From Portland to Bend: Cosmic Heirloom Wins Best Short Documentary
There are moments in the life of a film when the work finally becomes real—not while you’re writing, filming or editing, but when the lights go down and an audience experiences it with you.
We had one of those moments at Portland’s historic Clinton Street Theater, where Cosmic Heirloom: Buried 400 Years received its first theatrical screening during the Oregon Short Film Festival.
Sitting in that theater with independent filmmakers from across the country and around the world was an incredible experience. These were artists who had invested their time, resources and belief into bringing their stories to the screen. Sharing the room with them—and with an audience of passionate independent-film supporters—reminded me why theatrical screenings still matter.
Then came the news: Cosmic Heirloom had won Best Short Documentary.
It made an already unforgettable evening even more meaningful.
Why We Made This Film
Directed by me and filmed by director of photography Jordan Chamberlain, Cosmic Heirloom: Buried 400 Years follows David Moss as he explores the historical suppression and modern rediscovery of psilocybin.
The film challenges the stigma that continues to surround the psychedelic mushroom while opening a larger conversation about healing, longevity and human potential.
This is a history that remained largely obscured for centuries. Bringing it to the screen gave us an opportunity to examine how cultural narratives are created, how knowledge can be suppressed and what happens when people begin looking at an old story from a new perspective.
We created the film to start a conversation. Winning Best Short Documentary is a tremendous honor, but the conversations happening after each screening are what give the film its real purpose.
The Film’s Journey Continues
Our next stop will be the Eastern Oregon Film Festival, where Cosmic Heirloom will screen at the historic Granada Theatre in La Grande on October 16.
Traveling to our festival selections and meeting the filmmakers and audiences experiencing this work has become one of the most rewarding parts of the process. Each screening gives the film a new life and allows the story to reach people in a different community.
After La Grande, we’re bringing the film home.
On Saturday, October 24, Cosmic Heirloom: Buried 400 Years will receive an exclusive Bend screening during Song of Sunset: UNDERGROUND at Silver Moon Brewing.
The film will be followed by a live conversation presented by Oregon Film featuring David Moss and Kris Solis of Bend-based Drop Thesis. I’ll moderate the discussion as we explore the history presented in the film, the changing public conversation around psilocybin and what these ideas could mean for healing, longevity and human potential.
This combination of film and live conversation is exactly what Song of Sunset was created to offer. We don’t simply screen a film and move on. We invite the people behind the story onto the stage, bring the audience into the experience and create room for a meaningful exchange.
Experience It in Bend
Cosmic Heirloom is one part of a complete evening combining original short documentaries, filmmaker conversations, live music and storytelling.
Song of Sunset: UNDERGROUND
Saturday, October 24, 2026
Silver Moon Brewing
24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend, Oregon
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Show runs from 7–10 p.m.
Get tickets and learn more about Song of Sunset: UNDERGROUND.
Song of Sunset: UNDERGROUND is supported in part by a grant from the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund.
We made Cosmic Heirloom to be experienced on a theater screen and discussed together. After an unforgettable first screening and Best Short Documentary win in Portland, I can’t wait to share it with our audience here in Bend.
