PLAN YOUR FILMQUEST EXPERIENCE

This is the Official Schedule for the 2023 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 2023 FilmQuest experience today!

Tickets are ON SALE THIS WEEKEND via Entertainment Oxygen (Virtual & Live Screenings) & FilmFreeway (Local Screenings)!

The VIRTUAL EXCLUSIVES and VIRTUAL SCREENINGS of the festival will be available via a Virtual Pass at Entertainment Oxygen and the EO App. The virtual screenings will require a pass purchased through EO, or given to a participating filmmaker with a film in the festival lineup.

ALL films will be available virtually, even those playing physically unless otherwise noted. A selection of films will only be available exclusively via our virtual platform on Entertainment Oxygen , while a selection will only be available in-person. Please consult the schedule, film info pages, and upcoming 2023 Program Guide for more details.

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

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

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26th

12:00 PM
Check-In Begins
@ Velour, Downtown Provo
Arrive early and get settled. Check-in for the physical portion of the 2023 FilmQuest begins! Here you’ll get registered, receive your swag bag, VIP pass, and get the lowdown on the venue and what to expect. The earlier you are, the more you can get comfortable and prepare to enjoy the festival!

2:00 PM
“Get Your Goodie Bag” – Variety Shorts Block #1
The 2023 FilmQuest shorts lineup kicks off with an impressive offering of tasty delights from around the globe. You’ll need your passport stamped when you’re done with this batch! Films include: Bookworm, Dark Cell, La Nueva (The Newcomer), Lands of Steel, Requiem, Spoor, Terror, and Trapped

5:00 PM
“A Taste of Things to Come” – Variety Shorts Block #2
Another delectable offering of short films bring an assortment of terrors, strange wonders, and awe-inspiring visuals. Warm up by the fire, things are going to get toasty in here! Films include: Cornerboy, Kiddo, Middle Watch, Quiet, Shallots and Garlic, Ten With a Flag, The Black Box, Upside, Visitors

7:00 PM
Opening Night Red Carpet
Glam up and get some red carpet photos, where you’ll feel like the movie star you are! Have fun with your family, friends, cast, and crew on the 30 foot FilmQuest red carpet!

8:15 PM
“He Never Left” – Opening Night Feature
Straight out of the dark heart of Utah, our Opening Night horror feature film making its WORLD PREMIERE is He Never Left as it comes screaming at you to show you how the business is done! Includes the Utah made short horror films Hannah Harbor and Poolside Inn.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27th

11:00 AM
“Fantastic Worlds & Strange Discoveries” –  The Beyond Shorts Block #3
Films include: Booba, Heptapus, Hit Man: Secrets of Lies, Martyr of a Forgotten Dream, Vestige, and Waving

2:00 PM
“Zombie Strain” – Friday Feature Matinee 
Includes the short films Content: The Lo-Fi Man and P.F. Chang’s Signature Rice.

5:00 PM
“We Are All Made of Stars” – Sci-Fi Shorts Block #4
Films include: Frequencies, Gutter, Lux Chroma, Remote, Salvage, Septichexen, T-Minus, The Last Embrace, and The Universe and You

8:00 PM
“Double Blind” – Friday Night Feature
Includes the short films L’abattu des vents, Ringing Rocks, and the music video Old Flames.

10:00 PM
Opening Weekend Dinner Meet & Greet
@Fat Daddy’s Pizza, Downtown Provo
We’ll get our hungry selves on over to Fat Daddy’s Pizza for some pizza and beers, meet and greet the filmmakers already in town, and get prepared for the adventure of FilmQuest together!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28th

11:00 AM
“Does It Tickle When We Touch Like That?” –  Comedy Shorts Block #5
Films include: 24/7, Casual Vignettes of Gilded Vulgarity, Five Stars, Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Story, Justus: Seaghan Destroy, Murder Camp, Pear, String, and The Jellyfish Man

2:00 PM
“The Last Movie Ever Made” – Saturday Matinee Feature 
Includes the animated short films A Beaver’s Tale and Dandelion, and the short film Radio Telescope

4:00 PM
Workshop & Lab #1: Distributors Workshop & Discussion
Learn from and talk to the decision makers behind distribution in cinema today! Heads of Distribution David Lawrence of Glass House Distribution and Gato V. Scatena of Scatena & Rosner Films sit down to discuss what distribution looks like now and moving forward, how to get your film the best chance for pickup, and all the ins and outs of what it takes to have a successful release.

