PLAN YOUR FILMQUEST EXPERIENCE

This is the Official Schedule for the 2021 FilmQuest Festival. All screenings, labs, panels, workshops and events will be held at Velour Live Music Gallery, with other events around Downtown Provo unless otherwise noted. Start preparing your 2021 FilmQuest experience today!

Tickets are ON SALE NOW!

The VIRTUAL EXCLUSIVES and VIRTUAL SCREENINGS of the festival will be available via a private password and link on Vimeo, and must be acquired via the festival. The virtual edition is free, but is only accessible to to filmmakers, festival alumni, associated cast, crew, family and friends, press, etc. Special permission is needed if you are not associated with a film in the lineup to get access to the film.

ALL films will be available virtually, even those playing physically unless otherwise noted. A selection of films will only be available virtually, while a selection will only be available in-person. Please consult the schedule and film info pages for more details.

*Schedule and guests subject to change in the lead-up to the festival.

*Schedule and guests are subject to change in the lead-up to the festival.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29th

2:00 PM
Check-In Begins
@ Velour
Arrive early and get settled. Check-in for the physical portion of the 2021 FilmQuest begins! If you’ve been vaccinated, bring your proof of vaccination card, if not, you will be required to show a proof of a rapid negative Covid-19 test the days of your attendance. No exceptions will be made.

6:00 PM
“One Small Step for Mankind” – Sci-Fi Shorts Block #1
The 2021 FilmQuest starts off with a bang, as 15 amazing Sci-Fi and fantasy flavored shorts, music videos, and animated flicks kick off the fest. Films include: Elsewhere, Following the Comet, Forever Ting, Jettison, La Domenica Delle Salme, Matched, On/Off, Ruby Red, She, Straw Man, Strayed, Swiped, The Breach, The Dark Odyssey, The Offer

9:00 PM
“Wicked Games” – Opening Night Feature
Our Opening Night feature film, Wicked Games, comes ready to ignite your senses and prepare you for the onslaught of fantastic at this year’s FilmQuest. Includes the short films Inch Thick, Knee Deep and Killing Small Animals.

11:00 PM
Opening Night Midnight Snack
@MOZZ Artisan Pizza
After the Opening Night feature and shorts, we’ll head on over next door to MOZZ Artisan Pizza* (location subject to change) for some gourmet pizza and some getting to know you before the bigger parties and events begin on Saturday.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30th

11:00 AM
“There Are No Laws for The Incredible” – Fantastic Shorts Block #2
A variety of shorts from the realms of the Fantastic, with thrillers, fantasies, suspense, and dark comedy all thrown into one wickedly delicious soup! Films include: Boneyard Ballet, Broken As Me, Buffalo & Trout, Burning Bright, Hit or Miss, Knightman, Reklaw, Sala de los Pecadores, Salmon Pink, Stuck

2:00 PM
“Tin Can” – Saturday Feature Matinee 
A sci-fi extravaganza, the likes of which you’ve never seen, Tin Can will take you on a dark journey into the unknown that will obliterate your senses. Includes the sci-fi short film The Purple Iris.

5:00 PM
“It’s Only Funny If It Scares You” – Horror & Horror Comedy Shorts Block #3
A collection of bonafide chills and thrills, with a few laughs throw in for good measure. Joining the Dark One is better when you hide your fear with laugher after all. Films include:A Good Couple, No One is Coming, Reflection, Shadow at the Door, Sleep Tight, The Anniversary, The Fuzzies, The Recipients, There’s Something in the Silence, Unholy ‘Mole, Upstairs, Visitors, Weee Wooo

7:00 PM
Opening Weekend Red Carpet
Glam up and get your red carpet photos in your best Halloween costume! Have fun with your family, friends, cast, and crew on the 30 foot FilmQuest red carpet!

8:00 PM
“When the Screaming Starts” – Saturday Night Feature
Prepare yourself for the thrills of Halloween with When the Screaming Starts, a horror comedy that will properly prepare you for the revelries to come. Includes the delicious paired short films Book, F*cking Ghosts!, Ivan Moody’s Dirty Poetry, and Subscribe.

