Our festival mission is 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 for  Vortex 2 are OPEN. We’ll see you at the Coyote Twin September 26–28! Our early-bird reduced rates end May 31. Submission deadline is July 20. Be sure to follow the festival on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with news and developments.

The camp runs July 7–11, noon to 5:30pm each day. Registration is $145, and scholarships are available for families who need them. This year's theme is TAKE UP SPACE, an exploration of 3D art. We look forward to hosting your camper!

Fool’s 48 sends March out with a roar (of laughter)

Twelve teams entered the foolish fray of attempting to write, shoot, and edit a 4–7 minute movie in just 48 hours and ten completed the challenge! On March 31, a sold-out crowd celebrated with a showcase of their work on the big screen at the Coyote Twin. The audience was by turns startled, delighted, scared (!), and charmed.

Watch the showcase now, and support your friends and neighbors again when the whole shebang airs on the big screen once more during the second-annual Vortex Film Festival in September.

We did it, friends! Thanks to all your votes, Verm has been named this year's Best Small Town Art Scene! You can check out USA Today’s full top 10 list and then read the Argus Leader’s “How Vermillion Became the Best Small Town Art Scene in the US.” The Volante at USD also printed a piece on the win. And before poll closed this year, Plain Talk helped rally votes with a great article on why Verm is coolest.

Photo by Aaron Packard