2026 SPonSorS
St. George
Susan & Jeffery Jarvis
Friends of DOCUTAH,
On behalf of Utah Tech University, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 16th annual DOCUTAH International Film Festival!
In partnership with the City of St. George, Utah Tech University is proud to present DOCUTAH to celebrate powerful storytelling that highlights the importance of being lifelong learners. Documentary film has a unique ability to illuminate diverse perspectives, spark curiosity, and deepen our understanding of the world around us — values that align closely with our mission as a university.
This year’s festival showcases 57 films from local, national, and international filmmakers, reflecting both the global reach and the deeply personal nature of documentary storytelling. We are honored that Southern Utah serves as a gathering place for filmmakers, students, and audiences who believe in the power of film to inform, inspire, and connect communities.
Student participation throughout the festival exemplifies Utah Tech’s commitment to our “active learning. active life.” approach to education. By participating in the festival and interacting with you, our students are not only learning about the craft of storytelling but also gaining hands-on experience that prepares them to think critically, collaborate creatively, and engage meaningfully with the world beyond the classroom.
DOCUTAH also represents a lasting and impactful partnership in arts advocacy. Utah Tech University is grateful to work alongside the City of St. George, Greater Zion, and the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity to strengthen our region’s cultural landscape and elevate the arts as a vital part of community and economic vitality.
Thank you for being part of this extraordinary festival. I hope your time at DOCUTAH is inspiring, thought-provoking, and memorable.
Welcome, and enjoy the festival!
Shane B. Smeed President, Utah Tech University
Shane B. Smeed President Utah Tech University
WELCoME
Let me be the first to welcome you to the DOCUTAH International Film Festival in stunning St. George, Utah.
In 2014, just two years into my tenure on the City Council, Emmy Award winning filmmaker and Founder of DOCUTAH, Phil Tuckett, debuted a film titled My Father’s Highway as part of DOCUTAH’s fourth season.
The film holds a special place in my family’s history, as one of the subjects of the film was my father, Jimmie Hughes, Sr. Not only did this incredible film share the history of this beloved area, but it shared the history of many hard-working people — including one whose life was lost laboring on a project that would ultimately improve and enrich the lives of all who live or pass through here.
I never met my father, but I know his legacy will live on as his story, and the stories of others, are told and retold through the medium of film.
Like My Father’s Highway, DOCUTAH, in addition to the many other programs of the City of St. George’s Parks and Community Services Department, improves and enriches the lives of those in our community.
Whether you live here or you are just passing through, I hope you take advantage of the great opportunity to see the stories highlighted in this year’s film festival and enjoy our beautiful city.
Sincerely,
Jimmie Hughes St. George City Mayor
Jimmie Hughes Mayor, St. George City
TEaM OUR
UTAH TECH DOCUTAH STAFF
Dr. Jeffery Jarvis
Dean, College of the Arts
Karman Wilson
Assistant Dean of Professional Arts / Executive Director
Tisa Zito
Digital Film Producer / Director of Programming
Hans Glasmann
Digital Film Program Director / Director of Production & Scheduling
Karin Edwards
Director of Lodging & Retail
Wendy Womack
Director of Operations & Volunteer Coordinator
Denny Munson
Technical Director
Sara Cordner
Film and Media Specialist
Luke Stocking
Graphic Design Specialist & DOCTalk Masterclass Coordinator
ADVISORY TEAM
John Burns
Film Archivist/Utah Tech Library
Terry Bleak
Executive Assistant to the Dean
Amy Echeverria
Utah Tech Event Production Manager
Jeanine Nay
College of the Arts Accountant
Quincy Newby
Webmaster
FILM STUDENT INTERNS
Brody Anderson
Camera Operator
Makaiylah DeVere
Camera Operator
Anthony Garcia
A/V Assistance
Kennedy Lenhard
Filmmaker Relations
Konnor Minor
A/V Assistance
Chloe Tate
Administrative Assistant for Music, Theatre, Dance & Film
Phil Tuckett
Emmy Award Winning Filmmaker & Founder
Ben Tyrrel
Director of Arts Programming
Glenn Webb
Associate Dean, College of the Arts
Jay Wilson
Utah Tech Production Specialist
Anthony Paredes
DOCTalk Masterclass Assistance
Matthew Ray
Digital Downloads
Tyler Vandenberg
Camera Operator
Darren Wages
DOCTalk Masterclass Assistance
TICKETInG
Festival Venue
Megaplex Theatres at Sunset 1091 N. Bluff St. St. George, UT
Enjoy state-of-the-art theatres with luxury seating and premium sound.