10:00 PM
Opening Weekend Halloween Party – “Stanley Kubrick vs. Tim Burton”
@Provo Underground, Downtown Provo
It’s the Opening Weekend and we’re celebrating the Halloween weekend in style with the themed costume party of “Kubrick’s Kamp vs. Burton’s Brood!” Get creative and come dressed up as your favorite characters from either of the director’s works, and we’ll have a “Best Costume” contest for who truly impresses. Catered food and drink provided.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31st

11:00 AM
Filmmaker Luncheon
@ Slate Restaurant, Marriott Provo
Hosted by our partner hotel, the Marriott, in their great dining hall, Slate Restaurant, we’ll be having our filmmaker luncheon. The sooner you arrive, the quicker you’ll be settled and served as it’s going to be packed! You’ll have 2 1/2 hours to eat, chat, and make new friends until the screenings begin again at 2pm!

2:00 PM
“When I Consume You” – Sunday Feature Matinee
It’s Halloween at FilmQuest, and there’s nothing more terrifying than demons chasing you through your waking realities! Feel the dread with the bonafide banger When I Consume You. Includes the horror short film Rancour.

5:30 PM
“The Darkness Is Your Light to Oblivion” – Horror Shorts Block #4
Continuing a horrifically frightful day, comes our next block of appropriately chilling and wickedly thrilling horror films. Terror is just a seat away! Films include: Body of the Mined, Feed Your Muse, Forgive Us, He Comes at Night, Last Chance, Nagual: The Sin Eater, Receiver

9:00 PM
“Two Witches” – Sunday Night Feature
What better way to close out the Halloween weekend than with an appropriately witchy night of films, led by the truly mesmerizing Two Witches. Includes the properly paired witchy films Devil in Me, La Ciguapa Siempre, and Prudence.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1st

12:00 PM
“The Strange, The Weird, and The Bizarre” – Grab Bag Shorts Block #5
A cornucopia of flavor! What exactly you’re going to get, you’ll just have to find out in this variety grab bag of equally delectable shorts! Films include: 29, Central Dental, El Triste, EVIE, For Your Consideration, Hell Hole, Numerus Duo, Snake Eyes: An ASMR Nightmare, and The Mad Shagger

3:00 PM
“Esluna: The Crown of Babylon” – Monday Feature Matinee
A jaw-dropping achievement, the sci-fi/fantasy animated feature Esluna: The Crown of Babylon is a triumph of talent and imagination that you’ll be glad you saw. Screens with the animated short film Little Wolf: the Night Trail.

6:00 PM
“Beehive Banquet” – Utah Shorts Block #6
Utah’s time to shine comes with a selection of its best genre short films made throughout the state in the past year! See the might of Utah’s film scene! Films include: Conscription, Folie a Deux, I Wonder, Orphan, Petra, Thirst, and Widow’s Peak

8:00 PM
Utah Red Carpet #1
Glam up and get your red carpet photos! A red carpet dedicated to the Utah filmmakers, although all are invited! Have fun with your family, friends, cast, and crew on the 30 foot FilmQuest red carpet!

9:00 PM
“Keeping Company” – Monday Night Feature
What more do you need than serial killers, salesman, and a series of unfortunate events? You’ll get that and so much more with the feature film Keeping Company. Also playing with the film are the perfectly paired short films Old Fox, The Coroner, and The Dead Collectors.

11:00 PM
Monday Night Mingle – Game Night
@ FilmQuest Filmmaker Lounge
We’ll cap off the day with a low-key night of games and vintage arcades next door in our filmmaker lounge at MOZZ. Defeat Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, dunk on faces in NBA JAM, save the galaxy with Atari’s Star Wars, match wits in Cards Against Humanity, and more. A night of games and face-offs will go on as long as you want to keep mingling and having fun!

