Provo to Host Screening of FilmQuest Short Film
Local PhD student James Cutler will debut his immigration-themed short film at Velour this October.
Updated on Oct. 24, 2026 in Documentary
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BYU engineering student James Cutler will premiere his new short film, Can I Put You On Hold, at the FilmQuest festival in Provo on October 26. The film explores the complex immigration bureaucracy experienced by the director's brother and his wife.
Why it matters
The production highlights the personal challenges of navigating international immigration systems while showcasing the ingenuity of independent filmmaking. It serves as a creative lens into the bureaucratic hurdles faced by families living in the United States.
The production received a $5,000 grant from The Davey Foundation to support its creation. The project features practical effects created by hand, avoiding the use of CGI or green screens entirely.
The players
James Cutler
He is a PhD student in engineering at Brigham Young University who directed the short film.
Matthew Cutler
He is the twin brother of the director who stars in the film and performs his own stunts.
Dangmo Kanyawee
She is the wife of Matthew Cutler and a central subject in the film regarding immigration bureaucracy.
The Davey Foundation
This organization provided the financial grant that supported the production of the independent film.
The details
The film features Matthew Cutler performing his own stunts, with floating effects created using hand-manipulated fishing lines and a wooden rig on a trailer. Audio for the project was recorded in Thailand, where the subjects of the film, Matthew Cutler and Dangmo Kanyawee, previously lived for three years.
Timeline
Audio for the film was recorded in Thailand in 2024.
The screening takes place at Velour in Provo on October 26, 2026, at 5 p.m.
Industry Dynamics
The film follows a long-standing pattern of local filmmakers using the FilmQuest festival as a primary platform for regional debuts. It highlights the growing trend of high-quality independent projects produced with minimal budgets through innovative practical effects.
Local residents can attend the screening at Velour, located at 135 North University Avenue, at 5 p.m. on October 26. Tickets and festival access are governed by FilmQuest's standard admission procedures.
The takeaway
This project demonstrates that compelling narratives regarding complex social issues can be realized through creative, low-budget technical solutions. Aspiring filmmakers can look to this production as a model for using practical staging to achieve high-quality visual results.
Further reading
Learn more about local filmmakers and their projects in the Documentary section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KSL.
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Should government immigration policies be simplified to make it easier for married couples to stay together?
