FilmQuest Film Festiaval Unveils Epic 2025 Lineup of Sci-Fi, Horror, and Fantasy Films
FilmQuest announced its 2025 lineup and as someone who’s been attending this festival for years, I can’t wait! The 12th edition of the festival runs from October 23 through November 1 in Downtown Provo, Utah, and it’s one of the best events of the year for fans of genre cinema.
What makes FilmQuest so special is how personal and intimate it feels. You can catch world-class films and still have the chance to meet filmmakers, chat with actors, and geek out with other fans. It’s not just a film festival, it’s a community.
Festival Founder and Director Jonathan Martin shared in a statement:
“FilmQuest continues to defy expectations and turn heads throughout the industry as it has established itself as one of the best genre film festivals in the world through its quality programming and rapidly expanding community.
“The festival has become a landmark event centered in one of the most unlikely of places in our stunning home of Downtown Provo, Utah, and it shouldn’t be missed by anyone who loves discovering the best new talent and emerging voices in genre cinema today.
“For those who haven’t experienced the festival, there is never a better time to come and see for yourself what all the fuss is about, and to find out why many within the industry have taken notice and have come to embrace our rock n’ roll spirit in the mountains of Utah.”
This year’s lineup is loaded with premieres, featuring work from big names like Ryuhei Kitamura, Lena Headey, Georgina Campbell, Jon Heder, Sean Gunn, Jimmi Simpson, David Dastmalchian, Iko Uwais, Mekhi Phifer, Andrew McCarthy, Chandler Riggs, Shane West, Chris Klein, Danny Glover, Teri Hatcher, Cameron Monaghan, and Pollyanna McIntosh.
World Premieres
Labyrinth – Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, this action horror thriller stars Mekhi Phifer, Shane West, Chris Klein, Alexxis Lemire, and Tommy Flanagan.
Orion – A sci-fi thriller from Jaco Bouwer starring Andrew McCarthy, Drew Van Acker, and Debby Ryan.
Jump Scare – A grindhouse horror flick infused with rock n’ roll energy, directed by Donnie Hobbie.
Buffet Libre – A Spanish dark comedy thriller from Zoe Berriatúa.
Regional Premieres
Influencers – A thriller from Kurtis David Harder starring Cassandra Naud and Georgina Campbell.
Appofeniacs – Chris Marrs Piliero’s dark comedy thriller with Sean Gunn, Jermaine Fowler, and Aaron Holiday.
Hacked: A Double Entendre of Rage Fueled Karma – Shane Brady’s revenge comedy starring Chandler Riggs and Katelyn Nacon.
Frogman Returns – A found footage creature feature from Anthony Cousin.
We Put the World to Sleep – Romanian found footage horror from Adrian Tofei.
I See the Demon – An end-of-world sci-fi film directed by Jacob Lees Johnson, starring Jon Heder.
Peeping Todd – Josh Munds’ musical stalker comedy.
Bad Haircut – A comedy thriller from Kyle Misak.
Kombucha – A cosmic horror with dark comedic twists from Jake Myers.
The Cramps: A Period Piece – Retro-fueled horror comedy directed by Brooke H. Cellars.
North American Premieres
Syphon – Tom Botchii’s relentless action film.
The Flesh Itself – A Brazilian period horror from director Ian SBF.
It’s not just movie screenings. Guests like Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place, Heretic, 65), F. Javier Gutiérrez (Before the Fall, The Wait, Rings), producer Julia Glausi (Heretic), and Slamdance co-founder Jon Fitzgerald will be hosting labs and workshops. More names are expected to be announced later this month.
The festival wraps up on November 1 with its always entertaining awards show, where the coveted Cthulhu Trophy will be handed out across categories including feature film, short film, student film, animation, and music video.
I’ll be there again this year, popcorn in hand, ready to dive into the weird, wild, and wonderful world of sci-fi, horror, and fantasy cinema. If you’ve never been, this might be the year to finally make the trip to Provo and see what FilmQuest is all about.