The Orcas Island Film Festival, Orcas Open Arts and the Seattle International Film Festival invited filmmakers to explore the San Juan Archipelago and use it as a canvas to create short films that inspire.

The 2015 Orcas Film Festival is awarding $2,500 grants to each of the following independent film makers:

Lacey Leavitt from Seattle will make “Escape.”

Cali Bagby of Orcas Island is making a film entitled “The Ghost in Red.”

Milla Prince of Lopez Island is presenting “The Commute.”

The three winning film makers received grant money to shoot and edit their film. They will be shown online starting Sept. 14 and during the Orcas Island Film Festival from October 9 to 12.

The final winner will be selected by online voting at www.orcasfilmfest.com and in-person voting during the festival.

This year’s winner will have the honor of being featured in the Seattle International Film Festival in 2016.

“Orcas Island is actually one of my favorite places in the entire world,” said Leavitt. “I wrote  the script with one of my favorite cabins and two of my favorite local actresses in mind.”

Bagby’s “The Ghost in Red” follows the hauntings at the historic Moran Mansion by its second owner Alice Rheem.

“My project will not only be of interest to those that love the thrill of a good ghost story, but will help illuminate stories of people of the past and the lessons we can learn from another time,” Bagby said.

Prince’s film “The Commute” is about how many different things people in the islands do.

“Every one of my friends and neighbors has more than one occupation,” she said.