At the Idaho Teen Film Festival held in Idaho Falls on May 2, student filmmakers from across the state showcased their creativity, storytelling, and production skills in a celebration of young talent and independent film.

Cumorah Carter

 The festival’s top honor, Best in Show, went to Cumorah Carter for her emotional film Light and Darkness, which earned the grand prize of $1,000. The film follows two sisters navigating difficult times after the older sister is diagnosed with cancer, highlighting the emotional and physical struggles their family faces together.

Carter credited her family for helping make the production possible and supporting her throughout the filmmaking process.

Jack Willie

Among the standout winners was Jack Willie, a video production student of Mrs. Shannon Davis, who earned first place in the Commercial Category. Willie received a trophy and $300 in cash for his one-minute advertisement titled Oxford Packing, a humorous and creative commercial promoting a local butcher shop.

Willie said he enjoys bringing comedic value into his productions and believes humor helps audiences connect with a project. To enhance the overall quality of his commercial, he also used artificial intelligence tools to help create an original soundtrack for the film.

The festival featured filmmaking workshops led by two assistant directors working in the film industry. One instructor had experience working on Thunderbolts*, while another had contributed to videos related to Book of Mormon projects with Josh Moody. Students had the opportunity to learn professional filmmaking techniques and gain insight into careers in media production.

Outside the festival, Willie has also been active in business and leadership competitions. He recently competed at the regional Business Professionals of America competition at Idaho State University, qualifying for state alongside his best friend, Jens Huckaby.

Looking ahead, Willie plans to pursue a career in video production at Brigham Young University–Idaho. His advice to students considering a video production class is simple: “Use your resources.”

More information and festival highlights can be found on the festival’s Instagram page at Idaho Teen Film Festival Instagram.