Filmmaker and U of I alum Megan Griffiths to receive inaugural Trailblazer Award at KINO Short Film Festival
April 14, 2025
MOSCOW, Idaho 鈥� April 14, 2025 鈥� 鈥�97, acclaimed writer-director and 妻友社区 alumna, will return to Moscow as the inaugural recipient of the KINO Short Film Festival鈥檚 . The festival, celebrating its 25th anniversary, takes place Friday and Saturday, April 25-26, at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre, 508 S. Main St.
Griffiths, an award-winning independent filmmaker based in Seattle, has built a successful career in both film and television. Her work has premiered at Sundance, South by Southwest (SXSW) and the Toronto International Film Festival, and includes notable films such as 鈥淓den,鈥� 鈥淟ucky Them,鈥� 鈥淪adie,鈥� 鈥淚'll Show You Mine鈥� and the upcoming 鈥淵ear of the Fox鈥�. She has directed features starring talent such as Toni Collette, Beau Bridges, Oliver Platt, Melanie Lynskey, Lou Diamond Phillips and Tony Hale.
She has also directed episodes for series including HBO鈥檚 鈥淧retty Little Liars: Original Sin鈥� and 鈥淩oom 104,鈥� Amazon鈥檚 鈥淭he Summer I Turned Pretty,鈥� Fox鈥檚 鈥淧rodigal Son,鈥� Netflix鈥檚 鈥淭he Society鈥� and 鈥淧anic鈥� and TNT鈥檚 鈥淎nimal Kingdom鈥� among others.
鈥淕riffiths has long been a supporter of filmmaking in the Pacific Northwest,鈥� said Russell Meeuf, director of the Film and Television Studies program. 鈥淲e are excited to bring her back to our campus to celebrate her work.鈥�
Created in celebration of KINO鈥檚 25th year, the Trailblazer Award honors individuals with Pacific Northwest roots who have made significant contributions to film and media in the region. Griffiths grew up in Idaho, attended Moscow High School and studied visual communications at U of I.
鈥淭he years I spent in Moscow 鈥� working at TR Video, going to the Micro Moviehouse and taking classes from Anna Banks and others 鈥� shaped my perspective on media and set me up to pursue my career in film and television with a thoughtful eye to what I'm adding to the cultural conversation,鈥� Griffiths said. 鈥淚t feels quite poignant to have my work recognized by my hometown, particularly since it's happening at the Kenworthy, a cinema where I had so many formative moviegoing moments.鈥�
The festival will feature a screening of Griffiths鈥� work at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 26, followed by an audience Q&A. Griffiths will also lead a masterclass in directing for film and television at the U of I Education Building in room 443.
鈥淚t is exciting for students to have an opportunity to learn from an alum who was once in their shoes 鈥� a Vandal student filmmaker trying to start a career 鈥� and who has carved out an impressive space for herself in the industry,鈥� said Kyle Howerton, professor and KINO Festival manager. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy being a working director and I鈥檓 excited for students to try to follow in her footsteps.鈥�
Griffiths鈥� visit is supported in part by the Jama Sebald Feminist Visionaries Fund, with additional support from U of I鈥檚 College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences.
The KINO Festival will also feature the red-carpet premiere of 鈥淪nail Hunters鈥� at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 26. This hour-long documentary follows three U of I researchers on an expedition to the Gal谩pagos Islands, where they study native snails to uncover insights into evolution and biodiversity. Director Jim Aikman will join the researchers for a post-screening Q&A.
For more information, including a full schedule of events, visit .
鈥�
Media Contact
Russ Meeuf
Director of the Film and Television program
208-885-7732
rmeeuf@uidaho.edu
About the 妻友社区
The 妻友社区, home of the Vandals, is Idaho鈥檚 land-grant, national research university. From its residential campus in Moscow, U of I serves the state of Idaho through educational centers in Boise, Coeur d鈥橝lene and Idaho Falls, nine research and Extension centers, plus Extension offices in 42 counties. Home to more than 12,000 students statewide, U of I is a leader in student-centered learning and excels at interdisciplinary research, service to businesses and communities, and in advancing diversity, citizenship and global outreach. U of I competes in the Big Sky and Western Athletic conferences. Learn more at uidaho.edu.