Kanab, Utah's official Film Festival returns May 2 - 4, 2024.

The Kanab Film Fest: A Film & Food Experience is a 3-Day all inclusive, intimate celebration of film & food always with a fun, rotating theme that drives the decor and parties!! 2024's theme is Murder Mystery and a select few ticket holders will get a chance to play a role in this interactive story which will unfold over the 3 days.

Featuring independent films from all over the globe ranging from documentaries and student films to micro shorts and feature lengths, we select films that cover a diverse range of topics aimed to motivate, inspire, entertain, and spur dialogue. And one of our most talked about event and sought after ticket is Kanab Gets Dark film block, screening scary and more risqué films inside Moqui Cave! Filmmakers can now submit their films specifically for this event, since it's such a unique experience to see your film inside a cave!
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The Food aspect really takes this event to the next level. Every ticket includes at least two catered meals from local eateries prior to the film blocks and all the candy and drinks you can handle, essentially turning this into an all-inclusive marriage of entertainment and eats!
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And for outdoor enthusiasts, the Fest always features an outdoor activity or special local experience to give you a taste of the area.

This new take on a traditional film fest is the brainchild of the founders Britt and Jeff Roth who get to bring their expertise from their former careers together in one amazing event that continues to get bigger and better each year.

LOCATION
: Held in scenic Kanab, Utah, known for its beauty, proximity to six National Parks, including Zion, Bryce, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and its long and storied history of filmmaking going back to the 1930s. Kanab has been coined "Little Hollywood" and between 1930 and the 1990s, over 300 films have been made here and the list continues to grow! The Kanab Film Fest aims to celebrate this rich movie-making history and bring it into the current day.

JUDGING
: We take to heart the amount of work put into each film. Therefore, we are careful to ensure each submission is reviewed at great depth and watched in its entirety. We like to be transparent in our process and judge the story over the production value. Our panel is made up of industry professionals, movie critics, and every day people who enjoy watching all kinds of movies.

SUBMISSION DETAILS
: Please submit your film in the appropriate category. Kanab Film Fest organizers- Jeff and Britt Roth- can be reached through kanabfilmfest.com or by email to jeff@kanabfilmfest.com.

We value the power of a well-told story. We can’t wait for you to tell us yours.

Awards & Prizes

Best Student Film
Best Utah Film
Best Comedy Film
Best Animation
Best VFX
Best Feature Film
Best Documentary
Best Short Documentary
Best Short Film
Best Micro Short
Best Music Video
Best Actor
Best Cinematography
Cinema Verité
Best of the Fest
Audience Choice
....and maybe some more surprise categories!

Filmmakers accepted to the Fest will receive an All Access Film Pass and Swag plus a first-come-first-serve complimentary hotel room. Once you get yourself here, you're well taken care of with catered meals, all-you-can-eat concessions, themed parties, and the best networking in the most beautiful town where you'll truly make friends and business connections for life! Our networking wrap party is responsible for several features and short films.

Rules & Terms

UPDATE: to screen in Moqui Cave please submit directly to that category

KANAB FILM FESTIVAL FILM COMPETITION RULES

1. KFF screens films as digital files during the Festival. Please submit films in 2048×1080 29.97 fps H.264 format, under 10GB please.
To upscale to 2K from 1080 follow this tutorial: https://tinyurl.com/upscalefrom1080

2. All films must be in English or have English subtitles at the time submitted. During final screening the film must only have English subtitles.

3. Submissions must be accompanied by the applicable submission fee per entry and a completed online entry form.

4. We will not screen films with a watermark. If that’s a deal breaker, don’t submit.

5. Films must have been completed within 3 years of the festival date. Films must be available for screening by the final deadline.

