Date: January 27, 2026 at 4:03PM
Utah Filmmakers™ Associate Symposium Memo
Associate Candidates and the Code of Ethics & Conduct
At one of our Associate Symposiums in 2024, we discussed the standards used for selecting Associate candidates and issuing digital credentials. One of our guests asked if credentials had ever been revoked. My answer: “Yes. Once, and it was a heartbreaking experience.”
While the specified credentials were not directly related to the Associate Program, they still carried the same responsibilities outlined in the UFA™ Code of Ethics & Conduct. An individual who occupied positions of trust and recognition, including serving as an official representative of the organization, made conscious choices that constituted blatant violations of the UFA™ Ethics Code.
What was even more disappointing, they were being vetted as an Associate Candidate. They had an established and growing business that could have been recognized as an Associate Organization. They sponsored regularly scheduled functions that could have been promoted as Associate Events. Unfortunately, when their credentials were revoked—the result of being fired from an administrative position on the advice of legal counsel—they were immediately disqualified as a candidate for the Associate Program and, by extension, their business and the events they sponsored were also disqualified.
It’s been about three years since that happened, and I still feel deeply affected by it. My interactions with the community have been limited, as has my effectiveness in my work.
Within the last couple of weeks, it has come to our attention that another Associate Candidate may have disqualified themselves. Learning about this situation informed the January 21 post on the Utah Filmmakers™ blog, titled “Trying to raise the bar when others just don’t care.” The article discusses how aspiring to higher ethical standards in a world where public figures disregard them may be frustrating, but it is still worth the effort. It references the UFA™ Core Values of Professionalism, Integrity, and Respect as something to bear in mind as we aim to build trust in a constantly changing film industry. It certainly isn’t a new topic, but it’s one that I take very seriously.
An Associate Badge may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things—especially since it’s a digital asset. The signage we’re able to provide, and plaques (resources permitting), might lend the Program a little more weight. Still, it’s not about tangible awards, certificates, or just recognition. It’s about what it symbolizes and what it says about those who are invited to participate.
Last year, in a series of blog posts about the Core Value of Respect, I concluded with the following:
“The author has spent over two decades trying to build Utah Filmmakers™into a brand that inspires confidence and respect. They don’t just want the organization’s name but the words themselves—Utah filmmakers”—to be associated with Professionalism, Integrity, and Respect. Ironically, despite having had a generally positive impact on the community, the biggest obstacle to accomplishing that goal has always been the existing reputationsof just a handful of Utah filmmakers."
I find myself experiencing something akin to a crisis of faith in myself and my work. I don’t want it all to be for nothing.
Sincerely,
Joe Puente
Founder/Administrator
Utah Filmmakers™ Association
The Utah Filmmakers™ Associate Program identifies reputable, Utah-based film industry resources that share common goals and core values with the Utah Filmmakers™ Association, provide essential services, champion the continued growth and development of our local infrastructure, and make other significant contributions to Utah’s film industry and the local filmmaking community.
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