Zion Independent Film Festival's mission is to introduce the world to the filmmakers of Southern Utah as well as other talented artists and to share this art in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Zion National Park provides an energetic serene environment for the serious visual medium artist to meet other filmmakers, both independent and professional. It will also educate and provide a positive, creative activity for youth who struggle with everyday life and need constructive activities to bring out leadership and potential abilities.

Located in the area that Robert Redford originally considered for the Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, Zion Independent Film Festival offers better weather, the independent spirit of artistic filmmaking without the crippling effect of a film market.

ZIFF was organized in 2004, and is a 501 C (3) non-profit corporation.

GOALS and OBJECTIVES:

1) To create an environment where artists from around the world collaborte with filmmakers of Southern Utah about visual mediums.

2) To educate youth and build personal and professional skills for the future.

3) To produce educational and informative films and videos on humane issues.

4) To bring the working film industry to the mindset of the independent fimmaker.

Zion Independent FIlm Festival began as a non-profit organization in 2004. Zion Flix was a film series formed as a test run to see who would come to little Springdale, Utah to see new films. The result was a sold out opening and closing night in September 2004. The mini festival opened with Experiment and followed with other films Foxhole, Max: A Cautionary Tale and concluded with Happily Even After.
Zion Flix combined forces with Zion Independent Film Festival (ZIFF,) on September 25, 2004 to bring a full-fledged film festival to Zion country in 2005. On May, 21st, 2005 ZIFF and the Washington County Film Society began its preview screenings called Z PRELIMINARIES to help pave the way for the film festival in Springdale, Utah just outside Zion National Park.
The second year the festival showed 74 films on six separate screens. More than two dozen filmmakers and actors attended to present their films. 2005 Winning documentary Spirit Riders is pictured to the left. ZIFF 05 concluded with a director's breakfast and the screening of Human Error. The festival was pleased to have Adam Abel producer of Saints and Soldiers, Lyman Dayton director of Where the Red Fern Grows, writer Dennis Lynn and director Maggie Soboil as our guest speakers. Spirit Riders won the Grand Jury Prize for "Best Documentary Feature." To see the complete winners list, click here.