Red Rock Film Festival is an international film festival in Southern
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
. Held annually in November, in
St. George
Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldie ...
,
Ivins, and
Springdale by
Zion National Park
Zion National Park is an American national park located in southwestern Utah near the town of Springdale. Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the park has a unique geography and a variety o ...
, the festival introduces the area to new international and US
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
film. The festival has competitions for both documentaries and narrative fiction features and shorts.
History
The Red Rock Film Festival began in Southern Utah in 2004 as a film series Zion Flix founded by commercial director Matt Marxteyn, which evolved from a film festival for college students in 1991 with founding member Derek Horne. Zion Flix was held in the OC Tanner Amphitheater in Springdale, Utah with sell-out crowds on both opening and closing nights. The festival became official known as an annual event called the Red Rock Film Festival in 2007. By 2009 the Red Rock Film Festival was cited by
MovieMaker Magazine on their 2009 list of "25 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee." Premieres at the festival have included the US premiere of ''Sultanes del Sur'' and ''Mark of Cain'' and the pre-release preview of ''Forever Plaid – The Movie''.
Categories
Besides the Special Screenings held out of competition, the festival hosts both Documentary and Narrative Fiction competitions for Features and Shorts with new categories for Animation Shorts and Featurette competitions introduced in 2009. The festival also includes a Young Filmmaker Shorts competition for students in grade school. Both Grand Jury and Audience awards are granted. Special Achievement awards are also rewarded to films that show excellence in a particular element of film making. The festival also created the "
Aglet
An aglet ( ) or aiglet is a small sheath, often made of plastic or metal, attached at each end of a shoelace, a cord, or a drawstring. An aglet keeps the fibers of the lace or cord from unraveling; its firmness and narrow profile make it easie ...
Awards" which are granted to the best films in competition that use creative means to produce a film with thrifty budgets.
Mission of the festival
The mission of the festival is "to encourage the production of media in both the independent and professional market that portray the human race in a positive light, and to applaud original works that redefine media through innovation, creativity and sensitivity that both enlightens and educates audiences from around the world."
“ References university
{{Reflist
External links
Red Rock Film Festival website25 film festivals worth the entry feeat MovieMaker.com
St. George, Utah
Film festivals in Utah
Film festivals established in 2004
2004 establishments in Utah