VelociPastor 2 Gets Big Laughs at Utah's FilmQuest as It Seeks a Distributor
The sequel to a low-budget cult comedy got its laughs in Provo, Utah, and it is now looking for a company to release it. Variety reported that VelociPastor 2 screened on Sunday, 25 October, at the 13th annual FilmQuest festival, and that the audience laughed loudly through the whole show.
The first film, The VelociPastor, came out in 2017 on a budget of $36,000. The new picture is its follow-up. It raised $118,297 on Kickstarter, the crowdfunding site where fans pledge money toward a project before it is made. Director and co-writer Jesse Gouldsbury appeared at the question-and-answer session after the screening, according to Variety.
The festival has its own small ritual. Before each FilmQuest screening, the audience is told that the feature does not include AI, and that promise gets applause. Variety reported that the crowd greeted it the same way on Sunday.
FilmQuest runs from 23 to 31 October 2026. All of its screenings take place at the Velour Live Music Gallery, and the festival's schedule lists the film as The Velocipastor 2 Whiskey Throttle, the title it is shown under on its website. Variety reported that the film is currently seeking distribution, which means it has no company yet to put it in cinemas or on streaming services. It is also in the middle of a series of roadshow screenings, where a film travels from one event to the next to find viewers and build word of mouth.
Why does this matter to people outside Utah? Small films like this one often reach audiences through a festival stop like this, long before a distributor is signed. A distributor is the company that buys the rights to show a film, sets its release date, and pays for its advertising. Without one, a movie can sit finished for months or years. Festival screenings are one of the few ways an independent film can show buyers how an audience responds.
For now, the next step is a deal, and no buyer has been named. The film's makers have not announced a release date.
