The 98th Academy Awards on March 15 saw a rare tie in the Best Live Action Short Film category, with both ‘Two People Exchanging Saliva’ and ‘The Singers’ claiming the prize. While the result surprised presenters and audiences alike, organisers at the FilmQuest Festival in Provo, Utah, anticipated the outcome.
Founded in 2014 by Jonathan Martin, FilmQuest focuses on fantasy, sci-fi and horror films. In 2025, the festival received over 2,300 submissions. Both Oscar-winning shorts had previously been recognised at FilmQuest, with The Singers taking the festival’s grand prize and Two People Exchanging Saliva winning Best Foreign Short.
Martin explained that FilmQuest’s jury of 15 to 20 judges evaluates films across multiple disciplines, including concept, acting and visual effects, scoring each element on a scale of one to ten. Discussions follow to finalise winners.
For the two Oscar-tied films, the scores were nearly identical, reflecting the high calibre of both productions.
FilmQuest began at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City but moved to Provo after three years to accommodate growth. The festival now generates nearly one million dollars in economic impact for the city and is the largest film festival in Utah following Sundance’s departure.
