Brian Vegter, founder of the We Like ‘Em Short film festival, talks about the featured shorts during the festival on Aug. 24, 2024.

You might be surprised to learn that Baker City hosts an annual event acclaimed the world over, but it does.

The We Like ‘Em Short film festival, 15 years running, is simultaneously internationally renowned and locally obscure. Run by founder Brian Vegter and held at the Churchill School, WLES recently wrapped up showing 70 short films from two dozen countries over the course of four days — and it was fantastic.

There’s nothing quite like the whiplash of a screening of a dozen previously unheard-of short films back-to-back-to-back. Some are 15 minutes, some 30 seconds. The medium can be live-action, stop-motion, 3D or 2D digital animation, hand-drawn, or all of the above. Most entries at the WLES are comedies, but anything goes with their animated shorts, be they funny, tragic, heartfelt or downright experimental.

In short: to go to the WLES is to be surprised over and over again.

For example, my favorite entry this year, and the film ultimately awarded Best Picture by the festival, was “Wild Eye Pub” from the Czech Republic. Realized in beautifully filthy stop-motion animation, the tale of a rowdy night at the titular pub kicks off with the grim reaper on a mission to claim the soul of an elderly debauchee.

They get sidetracked, however, by falling for a barmaid, attempting to procure a sausage for an old … something, and fending off a self-proclaimed alpha male. While one can certainly just sit back and enjoy the chaos, there’s plenty being said about gender dynamics, sexual freedom and how to fully carpe diem.

I suppose it’s a pity more folks don’t show up to the actual screenings, even when once and future Oscar and Emmy winners are there showcasing their work. But what matters is that those who do come have a wonderful time.

This year, a professor at Eastern Oregon University who had previously never heard of the festival attended for the first time and said, “I’ll be coming every year from now on, for sure!”

For such a low cost of entry (just $5 per screening, and free for the first night’s drive-in feature), it’s definitely worth taking the chance — and the popcorn rules.

Unfortunately for those who didn’t attend, they’ll have to wait a year for the next collection of WLES-selected films. And fortunately for everyone, many of the shorts screened this year are now available to watch online.

Check out the accompanying article on page 13 for more on these films.