We’re still buzzing from last month’s Artist Foundry Pitch Competition! Thank you to everyone who joined us for an incredible night celebrating the creativity and talent of Utah’s film community.
Since launching the Artist Foundry in 2018, Utah Film Center has worked closely with local filmmakers to better understand their needs. Time and again, we heard the same priorities: education, opportunity, and community.
Those conversations helped shape the Artist Foundry into Utah’s premier film-focused creative hub. Since opening its permanent home in 2025, the Artist Foundry has brought together co-working, education, exhibition, and filmmaker support under one roof, creating an ecosystem where Utah filmmakers can learn, connect, and grow their careers.
The Artist Foundry Pitch Competition is one of the many ways Utah Film Center invests in local filmmakers. Alongside workshops, industry events, pitch training, networking opportunities, and funding resources, the competition provides filmmakers with a platform to develop their projects, receive professional feedback, and advance their creative work.
This year’s competition showcased an impressive range of talent, with filmmakers pitching original projects before a panel of industry judges. Congratulations to winners Jack Hessler, Tommy Pepper, and Julia Freij on their outstanding projects and well-deserved recognition! We also extend our gratitude to every filmmaker who participated in this year’s competition. Pitching a project takes courage, preparation, and vision, and the talent in the room was undeniable.
2026 Pitch Competition Winners
First Place: Jack Hessler — Charmane
A closeted Mormon insurance adjuster and a young male sex worker converge at a rural truck stop, each looking for love in the only way they know how.
Second Place: Tommy Pepper — Nail Salon
A failed Los Angeles writer is forced to return to Utah and run his father’s nail salon. As he attempts to accept his new lifestyle, he discovers that the salon’s intense, unapologetically hilarious nail technicians and loyal regulars become the family he didn’t know he needed.
Third Place: Julia Freij — Me, If I Were
Rita, a loan officer at a bank, has a secret: she is a biological clown. Every day she wears concealer to appear “normal.” When she accidentally spills all of her concealer on her clothes, she must rush to a laundromat and confront the world as her true self.
Supporting Utah filmmakers is central to Utah Film Center’s mission. Events like the Artist Foundry Pitch Competition help strengthen the state’s thriving film community by creating meaningful opportunities for filmmakers to share their stories and take the next step in their careers. Congratulations again to this year’s winners!
Learn more about Artist Foundry here.