Ticketing
All Festival Badge - $75
Day Pass - $30
Single Film - $10
All Students with Student ID - FREE
FREE EVENTS - Open to the public
DOCTalk Masterclass
In-depth conversations with filmmakers February 26 & 27 • 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Utah Tech University, 225 S University Ave. Holland Centennial Commons #537 Zion Room Coffee provided
Awards Ceremony
Celebrate the winning films and filmmakers February 28 • 8:00 PM
Megaplex Theatres at Sunset, Theatre 5
FEaTurE
FILMS
ABOUT FACE
Director(s): Jennifer Rita Lin
Producer(s): Jon Funabiki, Cory Lin Stieg, Jennifer Lin
Two Asian American dancers try to persuade the world’s leading ballet companies to jettison Asian stereotypes, including dancing in yellowface. Georgina Pazcoguin and Phil Chan battle entrenched tradition and political pushback.
AN AMERICAN STORYTELLER: THE ART OF ARNOLD FRIBERG
Director(s): Bruce Johnson
Producer(s): Elizabeth Carlyle, Kim Cooper, Curtis Wallace, and Marc Whitmore
An American Storyteller: The Art of Arnold Friberg is a captivating documentary exploring the life, faith, and legacy of one of the most iconic illustrators of the 20th century.
AMONG THIEVES
Director(s): Trevor J. Wallace, Gino R. Caspari
An archaeologist’s journey deep into the remote wilderness of Northwestern China in search of longlost ancient tombs, leads to the discovery of a ruthless tomb raiding operation. He infiltrates the black market unraveling a network of corrupt dealers and complicit museums to protect a priceless treasure.
ANXIETY CLUB
Director(s): Wendy Lobel
Producer(s): Wendy Lobel, Carolin Ehrenburg, Jonathan Gray, Scott Sinkler, Jeff Spivack, Janelle Draper
The film provides access to the private exposure therapy sessions of Tiffany Jenkins – a comic and author with millions of social media followers – as she confronts her deepest fears with grit and self-deprecating humor.
ATOMIC ECHOES
Director(s): Beatrice Becette
Producer(s): Beatrice Becette
Two friends, connected by family histories on opposite sides of World War II, set out to explore the lasting trauma of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. While Japanese hibakusha endure lifelong health complications and psychological scars, American Atomic Veterans who witnessed the bombings’ aftermath also struggle with radiation-related illnesses and PTSD.
BEFORE THE MOON FALLS
Director(s): Kimberlee Bassford
Producer(s): Kimberlee Bassford, Linda Goldstein Knowlton
BEFORE THE MOON FALLS was an intimate portrait of acclaimed Samoan writer Sia Figiel eight years in the making when tragedy struck. Now the film offers an in-depth and thought-provoking look at Sia’s tumultuous journey leading to that traumatic moment, illuminating the complexities of inconsistently treated mental illness and the devastating toll it can exact on individuals, families and entire communities.
BEDROCK
Director(s): Kinga Michalska
Producer(s): Danae Elon, Paul Cadieux, Ashley Duong
For the last eighty years, everyday life has been expanding into sites of Holocaust across Poland. BEDROCK weaves together the stories of Poles who call these spaces home.
BEING ADOLPH GASSER
Director(s): John C Aliano
Producer(s): John C Aliano
Adolph Gasser contemplates the life of being a camera repairman, WWII veteran, inventor, best friend of legendary photographer Ansel Adams and owner of a business that supports local filmmakers and employees to flourish as artists and innovators. With threats of eminent domain, technology shifts and new business model challenges he fights for the survival of his San Francisco based Adolph Gasser Incorporated store.
