SALT LAKE CITY — Spy Hop Productions announces the launch of Backyard Film Bash, a new annual celebration combining a national short film competition with a community arts festival featuring live music, performances, and media arts showcases. The event invites audiences of all ages to experience storytelling in an accessible, family-friendly setting while highlighting emerging creative voices from Utah and across the country in September 2026.

For more than 25 years, Spy Hop has mentored young people in filmmaking, music, audio production, and digital design—helping students develop technical skills and creative confidence while exploring pathways into higher education and creative careers. The Backyard Film Bash extends that work beyond the classroom and into the public sphere, creating a gathering where the community can experience creativity firsthand.

At the center of the event is a National Short Film Competition, open to filmmakers nationwide, with a special focus on new voices and early-career storytellers, and welcomes creators at every stage of their artistic journey. Each submitted film must tell a complete story within a concise format, running no longer than seven minutes, including credits.

The competition is further shaped by a shared creative prompt, the Signature Item. For the inaugural year, filmmakers will interpret the theme SALT into their films—whether visually, narratively, or symbolically. The prompt draws inspiration from Utah’s landscape and history, grounding the national competition in a sense of place while encouraging inventive approaches to storytelling. Together, the seven-minute runtime and the Signature Item are designed to spark experimentation and bold ideas.

Twelve finalist films will be selected for premiere screenings at the Backyard Film Bash and will compete for cash prizes recognizing excellence in storytelling, creativity, and technical achievement. For many filmmakers, the event will mark the first time their work is screened publicly before a live audience.

“Spy Hop’s Backyard Film Bash is about creating space for new voices and bold ideas,” said Larissa Trout, Executive Director of Spy Hop. “By pairing a national film challenge with a community-centered celebration, we’re giving young people the chance to share their work, connect with audiences, and see themselves as creators with a future in the arts and media. It’s also a rare opportunity to bring our community together in a truly family-friendly environment and share the magic of Spy Hop with a broader audience.”

As Utah’s creative industries continue to grow across film production, digital media, advertising, and design, the Backyard Film Bash supports the development of future talent by providing portfolio-building experience, professional mentorship, and public exposure for artists. Investment in artistic talent today helps to build tomorrow’s creative workforce.

Spy Hop is inviting Founding Sponsors and Community Partners to help establish the Backyard Film Bash as an annual Salt Lake City cultural tradition and a national platform for emerging creators. Early partners will play a visible leadership role in launching a new civic arts event while expanding access to creative opportunities for artists everywhere.

Film submissions will open in May 2026, with the event and premieres slated for September. Additional details, including submission deadlines, prize categories, confirmed date, and venue, will be announced in the coming weeks.

Organizations, businesses, and individuals interested in partnership opportunities may contact:

For additional details, please contact hello@spyhop.org. We look forward to welcoming you to Spy Hop’s Backyard Film Bash.

For updates and submission announcements, visit www.spyhop.org.