Documentary Cosmic Heirloom wins award at Oregon Short Film Festival
Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) --- The short documentary “Cosmic Heirloom: Buried 400 Years” won Best Short Documentary at the Oregon Short Film Festival in Portland. Following its festival award, the film will be screened at Silver Moon Brewing in Bend, Ore., on Oct. 24, 2026.
Directed by Brian Craig Hinderberger, the documentary examines the historical suppression and modern rediscovery of psilocybin while challenging stigmas associated with psychedelic mushrooms. The Bend screening will feature a live panel discussion presented by Oregon Film, featuring the film's central subject, David Moss and Kris Solis of Bend-based Drop Thesis.
The documentary made its theatrical debut at the Clinton Street Theater in Portland during the Oregon Short Film Festival, an independent film event series organized by Film Festival Circuit. Filmed by director of photography Jordan Chamberlain, the short film uses Moss's perspective to connect centuries of obscured history with contemporary scientific and cultural interest in psilocybin.
Brian Craig Hinderberger, who directed the film and founded the event organization Song of Sunset, reflected on the initial response to the documentary. “Attending the festival in Portland was an incredible experience,” Hinderberger said. “To sit in a theater with independent filmmakers from across the country and around the world and experience our film with an audience for the first time, was deeply rewarding. Winning Best Short Documentary made the evening unforgettable.”
The filmmakers designed the production to address historical misconceptions surrounding psychedelics and foster public dialogue. “This film uncovers an intentionally hidden history of psilocybin and challenges the stigma that continues to surround the psychedelic mushroom,” Hinderberger said. “We created the film to start a conversation, which is why presenting it alongside a live discussion with Moss and Solis is such an important part of the Bend experience.”
Prior to its Bend presentation, the film will screen for Eastern Oregon audiences at the historic Granada Theatre in La Grande during the Eastern Oregon Film Festival on Oct. 16. “Traveling to our festival selections and meeting the filmmakers and audiences experiencing this work is one of the most rewarding parts of the process,” Hinderberger said. “I'm especially looking forward to bringing the film to Eastern Oregon before returning home for its Bend screening at Song of Sunset.”
The Oct. 24 screening is part of Song of Sunset: UNDERGROUND, a live-cinema production taking place at Silver Moon Brewing, located at 24 NW Greenwood Ave. Supported in part by a grant from the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund, the evening will feature two short films, two live panels and performances by regional musicians. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show running from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The tour begins with the La Grande screening on Oct. 16, followed by the Bend event at Silver Moon Brewing on Oct. 24, 2026. Tickets and additional event information are available through Song of Sunset.
