Welcoming filmmakers, documentary enthusiasts and community members alike, Utah Tech University and the City of St. George are hosting the 16th annual DOCUTAH International Film Festival later this month.
Offering three full days of newly released documentary films, DOCUTAH is set to take place Feb. 26-28 at the Megaplex Theatres at Sunset, 1091 N. Bluff St. in St. George. This year, the festival features 57 films that have all been released within the last two years. Many of the documentaries are making their region premiere, including “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” which is the festival’s closing film and recipient of the distinctive Trailblazer Award.
When Matthew Reeve, son of Christopher and Dana Reeve, learned the film was receiving the Trailblazer Award, he said he and his siblings were thrilled to hear that DOCUTAH is “screening the ‘Super/Man’ film and honoring our dad with a posthumous award. We deeply appreciate your recognition of his achievement.”
The Trailblazer Award honors individuals who have made a significant contribution to society. The Trailblazer Award and other recognitions will be presented at the DOCUTAH Awards Ceremony at 8 p.m. on Feb. 28 at Megaplex Theatres at Sunset and will honor filmmakers from around the globe.
Additionally, DOCTalk Masterclasses will be held on the Utah Tech University campus from 9 a.m. to noon on Feb. 26 and 27 in the Zion Room, located on the fifth floor of the Holland Centennial Commons. With each masterclass featuring a film screening, DOCTalks are free to the public and include post-screening discussions with the filmmakers.
Feb. 26’s DOCTalk Masterclass will feature Michael Catenacci, a director out of St. Augustine, Florida, and his film ‘Remnants,’ which tells the story of a sixth-generation ranching family facing government policies that threaten their livelihood after a wildfire ravages their land.
On Feb. 27, Kimberlee Bassford, a filmmaker based in Honolulu, Hawaii, will discuss “Before The Moon Falls,” her film about Samoan writer Sia Figiel’s tumultuous journey with the complexities of inconsistently treated mental illness.
More information about DOCTalk Masterclasses as well as DOCUTAH ticketing and screening times is available at docutah.com. Tickets are also available at the door.