Utah International Film Festival

Utah International Film Festival
Utah International Film Festival Gala in 2025.
LocationUtah County, Utah
Established2011
Founded byWarren Workman
LanguageEnglish
Websitetheutahfilmfestival.com

The Utah International Film Festival (UIFF), sometime referred to as the Utah Film Festival, is an annual festival held in Utah County, Utah. The festival predominantly screens and awards independent short films. Although submissions from films produced in Utah are strongly encouraged, UIFF accepts film submissions from around the world.

History

In 2011, Utahn filmmaker Warren Workman started a web series titled Filmed in Utah, highlighting cinematic achievements and personnel from Utah on his YouTube channel. The festival hosted its first iteration the following year as the Filmed in Utah Awards, temporarily located in the back of an Indian restaurant in Provo. In 2015, the festival changed its name to the Utah Film Awards, and expanded its scope to include submissions from outside of Utah.

Since its inception, the festival has moved locations within Utah multiple times; Early iterations were held at Salt Lake Community College in Salt Lake County, and at the Covey Center for the Arts in Provo. The 2026 festival was held at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center in Taylorsville, Utah, which is slated to host the 2027 festival.

Awards

The Utah International Film Festival awards short films based on submissions' genres: current categories include comedy, drama, fantasy, horror, sci-fi, thriller, western, experimental, animation, documentary, and narrative films. Technical awards honor achievements in directing, editing, screenwriting, production design, cinematography, sound design, and score. The festival awards in seven acting categories, separated by age and gender: Lead Actress and Actor, Supporting Actress and Actor, Actress and Actor Under 18, and Ensemble cast.

The festival introduced categories championing diverse filmmakers in 2024, honoring individuals who identify as women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ respectively. That year, it also introduced categories honoring student filmmakers; today, those categories are split into university film, secondary school films, and elementary school films. In various iterations, the festival has specifically honored films produced in Utah, low-budget films, non-English speaking films, commercial work, and achievement in virtual reality or drone cinematography.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Our Legacy". Utah Film Festival. May 1, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  2. ↑ "FilmedInUtah". Retrieved August 20, 2026 – via YouTube.
  3. ↑ Asay, Amberly. "Utah film industry featured in new series 'Filmed in Utah'". The Universe. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  4. ↑ Clark, Cody. "'Filmed in Utah' gives awards to locally made movies". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on April 5, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  5. ↑ Newbold, Megan (January 26, 2026). "This film festival started in a Utah restaurant. Now it's selling out theaters". Utah Public Radio. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  6. ↑ Mast, Adam. "The 4th annual 'Filmed in Utah' awards honors some southern Utahns". suindependent.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  7. ↑ Workman, Warren. "16th UIFF Dates Announced". Utah Film Festival. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  8. ↑ "2026 Winners + Nominees". Utah Film Festival. January 8, 2026. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Category Descriptions". Utah Film Festival. November 17, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  10. ↑ "2024 Winners + Nominees". Utah Film Festival. February 5, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2026.