Overview
The Utah International Film Festival (UIFF) is a five-day independent film festival held annually in Taylorsville, Utah, at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center. The 15th edition ran January 1 through 5, 2026. The 16th edition is scheduled for January 25 through 29, 2027, returning to the same venue.
UIFF is an open-call festival with a transparent, merit-based selection process. The festival does not pre-curate, solicit, or invite films outside of its submission process. Every official selection is chosen through the same submission and review pathway via FilmFreeway. The festival received over 1,500 submissions internationally for its 2026 edition.
The festival is built on three programming pillars: Inspire, Create, and Innovate. It has a particular emphasis on short-form cinema, though it programs features as well. UIFF offers reduced submission fees for underrepresented filmmakers and for filmmakers working in regions with limited economic resources. A promo code "UFFWebDeal" provides 50% off all categories and can be combined with a FilmFreeway Gold membership for additional savings.
Submission Details
UIFF accepts submissions through FilmFreeway. The 2026 submission window closed November 2, 2025. Works-in-progress were not accepted for the 2026 edition. The 2027 submission window will open in 2026.
Categories
- Narrative Feature Film - fiction features
- Narrative Short Film - fiction shorts
- Documentary Feature Film - nonfiction features
- Documentary Short Film - nonfiction shorts
- Animated Film - animation of any length
- Episodic Series (TV/Streaming) - pilot or episode submissions
- Music Video - music video submissions
- Experimental Film - experimental and avant-garde work
- Student Film - films from elementary, secondary, and university students
- LGBTQ+ Filmmaker - films by LGBTQ+ filmmakers
- Women Filmmaker - films by women filmmakers
- BIPOC Filmmaker - films by BIPOC filmmakers
- Screenplay - short and feature screenplay categories
Specific submission fees are tiered by deadline and category. The festival offers reduced fees for underrepresented filmmakers and filmmakers from regions with limited economic resources. The "UFFWebDeal" promo code provides 50% off all categories at any deadline.
Key Sections
- Narrative Competition - feature and short narrative films
- Documentary Competition - feature and short documentaries
- Student Film Competition - elementary, secondary, and university divisions
- Screenplay Competition - short and feature screenplay categories
- Genre Programming - sci-fi, thriller, horror, comedy, fantasy, and other genre categories
- Identity-Focused Categories - LGBTQ+ Filmmaker, Women Filmmaker, BIPOC Filmmaker
- Episodic Series - TV and streaming pilots
- Music Video - music video competition
- Experimental Film - experimental and avant-garde work
Awards
UIFF presents awards across all major categories. The 2026 award categories included:
- Feature Narrative - jury prize
- Short Narrative - jury prize
- Documentary Feature - jury prize
- Documentary Short - jury prize
- University Narrative - jury prize
- University Documentary - jury prize
- Secondary Student Film - jury prize
- Elementary Student Film - jury prize
- Sci-Fi - jury prize
- Thriller - jury prize
- Ensemble Cast - jury prize
- Short Screenplay - jury prize
- Feature Screenplay - jury prize
- Audience Choice Award - voted by festival attendees
- Creative Award - recognizing creative achievement
- Innovate Award - recognizing innovation in filmmaking
- Impact Award - recognizing social impact
What Filmmakers Should Know
UIFF is an open-call festival that does not solicit or pre-curate films. Every film submitted through FilmFreeway goes through the same review process. This is different from many festivals that invite a portion of their programming. For filmmakers without industry connections or agent representation, this levels the playing field.
The festival's selection data is publicly available. Over the past 15 years, roughly one in four films selected at UIFF is a drama. Drama has a 42.42% selection rate from submitted films. Horror has a 30.68% selection rate, fantasy 34.09%, and sci-fi 25.64%. Comedy is the most submitted genre at 21% of total submissions but has a 15.98% selection rate. War films have historically had a 0% selection rate. This data is published on the festival's website to help filmmakers make informed submission decisions.
Short films have higher selection rates than features. Films 0 to 5 minutes long have a 24.78% selection rate. Films 11 to 15 minutes have a 22.51% selection rate. Films 6 to 10 minutes have a 21.02% selection rate. The festival programs features as well, but getting a feature into UIFF is significantly harder than getting a short in.
The festival does not accept works-in-progress. If your film needs additional editing, the festival recommends waiting until the next submission cycle. This is a firm rule, not a guideline.
