MISSOULA — The Audience Awards Film + Innovation Festival, or AudFest, is in Missoula with 16 different short film genres represented.
Friday, Audience Awards hosted panels of filmmakers, educators, and entertainment leaders with discussions focused on female founded companies and gender equality in higher education. The panel discussions are part of the film festival -- with hopes to highlight local female innovators and film makers.
There were 20,000 films submitted to screen in AudFest, and only 100 were chosen. Audience Awards CEO Paige Williams says the festival is being held in Missoula for the first time ever.
"We've run this festival for the past two years in LA, and we decided that this year we would bring it home. We're super excited because we have more people from out of town, and more film makers coming to Missoula than came to LA, so we think Missoula has really proven to be a destination spot that people are curious about, and want to come to."
Film showings continue at the Roxy theater Friday through Sunday night.
The festival is held by video platform Audience Awards, which is headquartered here in Missoula.
