[ATTENTION]
HiveFest submission deadlines have been extended, and the festival will now take place in September 2026 at a new venue to be announced. This change supports exciting new developments that will enhance the experience for both filmmakers and audiences. Please Note: The current event date is tentative, and will be confirmed in February 2026.

HiveFest is an indie focused film festival dedicated to bringing together first time and student filmmakers with established voices from Utah’s emerging independent film scene. While we proudly spotlight local talent, submissions are not limited to Utah filmmakers. Over the past three years, HiveFest has screened short films from creators around the world.

Be part of the BUZZ in Ogden and submit your short film today.

All proceeds from submission fees and ticket sales directly support student and local filmmakers in Utah for years to come.

Tickets are available at the box office only. Cash and card accepted.s

Awards & Prizes

All films submitted will be adjudicated by a panel of diverse screeners. All films selected to screen will receive HiveFest official selection laurels.

All selected films will be considered for:

🏆 AWARDS OVERVIEW
The Honeycomb Award – Best in Fest
The Hive Award – Audience (2)
The Queen Bee Award – Directing
The Nectar Award - Performance
The Honey Award – Cinematography
The Worker Bee Award - Design
The Buzz Award – Sound
The Hex Award – Editing
The Stinger Award – Writing

Rules & Terms

All films must be submitted or retrievable in a 1080p or 4K resolution and be sure that all links to videos are downloadable as this is how we will retrieve your film. It is preferred to use a downloadable Vimeo link or, for those who uploaded directly through FilmFreeway, to give HiveFest permission to download your film from the platform. We do not accept mailed in media drives with copies of your film on it.

All films not in English must be subtitled in English.

We do not accept films longer than 16 minutes.

All submission fees are non-refundable.

By submitting to HiveFest you agree to let the festival, if selected, screen your work at our venue on the event date. The festival will not sanction unauthorized usage of films however, we are not responsible for ensuring the prevention of unauthorized recording.

By submitting to the HiveFest you allow representatives of the festival to use any photos taken of the event in future festival branding. All use of films in festival branding will be negotiated with the filmmaker.

HiveFest is not responsible for insuring the use of copyright free material. All burden falls on the filmmaker to abide by copyright laws and ensure that the submitter is the owner of all materials submitted.
7 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Robert Gamperl

    We were very pleased to be part of the official selection for HiveFest in Ogden. The festival team was very friendly, and both our crew and family members were on site and thoroughly enjoyed the event. Communication before and after the festival was excellent.
    The festival is already on my list for next year.

    April 2025
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  • seth warner

    Overa a great experience, a wonderful collection of shorts presented this year(2025)

    April 2025
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  • Maurício Valentino Borges

    Even though I couldn't attend the festival, the communication with the organizers, the reception of my work and the follow through were amazing. I hope this festival can grow even more, and keep giving a voice to independent cinema.
    Amazing.

    April 2025
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  • Ben Vasion

    HiveFest was a great festival experience. The theater had very few empty seats, and I really loved the personalized introductions to every film. I loved getting to talk with some of the Northern Utah filmmakers. I’m excited for the future of this festival. I definitely will submit again!

    April 2025
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  • David Guerrero

    This was a great Festival, it was fun and it had a great variety of shorts.

    September 2024
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