DERBY, Kan. (KSNW) -- Derby will see its first film festival Jan. 18-19, the Old Times Not Forgotten Film Festival, in honor of late filmmaker Brett Jones. "Old Times Not Forgotten" was the name of Jones' last film, which he made as a senior in college. "The name embodied that I didn't want him to be forgotten," Jones's mom, Debbie Richert, said. "We started the film festival because we wanted to help other aspiring filmmakers, independent filmmakers." Film festivals were a beneficial part of her son's journey, giving him the opportunity to showcase his talents. She wanted to give that opportunity to other filmmakers. 95-year-old Kansas veteran receives his high school diploma "He had always gone to film festivals since high school, beginning of high school to middle school," Richert said. "So I've always gone to those with him, and I know how important those were for him and how good that made him feel to have his films up on the big screen." Jones' interest in film began before he could write. At just 5 years old, he would set up a camera and act in front of it. "He would draw pictures for a story, and then he would bring them to me, and he'd say, 'OK, this needs to say this on this page, this needs to say this on this page.' So he always had those the stories going on in his head before he could even write," Richert said. "And he would have notebook after notebook after notebook." Throughout school, he developed his skills which won him numerous awards in high school and college. "I just could tell immediately that he had kind of a knack for this," Kenny Linn, DHS Video and Animation teacher, said. "Of course, he had that, that raw talent, but what really impressed me was his work ethic." Jones graduated from Derby High School in 2019 and then went to the University of Arizona. When he came home to Derby, he was quick to help out at the high school. "He would come home for breaks while he was at college," Richert said. "He would go up to the high school, to the videography class, and speak to the students and try to encourage them. And so that's what we wanted to carry on. He always pushed through, no matter what, no matter how hard life got, he always pushed through, tried to stay positive and helped others. And so that's what I want to continue to do." After college graduation in 2023, he moved to Atlanta to start his film career. Jones passed away in a car accident on Jan. 4, 2024. Since then, his mom has been going to the festivals he entered on his behalf. See more about Jones' story and accomplishments here. Kansas college gives rural schools an opportunity to experience robotics up close "Really to inspire and encourage the filmmakers, that's really our biggest goal," Richert said. "I just want this to be a great experience for them and for the community and just to have support for them. I hope that they get encouraged and continue if that's the career they want." There are 36 entries in the festival featuring young filmmakers from across Kanas. Tickets are $2 at the door or online. Find a full festival schedule here. There will be giveaways for the filmmakers, a guest speaker, an award ceremony, a luncheon, and more. The event will be at the Derby Plaza Theater. "We really hope that the community will come out and support them too because I know a lot of times at film festivals there might not be a large audience, and I think that's good for the community to come out and support them too," Richert said. If you would like to nominate a person or business for Positive Connections, fill out KSN’s online contact form.