- Orem resident Trevor Allen launches the Orem Film Festival to support Utah filmmakers.
- The festival, set for Sept. 24, will feature 10 short films and Q&As with filmmakers.
- Allen aims to make the festival an annual event, encouraging local film culture.
OREM — Even though Sundance Film Festival will soon be departing Utah, the excitement for film in the state doesn't have to be over, according to Trevor Allen.
The Orem film enthusiast has loved movies his entire life and is passionate about the power of film to tell stories and inspire emotion. But he felt there was a lack of community events surrounding film, so he thought: Why not create them himself?
In the last year, he started work on what would be the Orem Film Festival, which has been "a fun passion project," he said.
The Sundance Film Festival is so successful because it inspires filmmakers and audiences, and gets people excited about film, said Allen, 24. Sundance was also "quintessentially Utah," and the Orem festival hopes to emulate those qualities while also being more accessible for the community, he said.
The Orem Film Festival is scheduled for Sept. 24 at the Geneva Megaplex Theater, 600 Mill Road in Vineyard, and will feature 10 short films. Festival tickets cost $5.
With time to mingle between showings, live Q&As, and an award show that includes an audience choice award, Allen hopes the festival can be an engaging, fun event that brings people together.
"I want this to be for everyone. If you're a cinephile or a casual movie fan, film is for everyone," he said. "Utah film is such a fun culture, and I want to do my small part in supporting Utah filmmakers and keep the energy high, and get people excited about film."
The festival is accepting film submissions until July 24, and Allen said it has already received more than 100 submissions.
"We have got some phenomenal submissions so far — I don't know how I'm going to narrow it down to 10. We've also got some really crummy ones and some AI-generated movies," he added with a laugh.
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Following a yearlong evaluation process, the Sundance Institute announced on March 27 that its annual film festival would be leaving Utah, its home for over 40 years.Allen and the small group of volunteers running the festival have watched each film submission twice through for an initial screening process, before rewatching for each round of cuts.
The crew is looking for technical quality, originality and emotional impact. Even in films that aren't as polished, Allen said he has learned that powerful stories can be made by both casual filmmakers and professionals.
"It'll be a really high-quality lineup," he said. "A majority of the films are Utah-made, and I've been very impressed with all the Utah films."
Highlighting local voices
Local film festivals are a great opportunity for filmmakers to see their creations on a high-quality screen, Allen says.
"There's not a lot of outlets for short films, except online. For short films and independent filmmakers, they really need support and places to showcase their work and connect with the audiences in person. It's so crucial for filmmakers to see their work where it's meant to be seen: on the big screen," he said.
Seeing how audiences interact with their work is a special experience for filmmakers and can provide necessary feedback while also giving new talent opportunities to thrive, he added.
"Independent films are where people are experimenting or trying something new. They're very earnest films ... made to express something important to the artist. A lot of these films might be unusual or unique, so it's important they have a platform so people can get to know these new voices," Allen said.
Allen hopes the film festival can become an annual occurrence. Along with workshops and other film-centered events, the Orem Film Festival organization is planning to create frequent cultural community events for people to meet, share their passions and engage with local artists. One such event is an upcoming outdoor movie at Classic Skating and Fun Center in Orem.
Allen hopes other local film festivals will start to pop up, as well, as there "can never be enough community events." He said it would be "awesome" if there were a local film festival every single week in Utah.
"Film is such an amazing art form, and I hope people will come to the festival and get really pumped up about film, see some good movies and maybe feel something," he said.
