2023 Fungi Film Fest @ Cinema 21 | World’s Only Film Fest Dedicated to Mushrooms and Molds, Featuring 20 Films, 9 Countries

From our sponsors:
Fungi Film Fest
November 30 & December 3, 2023
November 30 @ 7PM | $15
December 3 @ 4PM | $13
More info: cinema21.com

Cinema 21
616 NW 21st Ave, Portland, OR 97209

The world’s only film festival dedicated to mushrooms and molds – The Fungi Film Fest (FFF) – has announced the dates and 20-film program for its 2023 premiere. The 2023 FFF kicks off with live screenings and filmmaker Q&A sessions at the historic Cinema 21 in Portland, Oregon (616 NW 21st Ave). The Fest kicks off November 30 at 7 pm, when attendees can vote on the Audience Choice award and ask questions of several filmmakers who will be present. A second live showing will take place at Cinema 21 on Sunday, December 3 at 4 pm, which will also have a filmmaker Q&A session.

This year the FFF will feature works from 9 countries, including France, Finland, Chile, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, and Canada. With a total run time of over two hours, this niche festival’s fourth year offers another visually stunning example of why mycology (the science of mushrooms, molds, yeast, and lichens) has rapidly increased its popularity in recent years.

This 2023 Fest brings a mix of film genres, with lengths ranging from 2 to 14 minutes. Experimental, narrative, documentary, and animated films are all there (including two with a heavy dose of A.I. magic. Some are moving odes to these strange underground organisms, as seen in the ever-evolving visuals and poetics of Mycelial Rhapsody by Portland-based artist Ger Killeen, or the dreamy paper-cut stop-motion of Mushrooms and Friends by Clara Lagor (U.K.). While the Fest’s documentaries cover topics like the use of psychoactive mushrooms in Native American healing practices (Medzz Too Strong by Cory Lucich) and the construction of an entire building made from mushrooms tissue (MycoTemple by Alexandre Zimmerman).

After the Fest’s launch, the whole program will be viewable on demand via Vimeo from December 1, 2023 – January 3, 2024. The Fest’s full program is now viewable at fungifilmfest.com/2023. To learn more, see fungifilmfest.com.