Pitch Fest

UAF Theatre & Film Presents: PITCH FEST!

A Celebration of Storytelling, Creativity, and Community

The UAF Department of Theatre and Film, in collaboration with the UAF Film Club and the UAF Student Drama Association, invites you to PITCH FEST! — an electrifying night where stories leap from page to stage.

Featured screenwriters and aspiring directors will step into the spotlight to pitch their original screenplays to an audience of film lovers, peers, and industry professionals. From gripping dramas to laugh-out-loud comedies, these five-minute “elevator pitches” offer a front-row seat to the next generation of Alaskan storytelling.

Then the scripts come to life: actors take the stage for live, two-page readings from the selected works — transforming imagination into performance right before your eyes.

Date: Friday, November 21, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM
Location: UAF Lee H. Salisbury Theatre

What to Expect

1. The Elevator Pitch – Each writer has five minutes to sell their story: what it’s about, why it matters, and why it deserves to be made.
2. The Staged Reading – Professional and student actors perform selected excerpts live on stage, giving audiences a taste of the worlds these storytellers have built.

Prizes & Opportunities

Grand Prize: Grand Prize is a Juror's Choice Award and wreaths, presented by our professional screenwriting Jury (Leonard Kamerling, Anne Hanley, and Princess Johnson). In addition, screenplays may be optioned by UAF Department of Theatre and Film for full cinematic production!
Student Opportunity: UAF students are also eligible for the Adrina Knutson Memorial Production Grant, which provides vital resources and mentorship to help bring their film projects to life.

Honoring Adrina Knutson’s Legacy

The Adrina Knutson Memorial Project Grant honors the life and creative spirit of Adrina Louise Knutson (1991–2012) — a gifted artist, dancer, filmmaker, and UAF student whose light continues to inspire those who follow in her footsteps.

Adrina grew up in Kenny Lake, Alaska, and studied film at UAF, where her imagination and warmth left a lasting mark on everyone who knew her. She believed storytelling was a shared adventure — an act of courage, compassion, and community. The grant established in her memory supports dedicated filmmakers who embody her spirit: those who see the world through a lens of empathy and wonder, and who use their art to bring people together.

If you’d like to support student filmmakers and honor Adrina’s legacy, consider making a gift to the Adrina Knutson Memorial Project Grant.
Donate Here

About the UAF Department of Theatre & Film

The Department of Theatre and Film offers hands-on training in performance, production, and media arts alongside rigorous study in theory, history, and criticism. Students gain the tools, mentorship, and opportunities to succeed in film, theatre, and emerging media — whether their dreams lie behind the camera, in front of it, or in the stories that connect us all.

Contacts:
By Valentine, Box Office - uaf-theatre-film@alaska.edu | 907 474-6590
Eric Marshall, Producer — esmarshall2@alaska.edu | 907-717-6315
Maya Salganek, Producer — maya@alaska.edu | 907-474-5950

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