When the Sundance Film Festival officially packs up its bags and moves to Colorado after the 2026 festival, Utah’s film scene won’t be left in the dark.
In fact, it could be much better! Provo’s FilmQuest genre film festival is stepping into the spotlight, poised to become the state’s premier film event for fans of horror, fantasy and sci-fi fiction.
I’ve been attending FilmQuest since it launched and it’s my favorite film festival to attend. Anyone who doesn’t participate is missing out on a special and fantastic experience.
Jonathan Martin, founder of FilmQuest and director of the festival, tells Variety, “The city of Provo will fully support us to become the largest festival in the state, and perhaps the region. We have some friends in the legislature that we’ve cultivated over the years that we’ll talk to and establish that voice and that community here.”
Founded in 2014 by Martin, who is also a filmmaker, FilmQuest was built around a simple but passionate idea of celebrating truly independent genre cinema. It’s not about big studio deals or distribution pushes, it’s about discovery and community.
“We are not making deals with distributors, streamers and studios to show their films that they are already planning to release anyway,” explains Martin. “We want to celebrate discoveries and find the voices of tomorrow.”
This vision has helped FilmQuest carve out a unique identity, one that combines equal parts creativity and community. Martin explained:
“We’re really a rock ‘n’ roll vibe event. You’ll come to the festival and rub shoulders with everyone. Nobody gets in a black limousine at night. You come in, you’ll meet everyone who’s there and potentially build a relationship there.”
“For example, Sean Gunn was here a couple of years ago and he’s hanging out with everyone, exchanging phone numbers with people he met right there, up-and-coming, hungry directors. We’re all getting along and more relaxed.”
That down-to-earth vibe is intentional. Martin says inclusion and authenticity are at the heart of FilmQuest’s identity.
“Everyone is welcome and there is no bias. I don’t care if you’re white, black, Latino, Asian, LGBT – we’re all equal in that. That’s what we’re doing here: helping you find these opportunities and also expand your network.
“And it’s not that we don’t take ourselves seriously, but it doesn’t feel like you’re walking into a church and it’s all hypocritical. This is really something where people feel welcome for what they’ve created and who they are.”
This sense of openness fuels the creativity behind the festival programme, which this year includes a killer mix of films!
In addition to its wide range of feature films, FilmQuest is also known for backing short films and unproduced screenplays. The winner of the 2024 first prize for short films, I’m not a Robot, won the Oscar this year.
“A lot of these things will be dictated by our personal taste,” says Martin. “I won’t say we batted 1,000, but I think we batted .950. I think we do a very good job of identifying what are the best independent genre features available to us, and the best genre shorts, as evidenced by the fact that our short film grand prize winner ended up winning the Oscar last year. We proved that.”
The festival also places a huge emphasis on community connection with mixers, workshops and parties where emerging filmmakers can learn from industry professionals like A quiet place writers Scott Beck AND Bryan Woods. It’s not just about showing films; it’s about building a network of creative film fanatics who love genre storytelling as much as audiences.
“There’s something for everyone,” Martin says. “It’s a launching pad for the most exciting and talented voices in genre cinema today who may or may not have been discovered.”
With Sundance coming out, FilmQuest is ready to take the stage as Utah’s new cinematic crown jewel, one who trades red carpets for blood, guts and imagination. For fans of genre films, it is the film festival worth checking out.
by Joey Paur
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
