Utah independent film festivals eye growth, more awareness as Sundance heads east
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- Zions Indie Film Fest owners Marshall and Michelle Moore are pictured during opening night celebrations for the 2025 festival in February at SCERA Center for the Arts in Orem.
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- An undated photo from the 2025 Zions Indie Film Fest shows ZIFF staff members at an award show.
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- Zions Indie Film Fest owners Marshall and Michelle Moore, both pictured in center, with filmmakers in an undated photo during the 2025 Zions Indie Film Fest.
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- An undated photo shows a live Alex Boye performance during the 2025 Zions Indie Film Fest.
Like many Utahns, Marshall and Michelle Moore felt the pain when news of the Sundance Film Festival’s decision to relocate to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027 began to make the rounds last month.
The Moores, who own the Zions Indie Film Fest, or ZIFF, said the impact of the Sundance Film Festival was significant to Utah, and the impact of its departure will be deeply felt.
“I think it brought a lot of cache and recognition to the state through the years,” said Marshall Moore, who is also vice president of operations at Utah Film Studios. “It was time for them — they felt — to make a change, and they had their reasons for that. I mean, certainly money played a big part of it.”
The state of Colorado is reportedly ponying up $34 million in tax credits over a period of 10 years to the Sundance Institute for its move to the other side of the Rockies.
Though the implications of losing such a major economic driver in Utah, which generated millions in revenue and resulted in local jobs, is nothing to glance over, local filmmakers, enthusiasts and industry shakers look to continue exposing audiences to new and compelling screen productions.
ZIFF, formerly the LDS Film Festival, is held annually at the SCERA Center for the Arts in Orem.
Marshall and his wife Michelle acquired the festival from previous owners Kels and Stephanie Goodman four years ago and then rebranded it in efforts to expand the audience while also honoring the festival’s heritage.
“In the 4 years we have owned ZIFF the festival has seen considerable growth and an abundance of new creative energy as we continue to build a brand of sustainability while sticking to the core values of the original founder and predecessors,” Marshall and Michelle Moore said in a Facebook post late last month.
With that in mind, the Moores hope to expand on ZIFF’s foundation by attracting new eyes to the festival and its accommodating events.
“The festival itself was expanding on its own, but now with the absence in the future — in 2027 — (of) the Sundance Film Festival, maybe a small portion of people who love independent film will look to our festival designs in the film fest as another great option to see independent film,” Marshall Moore told the Daily Herald.
ZIFF celebrates the work of filmmakers from Utah and across the globe.
Typically held for a week at the end of February, the event showcases creativity, inspiration and cinematic excellence.
The festival celebrated its 24th year for this year’s event and showed more than 150 films over a six-day period to go along with special events, industry panels, highlighting the power of independent filmmaking and storytelling.
“The motto of Zions (Indie Film Fest) is to gather, celebrate and connect; that’s something that will always be our North Star as we continue to grow,” said Michelle Moore, who in addition to being owner of ZIFF is also co-director.
She says the festival will only continue to build on the momentum of creating unique experiences for the public regardless if they are from Utah or visiting from other places.
Marshall Moore, who has a background of working in the film industry for more than 40 years, expressed a deep passion for helping others succeed in their filmmaking endeavors.
“Our hearts are with working with these filmmakers to make sure they’re having a great experience at the festival, that there are people in the audience and then (watching) what happens to their film afterwards,” Marshall Moore said.
The Moores said they hope Utahns who have never been to ZIFF will now turn their attention to and support not only ZIFF but all of the other independent film festivals that exist throughout the state of Utah.
Currently, Marshall, Michelle and the ZIFF team are planning next year’s festival which will mark the 25th year of the event.
