CANTON — No, it’s not as famous as Sundance, but Canton could be on its way to becoming the next Park City, Utah, as it gears up for its first independent film festival set for this weekend.

The Georgia Foothills Film Festival will be presented at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Cherokee Arts Center in downtown Canton and will feature about eight to 10 films.

Tickets for the festival are $5 and proceeds will go to the Cherokee Arts Center, said TJ Cochran, president of the arts center’s board of directors.

The festival will feature independent films from local filmmakers. Each movie will be short, lasting no longer than 15 minutes.

Cochran said he’s hoping between 150 to 200 people attend the inaugural film event.

“I think it’s a great way for people who love movies and want to see what local artists and students are doing at a very low cost,” he said, adding most film festivals are expensive to attend.

The local film festival is the brainchild of Mattie Frye, an 18-year-old senior at Cherokee High School.

Mattie, the daughter of Wes and Margaret Frye of Sutallee, said she had the idea for about two years.

Since she is required to do a senior project before she graduates, Mattie said the project was the perfect way for her to make her wish come true.

“I thought it would be awesome to make a festival in Canton,” she said, adding Canton didn’t have a film festival before.

Along with students who are now making films, Mattie said she reached out to teachers who connected her with former students who are actively pursuing careers in the film industry.

Mattie said she initially wanted to go into the movie industry, but has changed her mind. Mattie said she’s interested in journalism now.

Once she graduates, she plans to attend Georgia State University in Atlanta.

She said planning the film festival also made her realize she had a knack for planning events.

Mattie collaborated with Canton Main Street Program Director Ginger Garrard, who put her in touch with Cochran.

Garrard said Mattie has done a great job planning with Cochran and making everything come together.

Garrard said she hopes the event will draw attention to what Canton has to offer.

“This is something new and exciting,” she said. “We haven’t had this in downtown Canton and it’s something they need to come check it out.”

Frye agreed, adding she can’t wait until opening night.

“It’s going to be a lot of local people and it’s going to be a lot of fun,” she said.