SUPPORTING THE ARTS WITH OUR WHOLE HEARTS
Zepstone International Film Awards is an IMDb qualifying seasonal festival with in-person events (Zepstone Festival - film, music, arts) that take place annually in the summer. Our goal is to showcase independent films from Utah and beyond, and to connect communities with artists.
At Zepstone International Film Awards, we believe that independent voices deserve to be heard. We are in love with storytelling and unique artistic visions. We also believe in showcasing underrepresented positions within film crews, as well as musical song categories. Check out our award categories for more information!
Big news! Zepstone Festival is now a part of the Zepstone Arts Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization. In addition to showcasing the arts, we have some big things coming in 2024, including an arts scholarship competition. Stay tuned for details!
Mark your calendars!
Live Events at the Zepstone Arts Festival
“ZEPTEMBER”
September 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th, 2024
HOW DOES OUR FESTIVAL WORK?
Our festival is broken up into 4 seasons: Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring. Each season, we announce Official Selections and Winners. From those best-of-the-best winners, they will go on to compete for annual awards, such as Best Short Film of the Year, Best Music Score of the Year, Best Music Video of the Year, etc.
Every September, we host the Zepstone Arts Festival in ZEPTEMBER, which showcases filmmakers, musicians, and the arts. The Zepstone ArtsFestival culminates with the prestigious Red Carpet Awards Show, where nominees and annual winners will be announced.
Each season, at juror and reviewer discretion, filmmakers may be eligible for project reviews and artist interviews.
SEASONAL FILM AND SCREENPLAY CATEGORIES:
*Best Narrative Film
*Best Short Film
*Best Ensemble Cast
*Best Cinematography
*Best Assistant Camera
*Best Editing
*Best Director
*Best First-Time Director
*Best Music Score
*Best Sound Design
*Best Original Screenplay - Feature
*Best Original Screenplay - Short
*Best Makeup/ FX Makeup
*Best VFX/ CGI
*Best Wardrobe Design
*Best Production Design
*Best Lighting
*Best Assistant Director
*Best Grip
*Best Story
*Best Web/TV Series Episode
*Best International Film - Feature
* Best International Film - Short
*Best Documentary
*Best Horror Film
*Best Comedy Film
*Best Drama Film
*Best Family Film
*Best Fan Film
*Best Action/Adventure Film
*Best Fantasy Film
*Best Experimental Film
*Best LGBTQ+ Film
*Best Animated Film
*Best Science Fiction/AI Film
*Best Film Noir
*Best Actor
*Best Supporting Actor
*Best Actress
*Best Supporting Actress
*Best Stunt Work
*Best Music Video
*Best Producer
*Best Proof of Concept
*Best Drone Cinematography
*Best Actor Under 18
*Best Actress Under 18
*Best Western Film
*Best Dystopian / Apocalyptic Film
* Best Micro-Short (Under 5 Minutes-Long)
*Best Student Film
*Best Thriller Film
*Best Period Piece
*Best Fictional Podcast Recording
*Best Fictional Podcast Script
MUSIC VIDEO SONG CATEGORIES:
*Best Acoustic Song
*Best Bluegrass Song
*Best Blues Song
*Best Country Song
*Best EDM/Techno Song
*Best Folk Song
*Best Funk Song
*Best Jazz Song
*Best Metal/Progressive Song
*Best Pop Song
*Best Psychedelic Song
*Best Punk Song
*Best Rap/Hip-Hop/R&B Song
*Best Reggae/Ska Song
*Best Rock Song
*Best World Song
*Best Alternative/Indie Song
*Best Contemporary Song
*Best Music Video Producer
*Best Music Video Sound Engineer
*Best Animated Music Video
ANNUAL AWARDS - ANNOUNCED AT THE ZEPSTONE FESTIVAL RED CARPET AWARDS SHOW
*Short Film of the Year
*Micro Short of the Year
*Feature Film of the Year
*Music Video of the Year
*Web Series or Web Episode of the Year
*International Film of the Year
*Screenplay of the Year - Feature-Length
*Screenplay of the Year - Short
* Director of the Year
*Actress of the Year
*Actor of the Year
*Supporting Actor of the Year
*Supporting Actress of the Year
*Music Score of the Year
*Cinematographer of the Year
*Editor of the Year
*Documentary of the Year
*Costume Design of the Year
*Production Design of the Year
*VFX/Animation of the Year
*Inspirational Film of the Year
*Social Impact Award
*The Willowstone Award
*The Grimstone Award
WILDCARDS: At the jury discretion, annual nominees for highly scored categories may be included as nominees in the annual events, even if they were not formally winners of a season. Many factors go into inclusion for wild card nominees. These nominees may have proven to have achieved high scores by the jury, but perhaps they didn’t formally win during a season because of volume, or perhaps these particular filmmakers have achieved more than one accomplishment during a festival year, etc. Love surprises? So do we!