5:00 PM
“Hippo” – Saturday Night Feature #1
Includes the short film Velma

8:00 PM
“The Hyperborian” – Saturday Night Feature #2
Includes the short films Awake and Hideous Heart

11:00 PM
“Midnight Madness: The Revenge” – Midnight Shorts Block #6
Films include: All I Need, Cafe Cicatriz, Dead Enders, Drifter, For the Safety of Theo, High Fun, Hunter, In Your Hands, Nosepicker, Revolution Maker, The Mantis, The Third Ear, and The Foul

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29th

11:00 AM
Filmmaker Networking Luncheon #1
@ Bistro Provenance, Downtown Provo
The French themed Bistro Provenance, will be our filmmaker luncheon and get together. The sooner you arrive, the quicker you’ll be settled and served as it’s going to be packed! You’ll have 3 hours to eat, chat, and make new friends until the screenings begin. Afterwards we’ll introduce ourselves and find out how we can work together for future projects.

2:00 PM
“No One’s Getting Out of Here Alive” – Horror Shorts Block #7
Films include: 4 Little Angels, Captive, Dead Connection, Dysmorphia, Facies, Janelle’s Baby, Make You Wanna Cry, Merger, Night Nurse, Saint-Sacrifice, and Slashr

5:00 PM
“Me, Myself & The Void” – Sunday Matinee Feature
Includes the short films Scam and The Ghost Light

8:00 PM
“Lock Your Doors and Get the Axe” – Horror Shorts Block #8
 Films include: Bye-Bye, Interference, Let It Kill You, Lure, POV, Storm, The Hunt, They Call It… Red Cemetary!, Toggle, Up on the Housetop, and Yule Cat

10:00 PM
Opening Weekend Halloween Party
@ The Social, Downtown Provo
It’s Summer Camp at Camp Cthulhu! Dress up in your best retro summer camp outfit, whether you’re a boy scout, girl scout, camp counselor, Jason, a horny teenager, etc. This is your time to pull up those socks and wear those short shorts as we party the night away celebrating Halloween and the 10th annual FilmQuest!

MONDAY, OCTOBER 30th

11:00 AM
“In this World, You Use It or You Lose It” – Fantastic Shorts Block #9
Films include: Dixieland, Fungus, Pink Reef, The Girl With the Haunted Vagina, The Legend of King Kang-Mi, The Loop: Undeniable, Wesley Loses His Penis, Where the Witch Lives, and Wraith

2:00 PM
“Black Mold” – Monday Matinee Feature
Includes the short films Cover Your Ears and Jeong-Dong (Affects)

5:00 PM
“The Wait” – Monday Night Feature
Includes the short film Voyager

7:00 PM
Utah Red Carpet
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!

8:00 PM
“The Beehive Feast” – Utah Shorts Block #10
Utah comes back at ya with a selection of the very best genre shorts made in the state over the past year. Horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and beyond will be your delight as you indulge in the best of what the Beehive State has to offer. Films include: An Arrangement of Skin, Body of Work, Box Boy, Bull Rider, ITIIITIATIIHYLIHYL, Munch, Saborrrr!, Sacrament, The Handbook, To Err, Ummm, and Will the Circle Be Unbroken

10:00 PM
Monday Night Mingle – Game Night
@ The Social, Downtown Provo
We’ll cap off the day with a low-key night of games and vintage arcades at our Filmmaker Lounge. 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, OCTOBER 31st

11:00 AM
“The Six Demon Bag” – Grab Bag Shorts Block #11
Films include: A Little Help?, Angel Hare, Dead Dreams Falling, Deliverance, Haunted by Nikola Tesla, Leverage, Lupe Q and the Galactic Corn Cake, Sincopat, The Inflection Scheme, Vespa, and Work Life

2:00 PM
“Kill Your Lover” Tuesday Matinee Feature
Includes the short films Hide Your Crazy, Leech, Strange Bedfellows, The Stand-Up and the music video Kill for Your Love

4:00 PM
Workshop & Lab #2: “Sound Design Breakdown” w/Patrick Hogan
FilmQuest Alumni and 10-time Emmy nominated Sound Supervisor and Designer, Patrick Hogan, breaks down what it takes to create an incredible soundscape on some of streaming’s biggest shows, including Cobra Kai, The Umbrella Academy, and Reservation Dogs. This interactive lab is our first time trying it out, and we’re excited to make it happen with Patrick as he shows you the secrets to great sound design and how to get it on your own projects, no matter the budget!

