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Ask Jeffrey Winters about any one of the 34 films that will be shown during the upcoming fifth annual Mount Shasta International Film Festival, and he instantly starts talking. There's not a moment of indecision; he knows each one intimately.

"Everest: A Climb for Peace" (USA, documentary) is "a very powerful film," Winters says. "Amal," (Canada, feature) is "gorgeous," and "Before the Rains" (India, feature) is "a slow, beautiful epic."

"Being John Malkovich" (USA, feature) is "absurd and nutty" and "Irina Palm" (Belgium, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, Germany and France, feature) "has been a big hit at a lot of festivals. Everybody who has seen it loves it," Winters said.

"I look for gems," Winters said of his film selection process. Personally previewing more than 200 films, he is assisted by two screening groups consisting of people whose opinions he respects. This year 16 documentaries, 11 features and seven shorts made the cut after months of consideration. Shorts are always paired with a documentary.

The festival, set for Oct. 10-12 in Mount Shasta, begins with an opening gala at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at the Community Center, 629 Alder St. Cost is $15 at the door, which includes a variety of food, wine and entertainment.

Winters hunts for films that tell good stories — beautiful, inspiring, powerful, moving ones that portray people of dignity and respect. He also looks for pure entertainment value and comedy.

That search typically begins in January, when Winters starts contacting filmmakers and programmers of other film festivals to find out which films were well received. Screening begins and continues until August, when the final selections are made.

Beginning at 11 a.m. each day, films are shown on three screens at Coming Attractions Theatre in Mount Shasta. In addition, there are five scheduled events Sunday at College of the Siskiyous' Ford Theater in Weed, including a free showing of the family film, "The Queen of Trees" at 11 a.m.

Winters printed 5,000 slick, comprehensive program brochures, and the same information is available on the festival's Web site, www.shastafilmfest.com. With attendance growing each year, Winters says he can accommodate 5,000 viewers. Attendance was up by 400 last year over the year before, and 18 films sold out. Purchasing tickets in advance is advised to avoid disappointment.

Seven directors will be on hand for question-and-answer sessions after their films are shown. That number has also grown, Winters said, partly because filmmakers who have attended in the past have enjoyed the experience.

One of the directors scheduled to attend Saturday morning is 12-year-old Dominic Scott Kay, who wrote "Saving Angelo" at age 7 and shot the film at age 9. The 18-minute short is based on a true, heartwarming story about a boy who discovers an abandoned dog left for dead on the side of the road.

Admission to each film is $10, and tickets may be purchased at Village Books through Oct. 9 (320 N. Mount Shasta Blvd.; cash or checks only) or by calling (800) 926-4865, ext. 204, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day (credit cards).

During the festival, tickets will be sold at the door (cash or checks only).

Winters is providing free tickets to veterans and their families. One documentary, "Semper Fi, One Marine's Journey," features a courageous gay man who served in the Marine Corps and kept a journal that discussed the deep feelings that are triggered when fighting for your country.

Also free is a filmmaking seminar, "Behind the Scenes of ‘Dreams Awake,' " from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday (Oct. 12) in Room 3 of COS' Life Science Building.

Filmmaker Jerry Alden Deal will show footage from his project, which he is shooting in Mount Shasta, about a modern, disconnected family and their search for a greater reality. Deal will discuss the process of making a film and answer participants' questions.

Winters, who attended film school in both San Francisco and Berkeley and is also working on his third novel, estimates that it costs $85,000 to put on the festival, a sum that is challenging to raise. He says he's been "hitting on every cylinder," writing grants and selling ads to make this year's festival happen.

"That's my personality; I like to succeed," he says.

But Winters is motivated not only by success, but also by what such a film festival offers a community and region. There's really no other way to experience so much in such a short time.

"Film is such a powerful art form because it allows us to feel, think, see other worlds, ponder mythological journeys and appreciate how people the world over work to overcome odds for a better quality of life," he says in the program. "Film brings together artists from different disciplines…. These diverse groups work together to create a meaningful story."

Betty Lease is a freelance writer from Shasta.