Utah Filmmakers™ recognizes Official Forum Top Contributors

The Utah Filmmakers™ Association—using a digital achievement recognition and tracking platform based on the Open Badges standard—recognized the 2023 recipients of the Utah Filmmakers™ Official Forum Top Contributor badge:

• Bryce Allred
• Charla Bocchicchio
• Parker Badger
• Greg Johnson
• Renny Grames
• Teresa Jack
• Brett Weidmann
• Carson McKinnon
• Willem Kampenhout
• Aspen Raine
• Rachelle Krause Remington
• Matthew C. S. Julander

The Top Contributor badge is issued to select forum participants who have made noteworthy contributions to the Utah Filmmakers™ Facebook group, including—but not limited to—regularly commenting with helpful advice and information on posts seeking professional perspectives, consistently posting job opportunities in the group, actively engaging other members with professional tips, and highlighting community events and resources.

In addition to being issued the digital badge, recipients are also eligible to receive a complimentary Google Workspace account—a $72 annual value—which includes a custom [recipient]@utahfilmmakers.org email address, courtesy of the Google for Nonprofits program, in which the Utah Filmmakers™ Association participates.

While membership in the Utah Filmmakers™ Association is automatically granted to individuals and organizations with active filmmaking interests in Utah, for various statistical and reporting purposes, its official membership count is based on those listed among the members in its official and Associate Forums, as well as anyone who volunteers for and/or is employed by Associate Organizations and Events.

Mentorship Program to Prepare Utah’s Next Generation of Filmmakers

PRESS RELEASE

Utah Filmmakers™ Association
Contact: Joe Puente, Administrator
Phone: 801-999-8839 
Email: media@utahfilmmakers.org

For Immediate Release

Mentorship Program to Prepare Utah’s Next Generation of Filmmakers

Thousands of aspiring filmmakers who set out to pursue their dreams of becoming industry professionals often get taken advantage of and fall short of finding success.

[Salt Lake City, Utah – July 15^th] The Utah Filmmakers™Association, working with the Utah Film Commission, is implementing a new mentorship program to provide Utah’s students and community filmmakers with guided opportunities to work in the film industry.

The Utah Filmmakers™Mentorship Program places emphasis on established filmmaking professionals mentoring those that aspire to become working filmmakers themselves. The program endeavors to serve members of the local film community seeking practical experience in a professional and safe work environment.

“There is a long and sad history of people who call themselves ‘producers’ taking advantage of aspiring filmmakers. Someone that's new to the film community—regardless of whether they went to film school or are self-taught—usually has no way of distinguishing legitimate opportunities from exploitive situations. The Utah Filmmakers™Mentorship Program is about connecting aspiring filmmakers with vetted industry professionals” said Joe Puente, Founder and Administrator of the Utah Filmmakers™Association.

Official UFA™ Mentors, including Travis Babcock of LENZ-works Productions and one of the program’s authors, will impart knowledge in their areas of expertise, and cultivate a resource of knowledgeable and experienced professionals available to work in the local film industry.

UFA™ Mentees will be given the opportunity to develop skills with the guidance of vetted professionals, enabling them to contribute their talents to local productions while learning essential industry standards and aspects of the craft that are not usually taught in most academic programs.

The Utah Filmmakers™Mentorship Program is accepting applications from professional Utah filmmakers interested in volunteering their time and expertise as mentors and individuals that want to be mentored at its official website: https://mentors.utahfilmmakers.org/[mentors.utahfilmmakers.org]

UFA™ Mentors Media Packet (2021_UFAMentorsPress.zip)