PROVO, Utah — 200 films over nine days: Sounds like a movie buff's idea of vacation! And you don't have to travel far - just get to Provo and you can attend the second largest festival in Utah.
FilmQuest, founded by filmmaker Jonathan Martin, won the Best of State award for Best Film Festival, and is playing even more films than Sundance.
Martin says FilmQuest, now in its fifth year, has also been recognized as one of the top film festivals in the world, and one of the fastest growing and most exciting in the world as well, having twice been named by the prestigious MovieMaker Magazine as one of the "Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee." The fest is also currently ranked as the #13 top reviewed film festival on the world via FilmFreeway.
Martin adds that FilmQuest sometimes gets mis-labeled as a "horror fest." "This is not true," he says. "While horror plays a part of the festival, FilmQuest is an incredibly diverse mix of films that also includes comedies, animated films, westerns, foreign films, and in many ways, the undefinable. We host dozens of world premieres, and 95% of all the films we show are making at least their Utah premieres."
Martin also said you may have an easier time meeting celebs here than at Fan-X, happening the same weekend. He says you'll have opportunities to meet (and get no-charge autographs from) guests such as Oscar-winner Joel Harlow (Oscar winner for makeup effects on Star Trek and Johnny Depp's personal makeup artist), Oscar nominee Kathleen Quinlan (Apollo 13), and the writer and creator of Final Destination, Jeffrey Reddick. Martin says many of the films also have recognizable stars in them, such as Marisa Tomei, Minnie Driver, Pedro Pascal, and more.
Last year, in addition of bringing an economic impact of more than $150,000 to Provo and Utah, FilmQuest had 150 out of state and international filmmakers attend the festival. Martin says he expects to at least match those numbers, if not exceed them, for 2018.
Martin says don't wait to get your tickets! Showings are already selling out and/or near a sell out. Hop onto www.FilmQuestFest.com to get your tickets and view the schedule.