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2nd

10:00 AM
Film Analysis Lab #1
“Lord of the Rings” w/Professor Alex Nibley
We promise, you’ve never experienced anything quite like this before. UVU Professor Alex Nibley uses the famed “Daniel Method” to dive into the LOTR: The Fellowship of the Rings with a live screening and lab. You’ll gain new insights into this beloved film, as well as come out an even better filmmaker and storyteller than before.

2:00 PM
“Dawn Breaks Before the Eyes” – Tuesday Feature Matinee
With one of the most unique genre films you’ll ever see, step back into a retro-fueled experience with the feature film Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes and leave shaken by something you never knew possible before. Includes the equally transcendent and unique short films The Painted, The Silent Lay Steady, and The Visitor.

5:00 PM
“You Can’t Put the Skeletons Back In” – Horror & Fantasy Shorts Block #7
Take a look in the mirror, and what do you see? The infinite stares back at you, and now you know there’s no way to shut your own Pandora’s box, as this collection of dynamic horror and fantasy themed shorts will show you what you’re really made of. Films include: Ad Lib, Bordo, Mask of the Evil Apparition, Night Call, Riven, Skynut, The Mechanical Dancer, and The Night Courier.

7:00 PM
Utah Red Carpet #2
Glam up and get your red carpet photos! A second red carpet dedicated to the Utah filmmakers, although all are invited! Have fun with your family, friends, cast, and crew on the 30 foot FilmQuest red carpet!

8:00 PM
“The Parker Sessions” – Tuesday Night Feature
Utah strikes again with this locally made dynamo The Parker Sessions that will whet your palette for more of what the Beehive State has to offer. It includes the Utah made genre short films Isolate and Outer Darkness.

10:00 PM
Hatchet Throwing Party
@ Heber Hatchets
Who is the biggest and baddest lumberjack around? Got what it takes? Then prove it as we go out to throw Hatchets like our grandparents did at Heber Hatchets. We’re bringing back one of our most popular events ever, so build up that arm strength – you’re going to need it!

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd

11:00 AM
“The Void Beckons You to Provo” – Sci-Fi & Beyond Shorts Block #8
As we peer into the abyss, what do we see? Infinity? Oblivion? With anxious desire, we entreat you to discover for yourself with this collection of shorts from beyond the void! Films include: Don’t Go Outside, Her, Magenta, Ouroboros, Poor Glenna, Raze of the Cyborg, Scarlet Red, and What the Heck is Going On?

1:00 PM
Lab #2
“The DNA of Screenwriting” w/Crit Killen
Crit Killen returns to bring back is popular and immensely insightful “The DNA of Screenwriting” lab. A condensed version of his class, Crit will show you how to strip your screenplay down and get down to its core in order to not only help you create a better screenplay, but make you a better screenwriter as well. A must for directors, producers, and writers alike.

2:00 PM
“Alien on Stage” – Wednesday Feature Matinee
It’s exactly what it sounds like. Join us and a troupe of UK performers as they put on stage the classic horror film Alien with a shoestring budget with the comical documentary feature film Alien on Stage. Includes the short film The Other Side of Fear.

5:00 PM
“Myths & Monsters” – Monstrous Shorts Block #9
A collection of matched short films about monsters, myths, and everything that goes bump in the night! Films include: After Dark, Face Your Fears, Familiar, Household Demons, I Call Upon Thee, Koreatown Ghost Story, Low, Posted No Hunting, The Rule of Three, and What the Spell?

8:00 PM
“Not Alone” – Wednesday Night Feature
There’s something spooky going on in this place, as the genre-bending supernatural film Not Alone takes you on a journey that will not be easily shaken. Includes the thematically paired short film Little Brother.

10:00 PM
Karaoke Party
@ Provo Underground, Downtown Provo
It’s another time to party, and an opportunity to show the world that you were truly destined to become the next Rock n’ Roll God! Mix, mingle, network, and build your legend on the stage as we rock the night away! Music, catered food and drink will be provided.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4th

Throughout Day AM-PM
MovieMaker Production Services Pitch Sessions
We’ve partnered with MovieMaker Magazine and their Production Services program to help you get funding for your next film production and make more incredible films happen. More details about this amazing opportunity will be revealed as we approach the festival. To our knowledge, you must be in-person to pitch, so all the more reason to make sure to attend the festival in-person!

10:00 AM
Enigma 3 Studio Tour
A new and exciting studio and production house has set up shop near Provo at Enigma 3. We’ve partnered with them to take you on a Studio Tour of their facilities, as we want you to explore Utah, and find out what advantages it has to offer you for your next productions. Carpool travel will be provided, and we will be leaving at 10 AM sharp and back by noon for the screenings and events.

12:00 PM
“Your Soul Longs for His Dark Embrace” – Dark Fantasy Shorts Block #10
A rare treat of dark fantasy fueled short films, together in this form for the first time at FilmQuest. Prepare for a look into the darker side of your most fantastic dreams. Films include: Back to the Woods, Break Any Spell, Imaginary Portrait, Lily in the Maze, Muse, Tales from Black Manor, The Moon and the Hummingbird, The Wishflower, and We All Dream

2:30 PM
Filmmaker Speed Dating Event
@ Velour
Put on a hiatus due to the events from over the past year, our popular and original Filmmaker Speed Dating networking event is back! You’ll get to meet everyone at the festival and find out how you can help each other with your productions and projects in this rapid fire meet and greet session.

5:00 PM
“Across the Universe and Back in Time for Dinner!” – Sci-Fi Shorts Block #11
Go to a galaxy far, fary away… journey to a madman’s circus… watch what woe intergalactic love and broken hearts can bring. These sci-fi hued short films will take you across the universe and back again! Films include: Disembodies, Fenestra, Forsaken Mandalorian and the Drunken Jedi Master, Giant: The World of Filmmaker Jeff Leroy, Killing Time, Penumbra, Sweet Nothings, The Other Side, and Watch Room.

8:00 PM
“The Free Fall” – Thursday Night Feature
Do you like rollercoasters? Of course you do! Then prepare for an absolute thrilling rollercoaster of a ride with star-studded The Free Fall, and then thank us later. The film will also screen with the equally rad short films Anniversary, Make a Wish, and What Happened Downstairs?

11:00 PM
“Midnight Madness!” – Shorts Block #12
A selection of our most mind boggling, insane, bizarre, and truly out there short films from the entire lineup! A can’t miss event that will include a free beer and pizza on the house! Films include: #NOFILTER, Crock Pot, Escalation, Every Time We Meet for Ice Cream Your Whole Fucking Face Explodes, Gastral Projection, Guts, Her Release, Logan Lee & The Rise of the Purple Dawn, She. Picked. Me., Snake Dick, Snow Globe, Vaccinated, and Wich.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5th

10:00 AM
Filmmaker Luncheon
@ TBD
The venue is still to be determined (but possibly back at Slate Restaurant), our second luncheon of the festival brings you all together again! The sooner you arrive, the quicker you’ll be settled and served as it’s going to be packed! You’ll have 2 hours to eat, chat, and make new friends until the screenings begin again at 1pm! So arrive early!

12:00 PM
Lab #3
“Packaging & Financing” w/CAA Executive Julia Glausi
CAA Executive Julia Glausi joins us for an open Q&A forum, wherein we’ll discuss a bit of Julia’s history and how she became an Executive, packaging and financing your project through the big agencies, what it takes to get noticed, and more. Without a doubt, this will be a highly informative open forum that will give you an edge moving forward.

1:30 PM
“Lockdown Breakout!” – Shorts Block #13
We all know what went down the last 18 months. But these films from these filmmaker didn’t give a damn. They got their gear together and made movie magic, no matter the challenges they faced. So enjoy the creativity of all these magicians who made film happen during the COVID-19 lockdowns! Films include: A Machine for Boredom, A New Normal, Blood Will Have Blood, Brackish, deMonica, Don’t Be Afraid, Hell in a Handbasket, I Can’t Relax Here, Offerings, Skinner 1929, The Cenozoic Era, user_, Watcher, What If Feels Like for a Girl, and Yummy.

