The Old Idaho Penitentiary is teaming up with i48 for the fourth annual “13 Stories” film competition, a unique opportunity for Idaho filmmakers to create short (4-7 minutes in duration) films inspired by true Idaho State Penitentiary stories and the men and women who passed through its walls. The filmmaker teams will have the opportunity to shoot their films on location at the Old Idaho Penitentiary. Site staff will contact each team to schedule time to shoot between June 1 and August 1, 2023. The deadline for turning in finished films will be September 1 at 12:00 pm.

Due to popular demand, all finished films will be included in three screenings at the Old Idaho Penitentiary. The first, a screening and awards ceremony for the filmmaker teams, takes place Thursday, September 14, 2023. The second and third nights
(Friday-Saturday, September 15 & 16) are public screenings. Ticket sales begin Tuesday, August 15 at 10:00 am for all three nights, and food trucks, concessions, and no-host bar will be available each night. Judged awards with cash prizes will be given to winning films on Thursday, September 14.

Cash prizes are as follows:
Warden’s Cup for Best Film: $350
Trusty Trophy for Runner-Up to Best Film: $150
Stool Pigeon Award for Best Use of History: $100
Audience Choice Award (announced on social media after all three screenings): $150

During the September 14, 2023 screening and awards ceremony, awards for Best Lead Performer and Best Supporting Performer will also be presented.

Registration will open April 2, 2023 at 10:00 am. Registration for this event is $25 per team. The sign-up deadline is May 1, 2023.

The stories selected by the Old Idaho Penitentiary staff for the 2023 competition are available on the i48 website. When registering, teams will need to include their top 3 profile choices so be sure to go in and do some browsing to be prepared.

There are only 15 spots so do not wait to sign up! Profiles will be assigned in the order the teams register for the competition.