Nine films by local filmmakers are Official Selections in the 2016 Ashland Independent Film Festival’s Locals category.

The nine films chosen are all shorts or short documentaries created by filmmakers who live in the Siskiyou region.

Two films by Medford director Ray Nomoto Robison (Dear Future Self and The Settling) were accepted. Robison is not a newcomer to the film festival. His film Model Rules screened at the 2009 film festival, and his three-minute short, Four Daughters screened in 2012. This will be the second time in the film festival for Cyle Ziebarth of Medford. Ziebarth’s animated short Climb of Competence, was accepted this year. His film Pizza Deliverance was screened in 2012.

The list of selected directors also includes:

Jacob Dalton, of Medford, for Loose Ends.

Philip Kumsar, of Jacksonville; Jameson Collins, Lauren Dahl, and Violet Crabtreee, all of Arcata, CA., for The Giantess, an adaptation of a comic by Crabtree.

Dade Barlow of Jacksonville, for Female to Male: Transgender.

Cat Gould of Ashland, for Bernardina.

Amirah David of Ashland, for As I Am.

Libby Edson of Ashland, for YoMIND/ASH (Ashland High School) Yoga Program.

“Our team of programmers was particularly impressed with these nine films, but the choice was tough, with a record number of submissions and so many strong entries to the festival this year,” said Richard Herskowitz, director of programming. “We hope that our local audiences will recognize the talented filmmakers among them and come out to cheer them on.”

Kumsar, who submitted The Giantess, noted that the film was a project of passion: “We are beyond thrilled to be involved in a film festival.”

Every year the Ashland Independent Film Festival presents local films for free to the public in the Locals Only program, but tickets are required. Deadline for submission is December and entry is free for residents of eligible counties within the Siskiyou region: Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath in Oregon; Siskiyou and Del Norte in California.