3:30 PM
Lab #4
“Creating a Franchise” w/Bryan Woods, Co-Creator & Co-Writer of A Quiet Place
We sit down for open Q&A and discussion with Bryan Wood, co-creator and co-writer of the mega box-office smash, A Quiet Place. Also the co-director of Haunt and the upcoming Sam Raimi produced, Adam Driver starring 65, we discuss with Bryan how he got his career started, how he teamed up with his creative partner Scott Beck. We’ll also get insights into how he got A Quiet Place greenlit, his creative process, advice, and more. A can’t miss event. 

4:30 PM
“The Six Demon Bag” – Grab Bag Shorts Block #14
With the copious varieties of films that get selected into the festival, sometimes you need to just throw them all into the pot together and see what happens. You won’t leave disappointed, as there’s something for everyone, and flavors enough for all to try! Films include: Big Touch, In Hollywoodland, Marked, That Ain’t You, The Dangerous Type, The West Patch, True North, Wake, Walk Into the Water, Welcome to Our Home, You Missed a Spot

7:30 PM
“Wounds That Cut Deep” – Horror Shorts Block #15
There’s no more terrifying horror than that which invades and makes a home long term in our minds. This collection of horror shorts will get under your skin, and stick around unless you remind yourself that they’re only a movie… or are they? Films include: Cutter, It’s Me, Sarah, Killjoy, Parricide, Pathosis, Posies, Smile, The Fourth Wall, and Xiety.

10:30 PM
“The Old Ways” – Friday Night Feature
When the lights go dark, and the spirits wake up from their slumber, the new ways of warding off those who wish you harm will do you no good as the heavy hitting feature The Old Ways will soon help you learn! Includes two short films that will put you in the right mood with Spore and Witch Hunt.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6th

11:00 AM
“Laugh to Live, Live to Laugh” – Comedy Shorts Block #16
As the festival begins its final day to close out the 2021 season, settle in and enjoy the community building comfort of laughter. Enjoy these choice selections of dynamic comedy shorts for one last laugh… before the horror begins! Films include: Cabin for Two, Fishbound: Auction House, Hug the Sun, I’m Not a Robot, Lethalogica, Mark II, Monster Encounters, No Good Deed, Picnic Pals in Dreamland, Sitting Duck, Still Together, The Feast, Together Till The End, and Wolf in Dude’s Clothing.

2:00 PM
“Fantastic Never Dies” – Horror Shorts Block #17
No matter gets thrown our way, Fantastic never dies! The final shorts block of FilmQuest 2021 is a horror fueled romp through the Fantastic, and one that will tattoo your mind until the day you leave this mortal coil! Films include: Hunter’s Cabin, Mourn, Shallow Graves, Sink, Survivers, The Pey, The Relic, and ZTV: Sympathy for the Devil

5:00 PM
“Ghosts of the Ozarks” – Closing Night Feature Film
Take a journey, to another time and place where dark secrets live and the sins of your past will always find you, with the star-studded Ghosts of the Ozarks. Includes the audience pleasing western short Wasteland.

8:00 PM
Pre-Awards Show Red Carpet
The end of FilmQuest 2021 upon us! Time to get your best tie and dress on, look like a rock star, and celebrate in style. Photos and interviews (as available) before the big shebang. Take pictures with all your friends looking your slickest!

9:00 PM
Closing Night Awards Show
Time to find out, once and for all, who the winners from the 2021 FilmQuest lineup are. Is it you? Is it them? Is it us? Let’s all find out together in this fun, audio/visual spectacle! A live feed will be provided for those watching virtually.

10:00 PM
Post Awards Show Red Carpet
The closing night awards show has come to an end, and at long last we know who has claimed a coveted Cthulhu! Get your picture taken, enjoy victory with friends, and celebrate together, one and all, for one last time on the FilmQuest red carpet for the 2021 festival!