5:00 PM
“Laugh, You Sucker!” – Comedic Shorts Block #12
Films include: Baby Face, Bounce House, Fck’n Nuts, Gold and Mud, Goo Darts, Overnights, Sucker, The Haunted Baby Carriage from Hell, Variations on a Theme, Victim No. 6, and Violet Butterfield: Makeup Artist for the Dead

8:00 PM
“The Deep Dark” – Tusday Night Feature
Includes the films Alicia and The Spirit Became Flesh

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 taking to what is always a popular event, so build up that arm strength – you’re going to need it! NOTE: Small chance this pivots to a Haunted House trip or similar.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1st+

9:00 AM
Enigma 3 Studio Tour
A new and exciting studio and production house has set up shop near Provo at Enigma 3 that everyone should know about and be using. 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. Meet at 9:00 AM @ Velour to carpool.

11:00 AM
“See With Eyes Born Anew” – Fantasy Shorts Block #13
Films include: Clemency, Forlorn, Juggernaut, LIV, Spiderlily, The Ringmaster, The Sin-Eater, and Things Visible and Invisible

2:00 PM
“Conquer Your Demons” – Horror & Thriller Shorts Block #14
Films include: A Dire Strait, Before I Go, Pruning, The Fledgling, The Forgotten, Volition, What Lies Within, and Whisper

4:00 PM
Workshop & Lab #3: “Casting Your Movie” w/Steven Tylor O’Connor
Emmy award winning & Casting Society of America board member Steven Tylor O’Connor sits down with us to discuss the do’s and don’ts of casting your film, the secrets to getting that name attached, the importance of a casting director, and all the topics you didn’t know you needed to know about working with a casting director and finding the perfect talent for your project.

5:00 PM
“A Disturbance in the Force” – Wednesday Documentary Feature
Includes the short films Fun, Gus!, The Storm Chaser, Tower Theatre and the animated short film The Dark Odyssey 2: Ice Nexus

7:00 PM
Mid-Week Red Carpet
Glam up and get your red carpet photos! Have fun with your family, friends, cast, and crew on the 30 foot FilmQuest red carpet!

8:00 PM
“How to Kill Monsters” – Wednesday Night Feature
Includes the short films The Heritage, The Lure, and The Management

10:00 PM
Karaoke Party
@ The Social, 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! Catered food and drink will be provided for an extra fee.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2nd

Throughout Day AM – PM
MovieMaker Magazine 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. Must qualify with 5 key points to pitch – email us for inquiries and details.

11:00 AM
“My Mom Says I’m Funny” – Comedy Shorts Block #15
Films include: Abandon, Bento Banana, Dog Breath, Don’t Let Kyle Sit Down, Old Time Radio: Your Move, Quiet! Mom’s Working, Seeing Other People, The 44th Chamber of Shaolin, The Orb, They Grow Up So Fast, and Too Slow

2:00 PM
“Frogman” – Thursday Matinee Feature
Includes the short films The Princess and the Formaldehyde Specimen, The Forest King, The Tunnel, and Toad Boy

5:00 PM
“Through Infinity We Chase Our Falling Stars” – Sci-Fi Shorts Block #16
Films include: Alone, Autopilot, Eject, Ensouled, Entrainment, From Above, GOV.OS, Homecoming, Human Resources, Lost in the Sky, and TLG

7:15 PM
Workshop & Lab #4: ““Creating Cinemas Most Iconic Creatures and Characters” w/ Doug Jones
The legendary and one-of-a-kind Doug Jones sits down to discuss some of his most famous roles, the secrets and tips to developing and becoming a character that lives beyond the screen. A can’t miss lab where everyone’s Dougie will share stories from his diverse and awe-inspiring resume and leave you a better filmmaker, performer, and cinephile for it.

