(bright music) - The SpyHop PitchNic Premiere is an annual event celebrating the release of four new student films.

Loren Brunken and Jose Manzo are here to tell us more about this year's premier.

Hi, both, welcome.

Loren, I'm just gonna start with you to, you're a film mentor and to tell us a little about SpyHop.

- Yeah.

So SpyHop is a youth-led media organization.

It's a nonprofit and all of our classes are free.

We offer all types of media classes.

So we have audio, we have design, we have video games, we have music, and then film is taught by both of us.

And yeah, we have a rotating cast of mentors but all of them are working artists.

So it's different than like, you know, being a teacher because we're all, like, in theory, we're making our own art as well during the day.

So we can, you know, kind of be making art with the kids.

Yeah.

- And I know Jose, you are the lead mentor, and tell us all about PitchNic.

It's such a great idea.

- Yeah, so PitchNic, it's been around for, I'm pretty sure we're at our 22nd year.

The class is what we call a capstone class.

It's a year long class where students get to write original scripts and treatments for documentaries, and pitch it to a panel of professionals.

Then the panel picks four of those films that we work on the production throughout the year.

So we film it in the summer and then go into post-production.

We are currently in post-production, and then we end with a big premiere that is gonna happen this year at the Rose Wagner Theater in downtown Salt Lake at 7:30 on November 2nd.

- Okay, great, great.

And so four student films and just briefly, what are they?

- Well, two of those films are fiction films, so they're narrative films that really just showcase the students' experiences.

And then we have two documentaries.

- All right.

Great.

- As well.

- Well, thank you for being here, and it's a great program.

Thank you.

- Thanks.

- And if you'd like to know more about this year's PitchNic Premiere of Spy Hop, it's November 2nd, 7:30 at the Rose Wagner Theater.

Go to spyhop.org.

That's spyhop.org.

I'm Mary Dickson.

Thanks for watching "Contact".

(bright music) - Local events, arts, culture.

It's what brings us together.

Hi, I'm Mary Dickson.

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