Provo, Utah’s FilmQuest film festival has announced its lineup of cinematic genre-film gems — including 14 feature films and dozens of short films from around the globe — for its 2021 in-person lineup. The fest takes place from October 29–November 6. Following is the official press announcement.
FilmQuest, one of the largest genre festivals in the country and one of MovieMaker Magazine’s 2021 “Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee,” announced its 8th annual edition. The 2021 in-person lineup is headlined by the Tim Blake Nelson, Angela Bettis, and David Arquette starring Ghosts of the Ozarks, Netflix’s The Old Ways, The Free Fall starring Andrea Londo and Shawn Ashmore, and the Slamdance Best Documentary winner Code Name: Nagasaki.
Taking place October 29th–November 6th in downtown Provo, Utah, the festival is requiring all guests be vaccinated, following a model it was able to test run successfully in May.
“We were able to host our postponed 2020 festival this past May in-person, one of the first to do so in the world, by requiring all attendees be vaccinated or pass a rapid test,” said Festival Founder & Director Jonathan Martin. “By making the safety of our guests a top priority, we were able to establish a comfortable atmosphere highlighted by the very best genre cinema in the world, making an unforgettable experience for all involved.”
FilmQuest is also taking advantage of the rise of virtual screenings at film festivals, incorporating a hybrid virtual/in-person approach that has also afforded it a chance to expand upon its historically large lineups.
“As festivals have changed and adapted in a COVID world, we wanted to look into the advantages a virtual component could bring and what that meant not just for the festival, but filmmakers as well,” said Martin. “Thus, we were able to expand our lineup of Official Selections through incorporating a selection of films, still in competition, as well as special workshops and lounges, accessible only through our virtual portal.”
Expanding upon the festival’s mission to create new opportunities for emerging voice in genre, the festival also announced new partnerships with Gunpowder & Sky’s ALTER and DUST, Dread Central, and MovieMaker Magazine.
“In an increasingly competitive market, we’re constantly looking for new partners and collaborators to increase the opportunities to our filmmakers and guests, to have their work seen and their careers advanced. ALTER and DUST are the premier destinations for genre shorts in the world, and we couldn’t be more excited for them to be the presenting sponsor of our shorts program this year,” said Martin.
“Dread Central, along with their Dread distribution platform, furthers our mission to see the these great feature films delivered to audiences, while our partnership with MovieMaker Magazine will help filmmakers realize their dreams via their Production Services program that will only enhance the market with quality content moving forward,” Martin concluded.
Special guests of the festival who will be participating in workshops include Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place), CAA Executive Julia Glausi, and SVP David Wardle of Saban Films. Events will also include a funds matching pitch session with MovieMaker Magazine via their MovieMaker Production Services program.
For more information about the 2021 FilmQuest, including its full lineup and schedule, visit www.filmquestfest.com or contact Jonathan at [email protected].
ABOUT FILMQUEST
FilmQuest has emerged as one of the premiere festival destination for genre cinema since its first season in 2014. Celebrating the majesty and might of genre cinema, and beloved by filmmakers and guests alike, the festival has received several accolades, having been named three times by MovieMaker Magazine as a “Top 50 Film Festival Worth the Entry Fee” and twice as one of its “Best Genre Festivals in the World,” is one of the Top 5 reviewed film festivals in the world on FilmFreeway, as one of Dread Central’s “Best Genre Festivals,” and has won Utah’s Best of State Film Festival award for 4 years running. FilmQuest takes place every Fall in Downtown Provo, Utah.
ABOUT ALTER & DUST
ALTER is a horror brand for novel and grounded stories exploring the human condition through warped perspectives. ALTER curates and distributes award-winning content and develops unique stories with some of the most innovative minds in the genre in all formats. Giving voice to emerging, diverse and established filmmakers, ALTER distributes two new mind-bending short films each week across YouTube and Facebook, with more than 30M monthly uniques. The entire short film catalog is available on ALTER’s YouTube and Facebook channels, and soon to be available on the official DUST app, available on web, mobile, and all major CTV devices.
DUST is the first premium sci-fi entertainment brand, channel, and IP incubator that reaches fans across all platforms, giving voice to both emerging and established filmmakers. From timeless classics to cutting-edge movies, series, short films and podcasts, DUST acquires, produces and distributes all content types. DUST distributes three new, thought-provoking science fiction short films each week. The entire 700+ short film catalog is available on DUST’s YouTube and Facebook channels as well as the official DUST app, available on web, mobile, and all major CTV devices. DUST’s free ad-supported channel is available on all major OTT devices and apps. On our OTT platforms, we offer cutting-edge and classic feature films, series, podcasts, and our entire shorts library. DUST’s #1 fiction podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts.