FilmQuest Opens in Provo With Utah-Made Biker Thriller Whiskey Throttle

FilmQuest, a 10-day film festival in Provo, Utah, opened on Thursday, Oct. 22, with a screening of Whiskey Throttle, a motorcycle action feature made in Utah. Variety It is the festival's 10th installment, and it runs through Oct. 31, according to Variety's October horror listings.

The film is a revenge thriller directed by Jacob Schwarz. It follows a biker gang that chases a mysterious rider. That rider has killed a cartel leader and taken his cryptocurrency wallet, the digital account that holds the crypto. Dave Hunter produced the film under his Utah-based company, Intension Industries.

The festival's own listing says the film held world premiere status at FilmQuest and was scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. opening-night slot. The festival places it in its "The Beyond" genre category and lists it as a USA production. FilmQuest

Two short films played before the feature. Relict was made through the Department of Theatre and Media Arts at Brigham Young University by twin brothers Andrew and James Harker. Marv is an Australian short written and directed by Andrew Gardner. Both were part of the opening-night program.

The screening took place at the Velour Live Music Gallery, which serves as FilmQuest's screening home. Jonathan Martin, the festival's founder and director, runs the event. Derek Mellus, production manager at the Utah Film Commission, the state office that works with film crews shooting in Utah, attended the opening night. Variety

Opening nights at regional festivals often set the tone for the rest of the programme, and FilmQuest's lineup runs well beyond the first night. Among the features on its list is The Crawling, a cosmic horror film directed by Christian Everhard and starring Will Brittain. Variety

For anyone looking for something to do in Provo this week, the festival is running for the rest of the month. Its schedule and ticket details are on the FilmQuest website.