Red Rock Film Festival is an international film festival in Southern Utah

Utah

Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Held annually in November, in St. George

St. George, Utah

St. George is a city located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Utah, and the county seat of Washington County, Utah. It is the principal city of and is included in the St. George, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is 119 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 303 miles ...

, Ivins

Ivins, Utah

Ivins is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. The population was 4,450 at the 2000 census, and it was estimated at 7,205 in 2006. Although Ivins was a town in 2000, it has since been classified as a fifth-class city by state law.-History:...

, and Springdale

Springdale, Utah

Springdale is a town in Washington County, Utah, United States. The population was 457 at the 2000 census. It is located immediately outside the boundaries of Zion National Park, and is oriented around the resulting tourist industry. It was originally settled as a Mormon farming community in 1862...

 by Zion National Park

Zion National Park

Zion National Park is located in the Southwestern United States, near Springdale, Utah. A prominent feature of the park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles long and up to half a mile deep, cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River...

, the festival introduces the area to new international and US independent

Independent film

An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...

 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

MovieMaker

“Moviemaker” redirects here. For the software, see Windows Movie Maker.MovieMaker is an American magazine focused on the art and business of making movies with a special emphasis on independent film....

 on their 2009 list of "25 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee." Premieres at the festival have included the US premiere of Sultanes del Sur, 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 filmmaking. The festival also created the "Aglet

Aglet

An aglet is a small plastic or metal sheath typically used on each end of a shoelace, cord, or drawstring. An aglet keeps the fibers of the lace or cord from unraveling; its firmness and narrow profile make it easier to hold and easier to feed through the eyelets, lugs, or other lacing...

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."

External links

• Red Rock Film Festival website
• 25 film festivals worth the entry fee at MovieMaker.com