8:15 PM
“Hundreds of Beavers” – Thursday Night Feature
Includes the short film Look! The Invisible Man and the animated short film Regular Rabbit

11:00 PM
“Midnight Madness 2: The Revenge of the Revenginator” – Shorts Block #17
A beer & pizza party (extra cost) where we enjoy some Midnight Madness the way the Gods intended! Films include: Ashes in the Wind, Bag for Life, Decay Process, Engulfed, Eyestring, Finger Bang Your Day, Fudgie Freddie, Gummies, Heart of Vengeance, High Stakes, Hit and Run, Lord, Ride Baby Ride, Shoes Off, Sneak Over, Sugar Rag, Tooth, Unkind Cut, We Forgot About the Zombies, and You Have Reached Your Destination

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd

Throughout Day AM – PM
MovieMaker Magazine 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. Must qualify with 5 key points to pitch – email us for inquiries and details.

11:00 AM
Filmmaker Networking Luncheon #2
@ Bistro Provenance, Downtown Provo
The French themed Bistro Provenance, will be our filmmaker luncheon and get together. The sooner you arrive, the quicker you’ll be settled and served as it’s going to be packed! You’ll have 3 hours to eat, chat, and make new friends until the screenings begin. Afterwards we’ll introduce ourselves and find out how we can work together for future projects.

2:00 PM
“Bang a Gong and Get It On!” – Variety Show Shorts Block #18
Films include: [subtext], A Cotton Moon, A Sweet Tooth, Accidental Stars, Closing Time, Judgement Day, Nash, No 8 Reporting, Not Us, Robbie Ain’t Right No More, and Virgil’s Rings

4:00 PM
Workshop & Lab #5: “Scoring Your Film” w/Chris Bacon
Lauded film and television composer Chris Bacon (Wednesday, Bates Motel, Source Code, 65) discusses the insider’s knowledge to composing the perfect score for your movie, what it’s like working with some of the industry’s top talents and productions, and how to craft a composition that will take your film to the next level.

5:00 PM
“All You Need is Blood” – Friday Night Feature #1
Includes the short film Farmer Ed and the animated short film Demons in the Closet

7:15 PM
Workshop & Lab #6: “Modern Makeup FX Creation” w/ Joel Harlow
Academy Award winning make-up fx legend and master, Joel Harlow, conducts a lab that explores the modern approaches and tools towards the creation of make-up fx every filmmaker and artist should be aware of. With credits including Star Trek, Pirates of the Carribean, Black Panther, and more, Joel is a leading authority on the current and future state of makeup fx.
*Subject to cancellation – guest still pending

8:30 PM
“New Life” – Friday Night Feature #2
Includes the short films Get Away, Shelter Half, and The Reclaimers

11:00 PM
“You Only Revenge Twice” – Horror Shorts Block #19
Films include: A Suit and a Straight Razor, Are You Awake?, Candor, I Could Just Die… and That Would Be All Right, Make It Stop, Meadowville, Red Velvet, Sempre Avanti, The Invaders, The Perfect Place to Cry, Thin Skinned, and Worry No More

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4th

11:00 AM
“A Highway to Hell” – Horror Shorts Block #20
Films include: 13 Steps, A Good Scream, D I G, Honk, No Overnight Parking, Oddities, Ten of Swords, The Drawing, and The Queue

2:00 PM
“Irati” – Closing Night Feature
Includes the short film Villain

5:00 PM
“10 Years of Fantastic!” – Closing Night Shorts Block #21
The 2023 FilmQuest closes the book on 10 years of Fantastic! We move into the infinite with a block of shorts that prove all things are possible when we give ourselves to the Beyond and let Cthulhu take us! Films include: Come Home, Escape Attempt, Evenveil, In the Heat, My Scary Indian Wedding, Recollector, The Voice in the Hollow, and ZIB

7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Pre-Awards Show Red Carpet
The end of FilmQuest 2023 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 2023 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 2023 festival!

11:00 PM
Closing Night Party
@ The Social, Downtown Provo
At long last, FilmQuest 2023 is officially over and ten years of Fantastic have led way to the next ten. 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 with extra fee.

