When Coeur d’Alene filmmaker Caden Butera won the North Idaho Film Festival’s Audience Choice Award and a $1,000 grant, he received enthusiastic applause from fellow filmmakers and film enthusiasts.

Over the course of the three-day festival, held Sept. 24-26, filmmakers from North Idaho and beyond had the opportunity to view each other’s work, network and learn from one another’s experiences.

The festival culminated in an awards ceremony at the Innovation Collective, where Butera won the Audience Choice Award for his short film "The Big Little Chase," as well as Best Cinematography. He also received the Best of Idaho Award for his short film "One Last Take," which comes with a $500 grant.

“It’s been a great opportunity to showcase our work,” said Butera, who owns production company Paradox Studios. “Whenever we get a grant like that, we get to put it right back into our next project.”

Butera’s short films were part of a series of locally made shorts screened at the festival this year.

“It was cool to know that there were films created in Coeur d’Alene because I don’t normally hear about that,” said film fest attendee Donovan Strong. “Before this film fest, I had no idea that people were actively making movies close by.”

“It was extra cool to see the films filmed locally,” added attendee and North Idaho College film student Marx Strong, “especially to see places I recognized.”

Marx and Donovan Strong, film enthusiasts, viewed nearly all of the film screenings at the festival this year. They said they enjoyed them all, as well as the opportunity to hear from filmmakers during the Q&A sessions.

“It was just so crazy watching them, knowing that regular people were able to make them and they turned out so good, basically indistinguishable from a typical movie you’d see in a theatre,” said Marx.

Another Coeur d’Alene-based filmmaker, Jack Wade, was honored at the film festival this year with the award for Best Director of a Short Film. His documentary, "A Sheet From Naked," features local artist Duncan Menzies and his interdisciplinary project, “The Bedsheet Chronicles.” The film explores themes of identity, concealment and nakedness.

“It was important for us to have it at the North Idaho film festival because this is where most people know us, so it was great to have friends and family at the screening,” said Menzies.

This was Wade’s first film festival, and he said he enjoyed connecting with other filmmakers and asking them questions during the Q&A sessions.

“It’s really useful to attend and be able to meet people,” said Wade. “I drove five minutes away and had all this networking and connection.”

This was the North Idaho Film Festival’s third year, and Executive Director Matt Edwards said it continues to grow in notoriety and attendance. He estimated about 300 people attended the festival this year. Attendees included 150 pass holders, 110 people who attended a single screening, as well as members of the special needs community who were given free tickets to view the screening of "I GOT NEXT," written and directed by Christopher Baxter.

“It’s been really exciting to see several theatres filled to the max,” said Butera, who has attended each year and watched the North Idaho Film Festival grow.

Butera and Wade plan to attend the festival next year, in September 2027. Film submissions for 2027 open Dec. 1. Visit noidff.com to learn more.