11:00 PM
Closing Night Party
@ Provo Underground, Downtown Provo
At long last, FilmQuest 2021 is officially over. Celebrate the festival, your victories, new friendships and collaboration, and more before you all bid adieu until next time. Catering and drink to be provided.

VIRTUAL EXCLUSIVE SCREENINGS
OCTOBER 29th – NOVEMBER 6th

While all films at FilmQuest, unless otherwise noted, will also play with their respective blocks virtually via the VR Cinema, there are a selection of films that will only be playing virtually. There are made of films that have filmmakers who indicated they cannot attend the festival in-person, most notably due to the ongoing travel concerns around COVID-19. Thus, FilmQuest expanded its lineup this year to account for this current reality, while still showcasing many great films from around the world in its competition lineup.

Virtual meetups and workshops/labs are still TBD.

The following films and blocks are available only through FilmQuest’s private virtual cinema portal. To access, please contact FilmQuest for permission.

Virtual Exclusive Feature – Available in FilmQuest VR Cinema
“Code Name: Nagasaki” – Documentary Feature
An incredible, one-of-a-kind feature film experience, Code Name: Nagasaki embraces the glory all genres while simultaneously taking you on a poignant and heartfelt journey. Not to be missed!

FilmQuest Virtual Exclusive Feature #2
“An Ideal Host” – Horror Comedy Feature
A true gem, An Ideal Host will thrill you with is unexpected twists and turns while gleefully romping through its story. Pop some popcorn and gather some friends around for this one!

FilmQuest Virtual Exclusive Shorts Block #1
“Get Your Ha Ha’s Out” – Comedy Shorts
A selection of outrageous, hilarious, and dynamic short films from across the globe, that also includes a few comedy flavored music videos. Films include: Class, Dead End, Hospital Dumpster Divers, Mulletude, Pick Up Artist, Sins of a Werewolf, Smiles, Star Saga, and Video Games

FilmQuest Virtual Exclusive Shorts Block #2
“Defying the System” – Fantastic Shorts
Sometimes, genres defy definition. These films not only defy cinema by being so good, but they have a variety of flavors worth devouring as there’s something for lovers of all things fantastic within! Films include: Burn on Arrival, Hells Kitchen, Into the Uncanny Valley, One Fight Five Times, RED, The Small Hours, tx-reverse, and You Said/Vermin

FilmQuest Virtual Exclusive Shorts Block #3
“The Impossible Begins With an Idea” – Fantasy & Sci-Fi Shorts
Bringing together films, animation, and music videos in a collection of can’t miss fantasy and sci-fi flavored shorts, this is a block worth diving into! Films include: Death and the Winemaker, Homesick, In My Image, Incarnation, Once Upon a Second Act, and Renaissance Man

FilmQuest Virtual Exclusive Shorts Block #4
“Whatever You Fear… This is Worse” – Horror Shorts #1
They say that our minds create great fears that are worse than reality. “They” were wrong! Prepare yourself for these amazing horror shorts and hold fast! Films include: Abracitos, Axe to the Face, Inferno, Minimally Invasive, Terrible Things, The Fox, and The Rickety Man

FilmQuest Virtual Exclusive Shorts Block #5
“Something Lurks Within the Fire” – Horror Shorts #2
Whether passion haunts us, blood thirsty dogs hunt us, or beings of revenge stalk us, there’s no escaping the thrills that will emerge from this collection of horror shots. Films include: Cerberus, Don’t Text Back, Echthaar, Every 75 Minutes, Golem, Inferno, Itch, and Weirdo

FilmQuest Virtual Exclusive Shorts Block #6
“Into the Expanse” – Sci-Fi Shorts #1
Boldly going where no one has gone before, these sci-fi shorts show you strange new worlds, realms beyond our imaginations, and terrors that can only come from the darkest expanse! Films include: Anemone, Carmentis, Return of the Beast from Outer Space, Today, Venus, You Will Never Be Back, and Zealandia