"Caste" Your Fate to the Win
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“The Cycle of Love” was Mountain Shadow’s selection for November, 2026. To read a brief review and film producer’s statement click on the image above.
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Film Previews, Reviews and Commentary
12th Annual Short Film Competition
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Mountain Shadow’s September show was our 12th Annual Short Film Competition, featuring 8 volunteer jury selected animated, live-action/narrative and documentary short films (out of 474 submissions this year). Finalists came from far and wide, engaging our audiences with post-screening Q&A. Click on the image above to read more about it.
Read MoreThe Long Road Home
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Mountain Shadow launches a pledge campaign to create our first-ever short film documentary, right here in Walnut Creek. Click on the image above to read all about it!
Read MoreInto the Blue
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Mountain Shadow’s selection for August, 2026, was a pre-theatrical release from France; in which a quadruple amputee and his newfound love find the strength and courage for him to swim the English channel. It is a true story, and our audience rated it highly. To read more about “into the Blue,” click on the image agove.
Read MoreMix-Master: A Multi-Cultural Film “Feast-ival”
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celebrates the country’s remarkably diverse culture and cuisine. A celebration of Peru’s culinary heritage, Mistura explores the origins of Peru’s modern culinary identity through a story of social transformation and cultural discovery. “Mistura” was Mountain Shadow’s selection for July. Click on the image above to read a brief film review and more info!
Read MoreA Great Cinematic Déja-vu
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With humor, heart, and universal resonance, ”Hello Betty” recounts the true story of Emmi Creola, the visionary advertising pioneer who created the Swiss culinary icon Betty Bossi in 1956. It was Mountain Shadow’s audience-pleasing pick for June 2026. Click on the image above to read a brief review!
Read MoreA Sweet Story
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In Mountain Shadow’s film selection for May, Meg Ray is the owner of the beloved Bay Area Miette pastry empire in the San Franciso Bay Area. But in this charming documentary there’s a tiny café on a remote island in the Baltic Sea where Meg and a small team of islanders can strive to preserve it. Meg rediscovers lost joy, community and the powerful alchemy of sourdough in this multi-award winning feature documentary.. Click on the image above to read an interview with the filmmakers.
Read MoreA Crack Where the Light Gets In
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“Life is Life” - (La Vita va Cosi) is a drama/comedy film from Italy ,which Mountain Shadow selected for our show in April, 2026. It had not yet been theatrically released elsewhere in the U.S. You can read more about the film by clicking on the picture above.
Read MoreThe "Best" of the Oscar Shorts"
/An annual Mountain Shadow tradition — in advance of the Academy Awards each year —Mountain Shadow presented a variety of short film Oscar nominees from the three categories; documentary, live-action and animation. You can view the six selections; as well as the nine other nominees that were not shown HERE. Our audiences completed paper ballots of their favorites, which can be seen HERE. In addition, those who completed our online survey, HERE, with comments HERE.
Mr. Somebody: A Brief Film Commentary on the film, “Mr. Nobody Against Putin”
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Mountain Shadow’s feature film for February was the docu-drama that went on to be chosen as an Oscar nominee for the Academy Awards March 15th. Click on the image above to read a brief Mountain Shadow commentary of the film.
Read MoreRuffled Feathers, and the Journey Home
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Mountain Shadow Film Society’s selection to kick off our 13th Season in January 2026 was “THE TALE OF SILYAN.” It’s a poignant and visually arresting docu-drama, set in the heart of rural Macedonia. To read a brief review and commentary of the film, click on the image above.
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Streetwise, and Homeward Bound
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Mountain Shadow’s November selection in 2025 was “Calle Malaga.” The film was voted as “Audience Favorite” in the World Cinema category at the Mill Valley Film Festival in October, 2025. You can read a brief Mountain Shadow commentary and the Director’s Statement by clicking on the image above.
Read MoreIt's All Happening at the Zoo
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Our October, 2025 film selection: Checkpoint Zoo documents a daring rescue led by a heroic team of zookeepers and volunteers who risked their lives to save thousands of animals trapped in a zoo behind enemy lines during the initial Russian invasion of Ukraine. Click on the image above to read more about this moving film.
Read More11th Annual Short Film Competition
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On Sept. 20th Mountain Shadow held its 11th Annual Short Film Competition before a record audience of over 425 attendees! Our 16-member volunteer jury selected our ten Finalists from 477 submissions this year for this one-day event; presenting their animated, live-action and documentary short films. Click on the image above for more details.
Read MoreMore Like a Mellow-drama
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Emmanuel Courcol’s film, “The Marching Band” was Mountain Shadow’s selection for August, 2023. This pre-theatrical release is described as a French drama/comedy. It could also be described as a “mellow-drama.” Click on the image above to read a brief review.
Read More“Measuring the Height and Breadth of a Life”
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“The Last Class” was Mountain Shadow’s July selection; that included a ‘live’ Q&A with the film’s producer. The documentary is a nuanced and deeply personal portrait of master educator Robert Reich teaching his final course and reflecting on a period of immense transformation, personally and globally. To read a Mountain Shadow film review, click on the image above.
Read More“When Father Knows (Best) vs. Pinocchio’s Nose”
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“The Time It Takes” was Moutain Shadow’s selection for June, 2025. A pre-theatrical release from Italy, the filmmaker tells a touching personal story about a father and his daughter, with a collage of memories; from childhood through a final life chapter. To read a brief Mountain Shadow review, click on the image above.
Read MorePilgrim's Progress
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Mountain Shadow’s film selection for May, 2025: Based on Bill Bennett’s best selling Camino memoir, “The Way, My Way” is the charming and captivating true story of an Australian who decides to walk the 800 kilometre-long Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route through Spain. He doesn’t know why he’s doing it, but one step at a time it will change him and his outlook on life forever. To read a brief Mountain Shadow commentary and review of the film click on the image above.
Read MoreA Mountain Thing
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Our April’2025 film was a pre-theatrical release comedy/drama from Italy. A grade-school teacher from Rome moves to a remote village in the Abruzzo National Park and discover a different world that faces many of the challenges as the world “out there.” Click on the image above to read a brief Mountain Shadow review.
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