I spent much of my youth in movie theatres, including the old Blue Mouse in downtown Salt Lake City. During high school and college, I discovered the Sundance Film Festival and loved seeing short films, documentaries and international films that had previously not come to Utah.
Fast forward 30 years and Utah has only grown as a “film-lovers” paradise. We have a variety of independent movie theatres that show world-class films all year round. Over 100,000 people come to Utah in January from all over the world to experience the Sundance Film Festival now considered to be one of the best in the world.
In my role as the Film Commissioner since 2014, I get to highlight Utah’s long history with film production. From the John Ford westerns of the 1930s to ‘Thelma & Louise’ and ‘Forrest Gump’ to ‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’ and Kevin Costner’s ‘Yellowstone’, Utah continues to be America’s Film Set.
Let’s wear a mask in public so we can get back to watching and shooting Film In Utah.
Virginia Pearce
Director, Utah Film Commission