FEaTurE FILMS
BETTER UP THERE
Director(s): Mathis Dumas | Producer(s): Mathis Dumas
Better Up There, a 45-minute film portrait, is the moving story of a unique life, that of Léo Slemett. Through his rise in the world of freeride skiing, Léo wages an incessant battle against adversity to pursue his dreams and push his limits. In the grandiose setting of the high mountains and the Freeride World Tour, we see Léo face incredible challenges and setbacks. We observe how the loss of his two life partners shapes Léo’s life, how he learns to live with this pain and continues to move forward.
DRIVEN BY ANGELS
Director(s): Brett Buescher, Nick Costello
Producer(s): Nick Costello, Brett Buescher
A documentary of speed, loss, and the angels that keep us moving. 62-year-old Vaughn Shafer comes out of retirement in a bold attempt to reclaim his title as the fastest man on a motorized skateboard. What begins as a comeback story quickly spirals into chaos as his crew battles setbacks at the track and the loss of one of their own.
CARTAPESTA: THE CARNIVAL OF FANO
Director(s): Andrea Lodovichetti
Producer(s): Andrea Lodovichetti, Luca Caprara, Francesco Appoggetti
Italy’s oldest Carnival, memories, footages, a very powerful imagery rooted over the centuries in one city: Fano. A tradition, that of papier-mâché, and its float masters who, generation after generation, have been able to blend creativity, engineering and manual skills to build those traveling stages called floats.
DUST AND COLOR
Director(s): Filipe Amado
Producer(s): Iwan Russell-Jones, Cristina Amado, Filipe Amado, Alexandra Seabra
Dust & Color follows nine artists from the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Bolivia as they navigate the complex intersection of creativity and meaning through vulnerability and honest questioning. From Scott Erickson’s reimagined visual language in Seattle to Paulo Nazareth’s community-building music in São Paulo, these creators demonstrate that the most profound encounters with purpose emerge from embracing uncertainty rather than proclaiming easy answers.
GAS STATION ATTENDANT, THE
Director(s): Karla Murthy
Producer(s): Rajal Pitroda
A daughter pieces together her father’s life — weaving the story of his remarkable journey from the streets of India with the realities of life in the United States. Using home movies past and present, she creates a visual diary to explore the American dream, love and loss, and the human capacity to survive.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
Director(s): Tim Rollins
Producer(s): Tim Rollins
Lehi High’s theater, a creative sanctuary led by Mindy Nelsen and fueled by Randy Blackburn’s selfless dedication, faces a bittersweet farewell. How will this loss reshape their cherished community?
HOLE STORY, THE
Director(s): Elijah Sullivan
The discovery of a sixty-foot man-made hole on a California mountain implicates a small town’s unusual local industry in a bizarre unsolved crime. Abandoning the conventional investigative format, THE HOLE STORY unfolds as a multi-faceted oral history, immersing us in personal mythologies and painting a haunting and unsettling portrait of a community shaped by fringe belief.
INVISIBLE MAMMAL, THE
Director(s): Kristin Tieche
Producer(s): Kristin Tieche, Holly Mosher, Windy Borman, Matthew Podolsky
Against the backdrop of the sixth mass extinction, an all-woman team of biologists set out to save bats from a deadly fungal disease, but when the COVID-19 pandemic interrupts their work, they are sent down a path of discovery that illuminates the connections between bat conservation and the spread of infectious disease.
FEaTurE FILMS
LOVING JOHN
Director(s): Robert Rooy
Producer(s): Kimberlee Bassford, Anne de Mare, Robert Rooy
LOVING JOHN is a deeply compassionate documentary that grapples with death and dying with vulnerable honesty and splashes of humor. John Godinet is an irrepressible Pacific Islander and ultra-runner living with his husband Peter in rural Maryland. He’s outrun abuse as a teenager and discrimination as an adult, but now has a new adversary: ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).
NO BABY ON BOARD
Director(s): Julia Kots
A woman who decides not to have children embarks on a journey to donate her frozen eggs while documenting the personal stories of other childless women, exploring the diverse reasons behind their choices.
