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In 2001, about 700 people attended the first LDS Film Festival in Provo — when all that played were some short films by LDS filmmakers.
A decade later, now the LDS Film Festival attracts about 7,000 each year to Orem's SCERA theater, for four days of moviegoing that includes about a dozen feature-length films and a raft of shorts — all made by or about members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"It's not exclusively Mormon," said Christian Vuissa,a filmmaker and the festival's founder and director. "It includes a lot of other films, shows a little more diversity of what's being done by LDS filmmakers."
The 2011 edition of the LDS Film Festival takes place Jan. 26-29 at the SCERA, 745 S. Main St., Orem.
"It's a good way to see what LDS artists are doing," Vuissa said. "We always get great entries from New York and other parts of the country, and even other countries."
The festival's complete slate won't be announced until the week of Jan. 8, but Vuissa did divulge a few titles that will screen at the SCERA:
"Midway to Heaven" • the directorial debut of well-known Utah actor/producer Michael Flynn, an adaptation of a book by Dean Hughes about a widower (Curt Doussett) meeting his college-age daughter's new boyfriend (Kirby Heybourne).
"The Real Singles Ward" • a documentary about LDS wards designed for unmarried members, directed by John Moye, who co-wrote the 2001 LDS comedy "The Singles Ward."
Sneak peek • A peek at T.C. Christensen's work-in-progress "17 Miracles."
Joseph Smith bio • And Vuissa's new film, a biography of the early life of Joseph Smith, the founder of the LDS Church.
Along with the films, Vuissa touts two of the festival's regular events: Panel discussions to talk over the issues of Mormonism in the arts, and the 48-hour filmmaking contest — in which teams of filmmakers are given just a weekend to write, shoot and edit their short films, which will screen at the festival.
The festival has gone through many changes in the past 10 years, changing locations, from the Provo Theatre Company to the Provo Library to its current home at the SCERA in 2006. It has also moved on the calendar, from November to January.
The festival "fits SCERA very well," said SCERA's CEO, Adam Robertson, "what we've been known for, and what our standards are."
As for the timing, Vuissa said a January festival allows student filmmakers to submit their works. They're often finishing their films in December, before the end of fall semester.
The schedule also coincides with that other film festival in Utah, the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, but Vuissa doesn't think his event loses many patrons because of it.
"We had some national interest, because we're running during Sundance," Vuissa said, noting that reporters from the Washington Post, The Associated Press and even an Italian film magazine have covered the LDS Film Festival as an alternative to the larger, glitzier Sundance festival.
About film fest
O The 2011 edition of the LDS Film Festival takes place Jan. 26-29 at the SCERA, 745 S. Main St., Orem.
Screening schedule will be announced the week of Jan. 8.
Information and tickets available at http://www.ldsfilmfestival.org.