 35mm film archive, and has worked as Director of Photography and Producer for dozens of short films, features and music videos.

Kate Sullivan, Ph.D.

Secretary

Kate Sullivan, Ph.D., is a faculty member at Lane Community College, where she teaches both film studies courses and freshman writing. She has an abiding interest in U.S. horror film and the cinema of women directors.

Dr. André Sirois

Board member

Dr. André Sirois, aka DJ food stamp, is the Multimedia Supervisor and career instructor in the Cinema Studies Program at the University of Oregon. He teaches a range of classes in both film studies and production; from sound recording for film and no budget filmmaking to music video studies and hip hop cinema classes. He most recently published a book, “HIP HOP DJS AND THE EVOLUTION OF TECHNOLOGY: CULTURAL EXCHANGE, INNOVATION, AND DEMOCRATIZATION,” and is the co-founder of DJistory and the DJpedia Archive, a non-profit devoted to the technology, histories, and art of DJ culture.

Mel Stark

Board Member

Mel Stark is a Multimedia Design educator at Lane Community College teaching classes in time-based media, audio production, and digital design. She loves collaborating with other artists, and most recently has worked on projects that include stop-motion, motion graphics, audio production and video production. Mel’s first love is sound design and loves the opportunity to create color palettes of sound that she can use in her creative process. Her love of film brought her to EFS and she looks forward to continued work bringing more events and opportunities to media creators in our local area and beyond.

John Watson

Board member

Dr. André Sirois, aka DJ food stamp, is the Multimedia Supervisor and career instructor in the Cinema Studies Program at the University of Oregon. He teaches a range of classes in both film studies and production; from sound recording for film and no budget filmmaking to music video studies and hip hop cinema classes. He most recently published a book, “HIP HOP DJS AND THE EVOLUTION OF TECHNOLOGY: CULTURAL EXCHANGE, INNOVATION, AND DEMOCRATIZATION,” and is the co-founder of DJistory and the DJpedia Archive, a non-profit devoted to the technology, histories, and art of DJ culture.