Should I Submit My Film to Big Festivals or Smaller Ones?
It’s the classic filmmaker dilemma: do you go big and aim for the star-studded festivals, or do you keep it...
Year: 2026
What Kind of Festival is Right for My Film?
Once you’ve got a finished film in hand, the big question is: Where does it belong? Not every festival is...
Why Your First Scene Is Killing Your Film
There's a reason film festival programmers can tell within the first few minutes whether a film is worth their full...
How Do Film Festivals Actually Judge Films?
For many filmmakers, the judging process can feel like a black box. But at the Utah International Film Festival, we...
What Gets Selected — and Wins — at the Utah International Film Festival?
One of the questions we hear most from filmmakers is a fair one: “Is my film a good fit for...
How Is BAFTA-Qualification Different from Oscar-Qualification?
“Oscar-qualifying” and “BAFTA-qualifying” are phrases that get used a lot in the festival world, but they don’t mean the same...
How much does it cost to produce my script?
This question comes up every year at the film festival and the answers the producers give has been consistent. The...
Top Actors Over 40 – Now Accepting Nominations
Once actors hit a certain age, the opportunities start to slow down.... right? That hasn’t been our experience. If anything,...
What should I look for before submitting to festivals?
With thousands of festivals and awards programs out there, being selective is smart. The challenge is knowing what to look...
Is Winning Best Screenplay a Good Way to Fund Your Movie?
You write a screenplay you love. You start thinking about how to make it. Then you notice a film festival...
Locations You Can Film for FREE
A lot of new filmmakers make the excuse that they don’t have any money to make their first short film,...
50 Horror Story Prompts for Your Next Short Film
When you finally have the time to start working on your latest horror short, your brain goes completely blank. Fear...
How to Use AI to Create A Better Movie
Yeah I heard you, "AI Slop is bad". So if you are the type of person that thinks AI in...
Incarcerated Filmmakers are Festival Winners
FOX13 Utah recently ran coverage of one of our Audience Choice award winners this year Breaking Chains in which it...
Why Micro-budget Screenplays Are Becoming More Popular
A shift is happening in independent filmmaking over the last decade. More writers are intentionally creating screenplays that can actually...
Private Actor’s Guide to Social Media
The phrase “social media marketing” has a terrible taste when we say it out loud doesn't it. Especially if you...
How Film Festivals Lead to the Oscars in 2026
Short films do not reach the Oscars by being discovered on YouTube. Almost every nominated short has a long, carefully...
Top 35 Most In-Demand Actors in Utah
The Top 35 Most In-Demand Actors in Utah (2025 List) highlights performers who are consistently booking work across the state....
10 Vertical Drama Story Ideas
Vertical dramas are exploding across the entertainment industry. Apps like ReelShort, DramaBox, and MyDrama are producing thousands of short episodes...
How to Create Stories That Sell for Vertical Platforms
If you’ve been paying attention to the film industry lately, you’ve probably heard people talking about vertical series. Apps like...
5 Programs That Guarantee a Premiere
A lot of times, filmmakers need a little help—like a super-secret event where they can grow their cool ideas into...