The 13th annual FilmQuest film festival opened on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, in Provo despite rainy fall weather. The event, held at the Velour Live Music Gallery on University Avenue, featured a red carpet for filmmakers and actors to discuss their films.
This year's festival is scheduled to feature more than 300 genre films over an 11-day period. FilmQuest has become the largest film festival in the state following the departure of the Sundance Film Festival. FilmQuest Director and Co-founder Jonathan Martin stated the festival aims to fill the void left by Sundance, which had a $100 million economic impact. Martin noted that the Academy invited FilmQuest to apply to become an Oscar-qualifying festival, a distinction that would make it only the second genre festival in the world to hold that status.
The festival has gained notoriety in the filmmaking community, with its last three top prize winners winning the Best Live Action Short Film Oscar. Those films included "I'm Not a Robot," "The Singers," and "Two People Exchanging Saliva." Last year, the festival estimated it generated a $1 million economic impact for Provo. Co-founder and Deputy Director Richard Teasdale described the focus on genre films as a labor of love rooted in a shared enthusiasm for horror and science fiction.
FilmQuest began as a small genre festival at Jordan Commons before moving to Provo in 2017. While Gov. Spencer Cox stated that stakeholders began working to create a new major festival in the state after Sundance announced its departure in 2025, Martin believes the focus should be on investing in established brands like FilmQuest rather than starting from scratch.
Filmmakers such as Megan Duffy and director Gavin Hignite have participated in the event, citing the festival's unique culture. Martin expressed a goal to build the festival alongside the community of Provo, Utah County, and the state of Utah to create something that could eventually exceed the impact of Sundance.