MOMENT IN THE SUN, A
Director(s): Mia Weinberger, Thomas van Kalken
Producer(s): Mia Weinberger, Thomas van Kalken, Jacob Richardson, Aida Vucic, Tony Castle, Roxy Hunt
In April 2024, Houlton, Maine – a town of 6,000 – was the final destination in the United States to see the 2024 total solar eclipse, and the people of Houlton expected tens of thousands of visitors to descend upon their home to witness this once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event. Filmmakers Mia Weinberger and Thomas van Kalken captured the community of Houlton as they came together to host an influx of strangers and celebrate an incredibly rare privilege: living in the Path Of Totality.
PATHWAY TO HOPE WITH JANE CLAYSON JOHNSON
Director(s): Chantelle Squires
Producer(s): Jane Clayson Johnson, Chantelle Squires
Award-winning journalist Jane Clayson Johnson embarks on a transformative journey across Africa to unveil a compelling narrative of faith, resilience, and triumph.
“Pathway to Hope” tells the story of a groundbreaking that endeavors to bring higher education to people who once believed a university degree was beyond their reach.with purpose emerge from embracing uncertainty rather than proclaiming easy answers.
1:26:40 SX EX SS 0:52:49 SS
PRESIDENTS’ TAILOR, THE
Director(s): Rick Minnich
Producer(s): Mike Brandin, Rick Minnich
Martin Greenfield learned to sew while mending shirts for the Gestapo in Auschwitz when he was fifteen, and went on to make suits for US presidents and stars. This is the story of America’s greatest tailor, and the bespoke menswear empire he left behind.
1:30:00 EX
RISING PHOENIX: A NEW REVOLUTION
Director(s): Sheridan O’Donnell
Producer(s): Greg Nugent, Barnaby Spurrier, John Battsek, Sarah Thomson, Jim LeBrecht, Lauren Ridloff
With the LA 2028 Paralympics as its backdrop, Rising Phoenix: A New Revolution positions the Games as more than just a sporting event—it’s a revolutionary platform for reimagining how the world views disability. The film explores the lives of Paralympic athletes.
REFORMERS, THE
Director(s): Michael Nayna
Producer(s): Mark Conway
The Reformers is the behind-the-scenes documentary on the infamous Grievance Studies Affair — a provocative experiment that shook academia to its core. Convinced that the cultural studies departments of universities throughout the Western World are laundering poorly researched activism through peer review, a small team of academic outsiders devises a bold plan to expose the problem from within.
1:25:13
SAFFRON ROBE
Director(s): Jane Centofante
Producer(s): Jane Centofante, Jayne Hufschmid, Kraig Butrum
An ambitious spiritual leader, Abbot Onekeo Sittivong defied convention by establishing a new school for the his country’s poor and undereducated children. But something else is happening at this school in a misty forest. The abbot and his fellow saffron-robed monks and young novices are working tirelessly to revitalize ancient Lao Theravada Buddhist practices and education almost lost to history.
8:00 PM 0:57:49 Pathway to Hope FF 1:05:00 An American Storyteller: The Art of Arnold Friberg 1:29:12 The Invisible Mammal FF 0:35:31 In Cold Blood 0:10:00 Gabe’s Last Leg THEATRE 4 THEATRE 5 THEATRE 6
Masterclass: Before the Moon Falls HCC537 5th floor Zion Room with Kimberlee Bassford 0:22:34 9:00 AM- 11:15 AM 0:34:14 What the River Knows UT Digital Film Department Student Showcase
V 0:04:37 SLC Comb FF 0:08:13 Twin Gimmick 0:25:43 Sheepdogs
0:22:34 Remnants
0:10:58 The Congress 0:30:00 Ranger of the North 0:23:36 Distilled 0:08:25 As I Witness 0:12:39 The Open Veins of Potosi 0:05:18 Blue Blooded Taxidermy 0:26:46 Spirit of the Dri less: Preserving Our Legacy FF
1:35:00 Driven By Angels EX 1:35:00 The Gas Station A endant 1:04:41 Home Away From Home
Be er Up There FF 0:45:00 Secrets of Great Salt Lake 1:05:00 Dust and Color
