Zepstone International Film & Music Festival

06/03/2026

ZepFEST Important Deadlines & Dates

“A Universe of Storytelling”

Hello filmmakers, musicians, writers, and artists!

The prestigious ZepFEST event week is approaching fast. This year features: film screenings, musical performances, art displays, ZepCOMMS (celebrity talks & workshops), a cyber Egyptian black light fashion show, a car show, an anime extravaganza day, and so much more.

We can’t wait to show you our preliminary lineup and a sneak peek of our guests in mid-June, and we are also unveiling our custom fest app.

Get ready, Utah. Hollywood is coming to you. ⭐️

Here are some important deadlines & dates for your information.

⭐️ Round 3 final deadline: June 12th

⭐️ Round 4 final deadline (final submission date of the year): August 8th

⭐️ Ticket sales, preliminary schedule & app beta: mid-June

⭐️ Fest week: August 31st - September 5th, 2026

⭐️ Where: Murray, Utah

Check us out on socials

Website: Zepfestofficial.org

Want to volunteer or host an event? Apply here:

https://www.zepfestofficial.org/join-the-mission

Want to sponsor an event?

https://www.zepfestofficial.org/about-3

Want to build a fashion team?

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScah-nZxGu_Ja3mqHr-dlij-v55uCIinWQlB0SBHX9LT8TeJQ/viewform

Want to submit a car for the car show at Murray Park?

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScah-nZxGu_Ja3mqHr-dlij-v55uCIinWQlB0SBHX9LT8TeJQ/viewform

Submit your project using this discount code for 25% off through June 12th 👇🏻 SUMMERKICKOFF25

https://filmfreeway.com/ZepFEST

06/01/2026

Cat is out of the bag. A car show at ZepFEST? Oh yeahhhhh. Because cars are art, too. 🔥🏎️🎨🚘 Can’t think of anyone better than .walker1 at the helm. Rev up your engines and join us Friday 9/8 at Murray Park.
Scan the QR code to sign up!

05/30/2026

Seeking models and fashion teams for Zep Tepi ⭐️

It’s that time again! ZepFEST fashion show 2026 -

Step into the future of Utah and national fashion and own the runway at ZepFEST 2026!

ZepFEST 2026 in Murray, UT

ZEP TEPI: A Cyber Egyptian Fashion Showcase
When: September 1st, 2026
Where: Murray, Utah

Following the stunning success of our previous Summoning Autumn and Cosmos runways at The Clubhouse and Capitol Theatre, this year we are plunging into a neon-drenched tech-noir aesthetic for….

ZEP TEPI: A Cyber Egyptian Fashion Showcase on September 1st in Murray, Utah. Black light painting and elements are highly encouraged.

By joining our lineup, local models, designers, and makeup artists will gain: premium portfolio assets from high-end theatrical production photographers and videographers, networking with Utah’s top boundary-pushing designers, showcasing your look for Hollywood and global guests, and celebrating diverse creative expression on an inclusive stage.

Previous year looks were from VanderRose.Studios, Julie Cordell Seamons, Tanya Price, and many more.

Check us out on insta:

Website: zepfestofficial.org

VanderRose.Studios Julie Cordell Seamons Tanya Price

Submit your teams now!
https://forms.gle/JjypT9GLPfGBQLog7

05/30/2026

ZepFOCUS! It’s vertical film time, baby. This spotlight features “Cry Me an Ocean,” a quirky environmental horror short from director Bob Yothers

Answering a distress call from a missing cruise ship, First Nations warrior, Shaunta Bear Heart, and the crew of the Ocean Warrior run aground on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch only to discover it teeming with new life. But it isn’t friendly...

From the director: “Cry Me an Ocean’ started as I plunked-away at my keyboard on a tiny, candle-lit wooden desk in Amsterdam during lock down and grew and grew into a full-production, featuring a talented indigenous lead, dozens of artists, stunt-people and other film professionals, all of whom converged on the ancient forests of Zutphen, Netherlands to bring this unique story to life.”

It’s dark, it makes you think, it has a comedic undertone, and it’s the perfect addition to the ZepFEST library.

05/24/2026

Launch sequence: ALPHA! I am so very proud of this revolutionary fest app and can’t wait for official launch. In the meantime, we need alpha and beta test volunteers. Go to zepfestofficial.org > join the mission > volunteer 🚀🚀🚀

05/14/2026

ZepFOCUS!!! This spotlight is on Francesca, the proof of concept film based on the ZepFEST award-winning screenplay. Francesca is an emotional rollercoaster ride about a romantic time loop. Akin to classics such as Groundhog Day and Palm Springs, but with a modern flair all its own, Francesca is definitely one we can’t wait to see on the big screen. From the director :

“My story is for the Beas and Francescas of the world. For those who navigate the winding paths of self-discovery and love with a hopeful heart. May you always find the strength to be authentically you, to love fiercely and without apology, and to know that your story (in all its beautiful complexity) is worthy of being told and, most importantly, worthy of being lived.”

05/14/2026

ZepFOCUS time! Time to highlight the life changing work of filmmaker and humanitarian Mark Lee Hegarty. Based in Wales, UK, he is the founder of Reel Stories of Hope, a storytelling platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and to creating authentic, unfiltered stories that inspire empathy and action across cultures.

Forgotten Children Sing is a documentary following the Matsiko World Orphan Choir, children living in extreme poverty in post–civil war Liberia, West Africa, who film and narrate their own story, offering a rare, intimate view of life through their eyes.

In the documentary, the children meet Grammy-nominated jazz composer Amina Figarova. A chance conversation becomes an unlikely collaboration, leading the choir to perform Figarova’s Suite for Africa alongside newly arranged Liberian songs. What follows is an extraordinary journey across the U.S. jazz circuit, including performances at major festivals, among them the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, where the choir become the first artists from Liberia to appear on these stages.

Filmed largely by the children themselves, Forgotten Children Sing challenges perceptions of children living in poverty, centring agency, joy and cultural pride. At its heart, the film is a love letter to Liberia, the country the children call home, and an invitation to see both its people and its possibilities differently.

Check out the website for more info!
reelstoriesofhope.org

05/13/2026

The time is creeping up on us. Round 3 deadline is coming! And our app/tickets are getting ready to be launched.

Be a part of “A Universe of Storytelling.”

05/02/2026

04/22/2026

ZepFOCUS time! We are so excited about Tommy Pepper’s film Happy Thoughts. Such an important film to raise awareness about loss, grief, and mental health. Tommy Pepper is a Vietnamese-American filmmaker, and he based Happy Thoughts on his personal experience with loss. He hopes to connect, relate, and curate a safe space to foster Asian representation. Tommy’s film is meant to show beauty and to shine light on the lack of mental health support in Vietnamese-American culture.

“Uncle, this is dedicated to you!”