On Oct. 7, the director for Old Times Not Forgotten, Debbie Richert, visited DTV to speak about the festival.

“The festival was created in memory of my son, Brett Jones, a talented young filmmaker from Derby who passed away in 2024.” Richert said. “It’s meant to honor his love for filmmaking and give Kansas and Arizona students and independent filmmakers a place to share their work, connect and be celebrated.” 

Coming off the last festival, there have been even more submissions this year.

“In our first year, we had 40 submissions and featured 36 films. So far, this year, we have 49 eligible submissions (24 ineligible). Our submission deadline is 10/18/25, but deadline extensions will be approved for high school students. The word is spreading, and more Kansas and Arizona students are getting involved, which was exactly what we hoped for,” Richert said. 

Learning from last year, Richert wants to find ways to improve the festival.

“We’re improving the flow between screenings and events, so people have more time to network and talk with the filmmakers. We’re also expanding volunteer coordination and signage so everything runs smoother, and guests can easily find where to go,” Richert said.

Senior Colten Baker was one of the participants last year and wants to improve from their last film.

“I helped film this film called ‘Benched’ which was about this kid going through a rough time and their imaginary friend, who is a puppet who helped them through it,” Baker said. “I’m hoping to make my next project have more of a purpose and have it portray a message.” 

Even newcomers such as junior Matthew Gilley found interest in the festival and is trying to improve upon their filmmaking skills.

“My film’s name is ‘Psychosis,’” Gilley said. “Right now I am trying to improve the language of my script and make sure all the characters talk like they’re supposed to, like people and not like robots.”

Richert has said that the main goal of the festival is to bring people together through film.

“I’m hoping to see even more collaboration between filmmakers and the community,” Richert said. “Last year set a strong foundation, and this year I’d love to see students forming creative teams, teachers bringing classes, and more families coming to support their local artists. I also hope it continues to grow as a space where young filmmakers feel genuinely seen, supported, and inspired to keep creating. Most of all, we hope every participant walks away feeling proud and inspired to keep making films.”