"Sundance for the Sunday School Crowd" was the way a Deseret News article described the first LDS Film Festival in 2001. From 750 attendees that first year, to over six thousand in 2008, the LDSFF has grown in popularity, quality, and size. "This year we have a very strong lineup of excellent films, and hope to host even more film fans," said festival organizer Christian Vuissa. 

Films run Wednesday through Saturday at the Scera Center for the Arts in Orem , and tickets for all events can be purchased at 801-225-ARTS, online at scera.org or at the door.

Vuissa started the festival while still a student at BYU. A native of Austria, Vuissa envisioned a festival that could travel the world, showcasing student films. Now, with many of the films available on DVD, his goal has been exceeded.

Fifteen feature films including Vuissa's Father In Israel; Minor Details, a John Lyne teen mystery, and Rob Diamond's Once Upon A Summer  will be shown on the big screen at the Scera Theaters in Orem, Utah. Twenty short films will compete for awards, and many other films will be screened. 

One group of young men has been doing this filmmaking marathon for the past four years. Though they have yet to win at the festival, last year they entered their marathon piece into a high school film competition, and won first place. "We were competing against students who had worked an entire semester, using good equipment, and getting help from teachers, so we were elated to come out on top." said one of the boys. Their film has been shown on ComCast, which is all many filmmakers want; an audience. 

The LDS Film Festival looks for entries that demonstrate intelligence, spirituality, originality, integrity, and technical excellence in their approach to the subject matter that envision, create and illuminate. No foul language, sexual content or graphic violence is permitted. Submissions come from all over the world, but must be in English or have English subtitles. 

If you are in Utah for Sundance, skiing, a conference, or any other reason, you might enjoy a day or two at the LDS Film Festival. Check out the schedule of events here: