Idaho Film Society advances film industry with hall of fame honors in Boise

When it comes to the big screen, most people don’t think of Idaho. They picture Hollywood, sound stages, glitz, glamor and the red carpet.

But one organization is working to change that perception, creating a foundation for filmmaking in Idaho, contributing to the statewide economy, and even rolling out that well-known red carpet for an upcoming hall of fame celebration.

Finding talent

The Idaho Film Society, formed in August 2023, has been working behind the scenes to create a resource for established and aspiring filmmakers in the Gem State, and eventually make it a vital part of the state’s income.

“The goal was to fill out the last missing pillar of our creative economy,” said Aidan Brezonick, founder and artistic director of IFS. “Our main goal is to reshape the perception of what Idaho is as an artistic space. I think we’re really doing that well with music, but I think it’s with all arts. We’ve got a great visual arts scene. We’ve got a great dance scene … and theater and performing arts. It’s all there, but film was the last missing leg.”

Paraphrasing what Gov. Brad Little has called Idaho’s biggest export, Brezonick stated that the state loses talented people to bigger markets. But with the advancements in affordable technology, he believes that trend is shifting, keeping more creatives in the state to pursue projects.

In a move to highlight the kind of talent state has, IFS will be holding its inaugural Idaho Film Hall of Fame on May 9, 2026, at Treefort Music Hall in downtown Boise. The organization will be honoring five people who have contributed greatly to the movie industry.

Actor Scott Glenn, who has been in movies such as “The Right Stuff,” “Training Day,” and many films and TV series, will be receiving the Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award. Brezonick confirmed Glenn, who lives in Sun Valley, will be in attendance, along with the other honorees.

Payette native Michael Hoffman, has directed such films at “Soapdish,” “One Fine Day” and “The Emporer’s Club.” His latest project is “American Classic,” starring Kevin Klein and streaming on Amazon Prime. He will be receiving the Vision Award.

Heather Rae Priest, who has roots in Idaho going back many generations, has produced projects such as “Frozen River,” “Trudell” and “Fancy Dance.” She also worked for several years on “Outer Range,” which stars Josh Brolin. She will be receiving the Frontier Award.

Joining the list of honorees is Amy Gile, who champions women and technology in the arts, is the founder and CEO of Silverdraft Supercomputing, which uses advanced computing platforms built in Idaho. According to IFS, “Through Silverdraft, she has not only redefined what’s possible in film and technology, she’s helped establish Idaho as an unexpected center of global innovation.” Gile will receive the Excellence in Technology Award.

Rounding out the list of hall of famers is Lars C. Larsen, an Oscar-winning stop-motion animator who has worked on films such as “Coraline,” “Kubo and the Two Strings,” and Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio.” Larsen also works with schools at all levels to provide media arts education and is currently working on developing a STEAM-based curricula in the Boise School District. He will be receiving the Excellence in Education Award.

Setting the scene

Brezonick knows all too well the struggles of being a filmmaker in Idaho. Growing up here, he worked for KTVB as a camera operator and news videographer, traveling around the state and getting to know it better through his lens.

His goal was to continue his love of storytelling in film. He looked at his schooling options, only film school in Chicago would help him launch his career in the way he wanted. He left Idaho 19 years ago to pursue his education.

From there, Brezonick moved about the country to places like Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles, before eventually returning to Idaho to make a film about a young videographer, drawing from his own experience. He had hoped to find the film scene had changed in his home state.

“I really just assumed that in that time I was gone, some sort of industry would have found its way to start, and it was really exactly where it was when I left when I was a kid,” he said. “You look to the other states around us that were having these — whether they’re booming or not, but at least very productive — film scenes. You’ve got Salt Lake City and you’ve got Portland, and it’s a large part of those states’ economies.”

And the film industry isn’t just reliant on movies, Brezonick said. It can fall under advertising, marketing, visual storytelling and other aspects that use video in projects.

“If they can do it in those places, we can do it here,” he said. “And one of our best examples is Tree Fort. If the music scene can do that and build it from the ground up and build it from community-level engagement, then I think that’s the route that you should take for [film]. Start with the community. Use that as a litmus test to see what people want to see.”

And action!

Operations for the Idaho Film Society now take place in a familiar building in downtown Boise. Located at 1212 W. Bannock Street, the organization has repurposed what used to be the main Greyhound Bus Station until it closed in 2019.

At the location, three full-time employees, 12 board members and 52 volunteers work on outreach and resource building, from creating a directory of film industry professionals and providing screenings of movies in its 60-seat theater to holding educational workshops and supplying filming space in a sound stage.

Ten curators pick films to be held at IFS screenings, helping to create a kind of film appreciation social hub with movies that won’t be screened anywhere else in town, Brezonick said.

“It’s great screenings, it’s workforce development training, doing workshops,” he said. “We have an Academy Award-winning animation professional upstairs — Lars Larsen — and he does weekly workshops with students across the Treasure Valley, teaching them about stop motion, showing them process and getting them excited early on.”

Brezonick stated that IFS looks at its three tenets as film appreciation, education and production collaborations. The organization has taken its cues from the Austin Film Society in Austin, Texas, to help it follow a path to success. That nonprofit was founded by filmmaker Richard Linklater in 1985 and has grown to employ a diverse cast of professionals and features a 20-acre production facility.

Creating a successful model is also based on connections, which is how Larsen came to be involved in IFS. He met Brezonick at a film screening prior to the creation of the IFS and the two hit it off.

“When Aidan got the IFS started and got this facility, it just kind of connected,” Larsen said. “I walked in and Aidan said, ‘You need to be here. Pick out a place. We’ll figure it out.’ That was kind of where it all snowballed from, having this is like a homebase for me, for workshops, and just creative projects and film. It has been awesome. It’s an amazing resource.”

He noted that it’s not just him and local filmmakers who find IFS to be a worthwhile resource. “People come in here from out of town, and they’re like, ‘Oh, my god! That’s amazing!”

And scene

As IFS builds its reputation and creates awareness of the state’s film resources, partnering with tourism agencies, it hopes to be taken over by the state to act as a new film office, attracting production companies with tax incentives and other benefits such as the state’s natural beauty for a myriad of on-location backdrops.

Brezonick admits that the tasks that lie ahead are a heavy lift, but one that IFS is tackling.

“To build something from scratch, especially being a young organization, is a very heavy lift,” he said. “We have an amazing team. … I think I can say that we have one of the strongest boards in the state [made up] of people that have really helped to build Boise and Idaho to what it is, who have an investment in the community and are making sure that we do this well.”

To learn more about the Idaho Film Society or to purchase tickets for the Hall of Fame event, visit idahofilm.org. To sponsor the Hall of Fame event, contact Executive Director Celynda Roach at [email protected].