Orem Film Festival 2025
Overview
The Orem Film Festival (OFF) is a grassroots independent film festival I founded and produced from the ground up in Orem, Utah. Built in collaboration with dedicated volunteers, local businesses, and community partners, OFF was created to strengthen Utah’s independent film culture at a pivotal moment.
With long-standing institutions like Sundance Film Festival shifting significant portions of their programming outside of Utah, a noticeable cultural gap emerged. Local filmmakers had fewer opportunities to showcase their work theatrically, and Utah audiences had fewer spaces to gather around original, community-driven storytelling. OFF was designed to help fill that gap by creating an accessible, filmmaker-first festival rooted in local connection.
On September 24, 2025, the inaugural festival welcomed more than 600 guests to Geneva Megaplex. The event featured ten curated short films, live filmmaker Q&As, and cash awards, creating an evening that celebrated independent cinema while fostering genuine community engagement.
Goals & Vision
Three core goals shaped every decision I made:
Support Local Artists:
Provide Utah filmmakers with a rare opportunity to screen their short films on a theatrical stage, while offering cash awards that meaningfully support and validate their creative work.
Sustain Utah’s Film Culture:
major festivals departing the state, OFF was built to maintain excitement for independent film and keep Utah's filmmaking ecosystem alive and thriving.
Build Authentic Community:
Create an intentional in-person gathering where filmmakers, students, and film lovers could connect face-to-face and experience cinema together.
Accessibility was central to the vision. Tickets were priced at $5 to encourage broad participation. Each guest also received complimentary Swig drink coupons, reinforcing the festival’s community-focused atmosphere and local partnerships.
My Role: Founder & Festival Director
This was a scrappy, one-person-led operation requiring me to wear every hat imaginable. I built OFF from a concept to a fully realized event, personally overseeing every department and workstream:
Creative & Brand Direction
As founder and creative director, my role was to ensure the festival felt culturally credible, visually cohesive, and professionally executed across every touchpoint.
I enlisted lead creative producers Davis Dial and Edward Pollei as part of the core team I assembled. Davis designed the official festival logo translating the strategic vision into a distinct visual identity system including typography, color palette, and brand standards. Edward supported creative production and execution across key event materials.
I then oversaw and directed the rollout of a complete brand ecosystem, including:
• Apparel: T-shirts and hoodies
• Accessories: Water bottles, keychains, stickers
• Environmental graphics: Step-and-repeat backdrop, banners, posters, lanyards
• Content production: Promotional videos, photography, social media content
• Paid media creative: Digital ads and campaign assets
Despite operating on a lean startup budget, every asset was held to a high creative standard. The intention was clear: build a brand experience that felt established and theatrical from year one, honoring both the filmmakers and the audience.
Marketing & Advertising Strategy
I developed and executed a comprehensive marketing strategy to drive awareness and ticket sales across multiple channels. This included managing the festival's social media presence, creating advertising assets, leading our design team, and coordinating press outreach.
The festival earned coverage from numerous regional and statewide media outlets including KSL, Deseret News, the Daily Herald, Daily Utah Chronicle, SLUG Magazine, City Weekly, Utah Valley Magazine, KRCL, and multiple university publications… all organically through relationship-building and compelling storytelling.
Fundraising & Sponsorship
OFF was made possible by local businesses that believed in our vision for the arts. Securing these partnerships required genuine relationship-building and a clear communication of the festival’s mission. By tailoring each pitch to the partner's specific values, I moved beyond transactional deals to create mutually meaningful agreements. This support provided more than funding; it gave the festival the credibility needed to prove it was something truly worth showing up for.
Megaplex - Venue partner
Swig - Provided complimentary drinks for all 600+ guests
Vessel Kitchen - VIP dinner for filmmakers
Rat Rod director Jared Jakins and crew after winning the OFF Jury Prize.
Programming & Jury Curation
I assembled an experienced jury of industry professionals and curated the final selection of ten films from a competitive submission pool. Jury members included production coordinators and managers from the Utah Film Commission, the festival director of Dark Cinema Film Festival, the Director of Film Studies at Weber State University, and working filmmakers. Films were evaluated on originality, technical execution, narrative strength, emotional impact, and artistic vision.
→ Read a great overview of the 10 selected films over at SLUG Magazine.
Logistics & Event Production
From venue coordination to scheduling, filmmaker travel, Q&A moderation logistics, and the VIP filmmaker dinner, I oversaw every operational element of the event. I also arranged an opening keynote from Munn Powell, cinematographer of Napoleon Dynamite, to anchor the evening with industry perspective and inspire attendees.
Volunteer Management
I recruited, onboarded, and managed a team of 30+ volunteers across multiple specialized roles, coordinating them into a cohesive, smooth-running operation on event day. Volunteer teams included: graphic designers, photographers, film programmers, jury members, the ticketing team, merchandise table staff, and Q&A hosts. Their dedication made the night possible, and organizing that many moving parts required detailed planning, clear communication, and trust.
Results & Impact
The inaugural Orem Film Festival surpassed expectations and demonstrated immediate demand within the community.
• All five auditoriums sold out, validating audience appetite for a locally driven, independent film event in Utah County.
• Ten short films screened, featuring filmmakers from across Utah and beyond, each receiving a full theatrical presentation and live audience engagement.
• Widespread press coverage across Utah’s major media outlets generated strong organic reach and established early credibility for a first-year festival.
• Filmmakers, sponsors, and attendees consistently described the night as a true community celebration rather than just a screening event.
• Planning for year two began almost immediately, with a growing waitlist of filmmakers, sponsors, and volunteers seeking involvement.
Most importantly, the festival delivered something increasingly rare: a packed theatrical experience for independent short films and a meaningful big-screen moment for the artists behind them. That outcome was always the mission.
→ Read more about what it was like at the festival in the Daily Herald.
Skills Demonstrated
This project represents the full spectrum of founding a cultural institution from zero:
• Event Production & Logistics
• Brand Identity & Art Direction
• Merchandise & Print Production Management
• Comprehensive Marketing Strategy
• Social Media Management
• Website Design & Development
• Fundraising & Sponsor Relations
• Volunteer Recruitment & Management (30+ people)
• Film Programming & Jury Curation
• Press & Media Relations
• Community Organizing
Thank you for reading!
To learn more, visit www.OremFilmFestival.com
