Since our early days renovating the Coyote Twin, it’s been a VCA goal to host a film festival on our home turf. In September 2024, we launched the Vermillion Vortex Film Festival and welcomed over 200 individual guests to a lineup of 41 films, including the South Dakota premiere of Lost on a Mountain in Maine by South Dakota director Andrew Kightlinger.
Vortex Film Festival seeks to create a community of area cinema enthusiasts and filmmakers of all experience levels for networking, support, and inspiration. Vortex will showcase movies produced by regional Midwest filmmakers and filmed in South Dakota and neighboring states (IA, MN, NE, ND).
Submissions are OPEN for Vortex 2. We’ll see you at the Coyote Twin September 26–28, 2025! Our early-bird reduced rates end May 31. Submission deadline is July 20. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with festival news and developments!
COYOTE TWIN THEATER
10 E. Main Street
A dedicated cinema for over a century, the Coyote Twin is an entirely nonprofit theater that screens current feature films and hosts special screenings and private rentals.
Our two auditoriums seat a combined total of 228 and feature industry standard digital projection and newly updated Dolby speakers. In 2023 we refreshed our lobby and concessions area for improved customer service, and as of 2025, our auditoriums both feature state of the art laser projection. We’re proud to be Vermillion’s local nonprofit cinema!
VERMILLION
Homeland of the Lakota Wasé Wakpa community, seat of Clay County, and location of the National Music Museum and flagship institution University of South Dakota, Vermillion is nestled in the southeast corner of South Dakota, not far from the Missouri River. We are just 1 hour south of Sioux Falls, 40 mins from Sioux City, and an easy 2 hours from Omaha.
Vermillion’s bustling downtown features several local eateries, a lot of USD Coyote Spirit, and the Coyote Twin Theater, of course. Download the LiveVermillion mobile app to start planning your trip!