Mentor program begins for budding filmmakers

The Utah Filmmakers Association, in conjunction 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, Puente said.

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.

Information about the program is available at the organization’s website, utahfilmmakers.org.