Isaac Hale, Daily Herald

Starting Oct. 29, the streets of downtown Provo may have a few more people checking out restaurants and entertainment venues.

The 2021 FilmQuest Festival will hold its 8th annual festival beginning Friday and ending on Nov. 6. While most locals may not even know what this is, the more than 200 filmmakers planning on attending do.

FilmQuest, based at Velour on University Avenue, is one of the largest genre festivals in the country and one of MovieMaker Magazine’s 2021 “Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.”

While some of the productions may not suit all residents, like those averse to horror and sci-fi, there is something for everyone.

“It’s a real thing. Come and see us,” Jonathan Martin, the founder of the festival, said. “I’m not trying to build the next Sundance (film festival) but I know we can bring several million dollars to the downtown economy but I need the local support.”

Isaac Hale, Daily Herald

While international directors come to Provo, Martin says the last frontier in participation will come from the people in Provo and throughout Utah County.

“It took Sundance 10 years to get off the ground,” Martin said. “These things don’t just happen over night. Most festivals don’t last more than four years.”

Martin said these filmmakers and crew love coming to Provo because it reminds them of the hometowns where they grew up and that most of these professionals leave Hollywood to get a sense of nostalgia.

“They love visiting with the residents. They may not be from the Utah Valley culture but they love it here,” Martin said.

The 2021 in-person lineup is headlined by the Tim Blake Nelson, Angela Bettis and David Arquette who are all starring in Ghosts of the Ozarks. Netflix’s The Old Ways, The Free Fall starring Andrea Londo and Shawn Ashmore, and the Slamdance Best Documentary winner Code Name: Nagasaki are also among the highly-anticipated options.

“We were able to host our postponed 2020 festival this past May in-person, one of the first to do so in the world, by requiring all attendees be vaccinated or pass a rapid test,” Martin said. “By making the safety of our guests a top priority, we were able to establish a comfortable atmosphere highlighted by the very best genre cinema in the world, making an unforgettable experience for all involved.”

The event offers full length films, short films, documentaries, workshops, labs and social gatherings.

FilmQuest is also taking advantage of the rise of virtual screenings at film festivals by incorporating a hybrid virtual/in-person approach that has also afforded it a chance to expand upon its historically large lineups.

Special guests of the festival who will be participating in workshops include Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place), CAA Executive Julia Glausi, and David Wardle, senior vice president of Saban Films. Events will include a funds matching pitch session with MovieMaker Magazine via their MovieMaker Production Services program.

“As festivals have changed and adapted in a COVID world, we wanted to look into the advantages a virtual component could bring and what that meant not just for the festival, but filmmakers as well,” Martin said. “Thus, we were able to expand our lineup of official selections through incorporating a selection of films, still in competition, as well as special workshops and lounges, accessible only through our virtual portal.”

Expanding upon the festival’s mission to create new opportunities for emerging voice in genre, the festival also announced new partnerships with Gunpowder & Sky’s ALTER and DUST, Dread Central and MovieMaker Magazine.

“In an increasingly competitive market, we’re constantly looking for new partners and collaborators to increase the opportunities to our filmmakers and guests, to have their work seen and their careers advanced. ALTER and DUST are the premier destinations for genre shorts in the world, and we couldn’t be more excited for them to be the presenting sponsor of our shorts program this year,” Martin said.

“Dread Central, along with their Dread distribution platform, furthers our mission to see the these great feature films delivered to audiences, while our partnership with MovieMaker Magazine will help filmmakers realize their dreams via their Production Services program that will only enhance the market with quality content moving forward,” he concluded.

FilmQuest has won Utah’s Best of State Film Festival award for four years running. FilmQuest takes place every fall in Downtown Provo.

“With hundreds of guests coming from around the country and locally, FilmQuest is looking to partner with Downtown Provo restaurants for exclusive discounts for pass holders using their VIP FIlmQuest badge. Current restaurant partners, have offered 10 – 20% off the meals to the festival guests who present their FilmQuest pass upon payment,” said Quinn Peterson of Downtown Provo Inc.

This has proven to be a great motivator for restaurants and eateries as the festival’s guests have decided to dine in the area throughout their stay at the festival, according to Peterson.

For more information about the 2021 FilmQuest, including its full lineup and schedule, visit http://filmquestfest.com or contact Martin at jmartin@filmquestfest.com.

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