THE FILM FESTIVAL SEASON HAS BEGUN! DON’T LET DOCUTAH SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS!
Article by Adam Mast
Movie awards season is right around the corner and some of the most highly anticpated films of the fall and holiday season will make their debuts at various film festivals around the world. Iconic movie springboards like Telluride, Toronto, Venice, and Fantastic Fest will drop a plethora of buzz worthy films in the next couple of months. Included; Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s BIRDMAN, David Fincher’s GONE GIRL, Paul Thomas Anderson’s INHERENT VICE, Jon Stewart’s ROSEWATER, Jason Reitman’s MEN, WOMEN, & CHILDREN, Jean-Marc Vallee’s WILD, and Noah Baumbach’s WHILE WE’RE YOUNG.
As excited as I am to see all of these films, it’s safe to say that there’s plenty of marketing behind all of them. Translation; Chances are, the majority of these titles will open at a theater near us. What about smaller movies with very little marketing to speak of? The U.S. is home to countless film festivals that pride themsleves on screening such films, and while many of these fests might be smaller in scale, they are ever bit as grand in terms of the amazing content they have to offer. One such festival is DocUtah. True, this fest is exclusively dedicated to showcasing documentaries, but guess what? A great documentary can be ever bit as effective as a great narrative film.
In only its fifth year, the DocUtah Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival has emerged as one of the premiere documentary film festivals in the U.S. Presented by Dixie State University, this venerable fest takes place in beautiful St.George, UT. Known for it’s breathtaking surrounding areas (Zion Canyon, Pine Valley, etc.), this is the ideal location for a fest of this stature. Artistic director Phil Tuckett (a veteran documentarian in his own right) promises a diverse slate of features, shorts, and student films from all around the globe. But the excitement doesn’t end with movies. DocUtah also prides itself on insightful film-making panels, guest speaker appearances, and tours of gorgeous Southern Utah locales. If you’re a fan of documentaries and unforgettable sight seeing, than DocUtah is well worth the trip.
I was fortunate enough to get an early look at several of this year’s enlightening, educational, and entertaining entries, so without further adieu, here’s a peek at 10 movies you don’t want to miss at DocUtah 2014 (September 2nd-6th).
BEYOND ALL BOUNDARIES (97 min.)
This wonderful crowd-pleaser from director Sushrut Jain follows three Indians as they attempt to escape their impoverished backgrounds through the power of India’s most celebrated sport, Cricket. “Beyond All Boundaries” is an affectionate underdog sports movie and a quirky glimpse into sports fandom.
Trailer– https://www.youtube.com/watch?
CATALINA ISLAND (22 min.)
This gorgeous documentary examines the wildlife conservation efforts implemented on Catalina Island. With it’s stunning look at the fox, the bald eagle, and the American Bison, this beautifully shot doc is reminiscent of Mutual of Omaha’s “Wild Kingdom”. Great viewing for the entire family.
Kickstarter Trailer–https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744939943/catalina-island-a-wildlife-documentary
CITY OF THE DAMNED (15 min.)
This intense, heartfelt short examines the unthinkable anti-homosexual laws in Uganda. “City of the Damned” intimately examines the lives of persecuted individuals as they struggle to survive in an incredibly harsh political climate. Powerful stuff from directors Matt Rogers, Mor Albalak, Nate Skeen, Stephanie Lincoln, and Shaneika Lai.
GARWIN (68 min.)
This fascinating doc delves into the somewhat controversial life of Richard Garwin. Most known as the man who brought us the first hydrogen bomb, Garwin would go on to serve as an adviser for every president since Eisenhower. Despite creating a source of unspeakable destruction, Garwin would eventually attempt to make the word a better place through science.
Trailer– https://www.youtube.com/watch?
THE ENGINEER (94 min.)
A haunting, shocking, and poignant look at El Salvador’s lone criminologist. Death is art for this determined criminologist, and he will stop at nothing to bring peace to the lives of mothers whose sons have gone missing in this tragically gang infested and impoverished area. This is dark subject mater and while it certainly isn’t for the squeamish , “The Engineer” emerges as both a poetic and compassionate look at the life of a criminologist in a third world country.
Trailer– https://www.youtube.com/watch?
LIFE AFTER MANSON (25 min.)
Patricia Krenwinkel is the longest serving prison inmate in California’s history. In “Life After Manson”, Krenwinkel revisits her tumultuous (and murderous) relationship with Charles Manson and and openly discusses what led her to aid Manson in committing a string of brutal murders in 1969. Director Olivia Klaus covers a lot of ground in a brisk 25 minutes, and if I have any complaints at all, it’s that “Life After Manson” should have been a feature length doc.
Trailer– https://www.youtube.com/watch?
POVERTY, INC. (94 min.)
Michael Matheson Miller’s incredibly insightful documentary explores the negative effects caused by U.S. charity work in Africa. This extensive, thoughtful, eye opening film was four years in the making and features multiple interviews with various scholars in both Africa and the U.S. “Poverty, Inc.” does what great documentaries are supposed to do; It challenges the viewer to look at a subject in an entirely new way.
Trailer– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxASM44gPlU#t=68
SOLAR MAMAS (58 min.)
Rafea and her children live in a tent amidst the impoverished slums of Jordan and when she is given an opportunity to travel to India to become a solar energy engineer, she jumps at the chance despite the harsh criticism from her unemployed husband and stern mother. “Solar Mamas” is an inspiring doc about a woman who strives to make a difference in a culture that wants to hold her back.
Trailer– https://www.youtube.com/watch?
STILL GOING STRONG: THE BOSTON MARATHON (23 min.)
Matt Black has fashioned a powerful and inspirational story about Boston Marathon runners and their determination to move past the horrific bombings that occurred in 2013. “Still Going Strong” is much more than a film about marathon runners. It’s about perseverance in the face of unspeakable acts of terror.
UNDER THE MANGO TREE (18 min.)
A reconciliation group has an unorthodox but effective way of bringing together Ugandan ex-combatants and their victims in the riveting short, “Under the Mango Tree”. Forgiveness under the most extreme circumstances it at the very heart of this powerful documentary from directors Ashley Moradipour and Devyn Bisson.
These titles only scratch the surface. For extensive info on DocUtah, be sure to click the link;
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