VIRTUAL EXCLUSIVE SCREENINGS via ENTERTAINMENT OXYGEN
OCTOBER 26th – NOVEMBER 12th

While all films at FilmQuest, unless otherwise noted, will also play with their respective blocks virtually via the Entertainment Oxygen and the EO App, there are a selection of films that will only be playing virtually. These are made of films that have filmmakers who indicated they cannot attend the festival in-person, most notably due to the ongoing travel concerns and other restraints. Thus, FilmQuest again 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 virtual partner Entertainment Oxygen. Please register and purchase a pass via EO today in order to access and watch these incredible films that are guaranteed to wow and inspire awe. The films will be available with the rest of the lineup on Entertainment Oxygen only from October 26th – November 12th, 2023 with a purchased virtual pass.

American Meltdown
Virtual Exclusive Feature Film #1 – Available via Entertainment Oxygen
A ‘Millennial Coming-of-Rage’ dark comedy about a young woman who loses her job and struggles to pay rent – until she befriends a pickpocket who convinces her that the only way to survive in America is by committing petty crime.

Citizen Sleuth
Virtual Exclusive Feature #2 – Available via Entertainment Oxygen
A true crime podcaster from Appalachia blurs the line between fact and entertainment as she investigates the mysterious death of a local girl. Citizen Sleuth examines the ethics of the true crime genre and how the power of narrative affects truth, victims, and communities.

My Mother’s Eyes
Virtual Exclusive Feature #3 – Available via Entertainment Oxygen
Both Hitomi and her daughter Eri are cellists. One day, they are involved in a traffic accident and Hitomi loses her sight. She wears camera-equipped contact lenses and Eri, injured and hospitalized, wears VR goggles, and the two share one vision.

The Wheel of Heaven
Virtual Exclusive Feature #4 – Available via Entertainment Oxygen
A selection of incredible fantasy short films from across the globe, that also includes a dynamic selection of animated films that will blow you away. Films include: Bean Feasa (Wise Woman), Brightstar, Incomplete, Legs, Robot Tells a Joke, Rose, Savj, and Welcome

Horror & Thriller Shorts
Virtual Exclusive Shorts Block #1 – Available via Entertainment Oxygen
Get your pulse racing, and feel the jolt of thrills and chills as you brace yourself for these tales from the dark side. Enjoy these horror & thriller short films from around the world… if you dare! Films include: A Deer Caught in the Headlights, BUG, Callus, English Tutor, Here to Stay, Lady and the Tramp, Surgical Precision, and Tales from the Dark Web: Moira Hill

Pure Terror Horror Shorts
Virtual Exclusive Shorts Block #2 – Available via Entertainment Oxygen
They say that our minds create fears that are worse than reality. “They” were wrong! Prepare yourself for these amazing horror shorts and hold fast! Films include: Caterpillar, Garbage Days, Hitched, Maryla, and That’s Our Time

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Shorts
Virtual Exclusive Shorts Block #3 – Available via Entertainment Oxygen
A rocket ship to Fantastic is all fueled and ready to blast off with you on board!  Prepare to explore strange new worlds with this collection of mind altering sci-fi and fantasy shorts. Films include: Book of the Old Ways, Elixir, Spiral to the Center, Sylvie Made It, The Christ of the Skull, They Come from the Sky, Unchained Melody, and We Hunt Giants

Comedy Shorts
Virtual Exclusive Shorts Block #4 – Available via Entertainment Oxygen
It’s time to scratch that itch that’s been sitting on your funny bone! Here comes a series of film that will surely put a huge grin on your face and offer a truly knee slapping good time! Films include: Batshit Crazy, First-ish Contact, Justice for Batman, Knock Knock (Knock), Skewered, The Girl is Crying in Her Latte, Virgins for Satan, and Welcome to Candy’s

Animated Shorts
Virtual Exclusive Shorts Block #5 – Available via Entertainment Oxygen
Life is better when it’s animated. A kaleidoscope of color, stories, and adventure awaits with these incredible animated delights from around the globe! Films include: A Paw Over Dark, Innermost, Las Nogas, Mothership: The Awakening, The Discarded, and The Old Young Crow