6. Selection for screening will be determined no later than one month prior to the festival.

7. We prefer that films not be publicly available online.

8. KFF reserves the right in its sole discretion to reject or disqualify any ineligible entries, without a refund.

9. Kanab Film Fest reserves the right to show a portion of your officially selected film in our promotional material.

10. Films must be the original work of the applicants.

11. We strongly encourage filmmakers to submit their film only after it is fully finished. That said, because KFF’s focus is on story, minor technical changes will not affect the final decision of any film. Should the film be accepted to play during the Festival, the filmmaker will have the opportunity to supply the Festival with their most recent version no less than 7 days before the event begins.

12. Once an entry payment has been received we cannot provide a refund. If a payment is disputed by an entrant for any reason, the entrant may be subject to any transaction fees or similar amounts incurred by KFF in connection with the dispute.
29 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Lauri Koseff

    The Kanab Film Festival is a breath of fresh air. Six of us attended from three different countries and the moment we arrived we were made to feel more than welcome and immediately felt included and treated as friends. The festival has the rare combination of being both professionally run and organized and being super fun and entertaining at the same time. The generosity of the people of Kanab and the festival organizers goes unrivaled! This was a treasured experience that I will carry with me and share so that people from other communities can have the opportunity to participate in, experience and enjoy in the future.
    Thanks Kanab!!!

    May 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Thanks Lauri! We're so glad you were able to make it and that you had a blast like the rest of us. We love having filmmakers come celebrate and you brought such an infectious energy and light wherever you went; we appreciated it greatly. Hopefully you'll be back next year!

  • Warren Workman

    Although I was unable to attend personally, our director did! and this is what he had to say.

    "Kanab Film Fest is an absolute blast! Getting to spend the weekend with some of the coolest people, watching incredible films and going on mini adventures, this festival has already claimed its place as one of my favorites to attend. I made some amazing friends at this festival and already have plans to collaborate with several of them. Definitely recommend attending!"

    May 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Thanks Warren! We had a great time with Josh and "Water Babies" and I'm so happy you got to screen in Moqui Cave. Josh brought such a fun vibe with his multiple outfit changes and bright smile. I know he'll be back next year and hopefully you can make it down also!!

  • Katharine Parsons

    Although Kanab is a relatively young festival, it is right up there in the top 25 of "coolest festivals" to attend. Not only did they have a great selection of crowd-pleasing films, but they also were able to generate really good attendance and they treated the filmmakers like royalty with all (yummy!) meals, a designated "green room" down the road with artisan cheeses, and discounted housing. The town is spectacular, a little out of the way but so worth it. There was an additional "wow" factor that Jeff and Britt Roth managed to pull off, from a fun "Most Adorable Film Award" to a surprise pop-up kitty adoption event after our cat-themed feature put on by Best Friends, the sponsor and the largest animal rescue organization in the U.S. Thank you so much for a memorable time! Receiving the "Cinema Vérité Award" and the "Audience Choice Award" for our doc THE FIRE CATS—Save Something Small was an added pleasant shock!

    May 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much for coming out and making our 2023 season super special. The kitten adoption after your screening was a first for us and we’re so grateful we were able to get a kitten adopted from Best Friends, one of our sponsors. We loved having you and hope to see more from you in the future.

  • Scott Slone

    We had an absolute blast at the Kanab Film Fest and Food Frenzy! Jeff and Britt were the best and took care of us every step of the way. The films selected were amazing and the food was superb! The theater was always packed and you get a lot of eyes on your project. The filmmaker community there is strong and the creative vibe in the air is contagious. This is one of the best festival experiences we have had and I would HIGHLY recommend this festival to everyone. If you are thinking about submitting, just do it, you will not regret it! This festival is on the rise and will be one of the top festivals in the US soon! Thanks again for having us, can't wait to be back!

    June 2022
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  • Jacob Hamblin

    This Festival is AMAZING!!! I highly recommend it to every filmmaker looking to have a great time while also networking and watching other incredible films. I've never had so much fun at any other festival, along with how incredibly friendly everyone is that's involved. So if you have a film you want to submit or just want to go to an incredible festival, this is definitely the one! I can't wait for next year!!!!

    May 2022
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