UIFF alumni have gone on to earn major industry recognition, including Academy Award nominations and a win for "I'm Not a Robot" (Best Live Action Short Film). The festival has also featured guests including Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone), Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon), Danny Trejo, Danny Glover, and Margaret Cho.
The festival is volunteer-run and operates year-round to prepare for the annual event. The 2027 edition (16th annual) runs January 25 through 29 at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, 2525 Taylorsville Blvd, Taylorsville, UT 84129.
Festival History
UIFF was founded in 2010 and has been run by the same leadership for 15 years. The festival began as a one-day event and expanded over the years into a five-day celebration. Previous editions have been held in American Fork, Vineyard, and other Utah venues before settling at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center in Taylorsville. The festival is not affiliated with Sundance and operates independently from the Park City film ecosystem. Festival Director Dora Workman has led the organization through its growth from a small local event to an international festival receiving 1,500+ submissions annually.
Past Winners
Recent winners from the 15th annual edition (January 5, 2026):
- Best Drama: Sister Wives, dir. Louisa Connolly-Burnham
- Best Comedy: Frugalman
- Best Fantasy: An Old Friend
- Best Horror: I'll Be Right Back
- Best Sci-Fi: Untainted Sky
- Best Thriller: Prime
- Best Western: The Ballad of the Bush Mare
- Best Director: Bob Morley, Status: Active
- Best Lead Actor: Austin Archer, Connie & Clyde
- Best Lead Actress: Eliza Taylor, Status: Active
- Best Documentary Feature: Born For This: The Tia Bee Stokes Story, dir. Madison Pope
- Best Short Narrative: The Pearl Comb
- Best BIPOC Filmmaker: Pretendian
- Best LGBTQ+ Filmmaker: Kilter
- Best Woman Filmmaker: Decode Me
- Best Animation: The Last Gunfight... yet!
- Impact Award: Tia Bee Stokes
The festival also presents Ensemble Cast, Cinematography, Sound Design, Music Score, Editing, Production Design, and student category awards across elementary, secondary, and university divisions.
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
- *I'm Not a Robot* (2023) - Dutch short film by Victoria Warmerdam. Screened at UIFF and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards in March 2025. The first Dutch short film to win this Oscar. Distributed by The New Yorker on YouTube.
- *Sister Wives* (2024) - UK short film by Louisa Connolly-Burnham, won Best Drama at UIFF 2026. Has collected over 30 awards worldwide including Best LGBTQIA+ Film at HollyShorts. Oscar, BAFTA, and BIFA longlisted. Currently in development as a feature film.
- *Status: Active (2025) - Directed by Bob Morley, starring Eliza Taylor (both from The CW's The 100*). Won Best Director and Best Lead Actress at UIFF 2026. The filmmakers plan to expand the short into a feature film.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
UIFF is an open-call festival with no pre-curation or invited programming. Every film goes through the same review process via FilmFreeway. For filmmakers without industry connections, this levels the playing field.
Drama has the highest selection rate at 42.42% and wins more awards than any other genre. Over 27% of all winning films at UIFF are dramas. Comedy and sci-fi are tied as the next strongest winning genres. War films have historically had a 0% selection rate.
Short films have higher selection rates than features. Films 0 to 5 minutes long have a 24.78% selection rate. Getting a feature into UIFF is significantly harder than getting a short in.
The festival does not accept works-in-progress. If your film needs additional editing, wait for the next submission cycle. This is a firm rule.
The "UFFWebDeal" promo code provides 50% off all categories at any deadline. It can be combined with a FilmFreeway Gold membership for additional savings. Reduced fees are also available for underrepresented filmmakers.
Industry Reputation Notes
UIFF is not affiliated with Sundance and operates independently from the Park City film ecosystem. The festival is volunteer-run and has been led by the same leadership for 15 years.
The festival is pursuing Academy Award qualifying status for its short film program. Its most notable alumni achievement is I'm Not a Robot, which won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film in 2025 after screening at UIFF.
Compared to FilmQuest (another Utah festival in Provo), UIFF has a broader programming scope. FilmQuest focuses on genre cinema, while UIFF programs across narrative, documentary, experimental, and identity-focused categories. Both festivals have hosted I'm Not a Robot as an official selection.
The festival has welcomed guests including Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone), Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon), Danny Trejo, Danny Glover, and Margaret Cho. The 2027 edition (16th annual) runs January 25-29 at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center.
Watch
See Also
For Sundance, see Sundance Film Festival. For US western festivals, see Film Festival Strategy. Use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator to evaluate whether submitting to UIFF fits your festival budget.