SChEduLE At a glance, [A-Z]
About Face - Feature Thursday, February 26, 4:15 pm, Theatre 6, 1:00:00
A Moment in the Sun - Feature Thursday, February 26, 2:30 pm, Theatre 6, 1:17:02
An American Storyteller: The Art of Arnold Friberg - Feature Friday, February 27, 11:45 am, Theatre 5, 1:05:00
Among Thieves - Feature- [SS, EX] Thursday, February 26, 12:15 pm, Theatre 6, 1:25:10
Anxiety Club - Feature Thursday, February 26, 2:30 pm, Theatre 4, 1:26:17
As I Witness - Short- [SS, V] Friday, February 27, 2:15 Shorts Block, Theatre 6, 0:08:25
Atomic Echoes - Feature- [SS] Thursday, February 26, 4:15 pm, Theatre 4, 0:57:31
Being Adolph Gasser - Feature Thursday, February 26, 12:15 pm, Theatre 4, 1:57:11
Bedrock - Feature- [SS, V] Thursday, February 26, 6:00 pm, Theatre 6, 1:42:00
Before the Moon Falls Feature - [SS, V, EX, SX] Saturday, February 28, 4:00 pm, Theatre 5, 1:40:40
Better Up There - Feature- [SS] Friday, February 27, 6:30 pm Feature Block, Theatre 5, 0:44:41
Blue Blooded Taxidermy - Student Short Friday, February 27, 2:15 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 6, 0:05:18
Cartapesta: The Carnival of Fano - Foreign Feature Thursday, February 26, 12:15 pm, Theatre 5, 1:29:00
Congress, The - Short Friday, February 27, 2:15 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 4, 0:10:58
Distilled- Foreign Short - [SS] Friday, February 27, 2:15 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 4, 0:23:36
Driven By Angels - Feature- [EX] Friday, February 27, 4:30 pm, Theatre 5, 1:35:00
Dust and Color - Feature- [FF] Friday, February 27, 11:45 am, Theatre 6, 1:05:00
Earth Mother - Student Short Saturday, February 28, 1:00 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 4, 0:13:13
Fallout & Flowers - Short Thursday, February 26, 12:15 pm Feature Block, Theatre 6, 0:20:17
Gabe’s Last Leg - Short ................................................................................................................. Friday, February 27, 2:15 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 4, 0:10:00
Gas Station Attendant, The - Feature Friday, February 27, 4:30 pm, Theatre 6, 1:23:00 Goddess - Short- [FF] Saturday, February 28, 1:00 pm, Shorts Block, Theatre 6, 0:08:00
Hole Story, The - Feature Thursday, February 26, 6:00 pm, Theatre 5, 1:23:56
Home Away from Home - Feature - [FF] Friday, February 27, 6:30 pm, Theatre 4, 1:04:41
I Wanted to Hear Your Voice - Short- [SS] Saturday, February 28, 1:00 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 5, 0:12:00
In Cold Blood - Foreign Short Friday, February 27, 1:15 pm, Theatre 4, 0:35:31
Invisible Mammal, The - Feature- [FF] ................................................................................................................Friday, February 27, 4:30 pm, Theatre 4, 1:29:12
Legend Has It: The Remarkable Rise of Stephen McCain - Student Short- [EX] Thursday, February 26, 4:15 pm Feature Block, Theatre 4, 0:16:00
Loving John - Feature- [SS] Saturday, February 28, 11:00 am, Theatre 6, 1:16:00
Masai Mara - Short Saturday, February 28, 1:00 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 6, 0:03:00 Monster Slayer - Short- [ EX, V, SX] Saturday, February 28, 1:00 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 5, 0:21:00
My Friend Laird - Student Short Saturday, February 28, 1:00 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 5, 0:09:46
No Baby on Board - Feature Thursday, February 26, 2:30 pm, Theatre 5, 1:22:00
Oh Yeah - Short Saturday, February 28, 1:00 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 4, 0:12:11
Open Veins of Potosi, The - Short Friday, February 27, 2:15 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 6, 0:12:39 Pathway to Hope - Feature- [FF] Friday, February 27, 11:45 am, Theatre 4, 0:57:49
Presidents’ Tailor, The - Foreign Feature- [SS] Saturday, February 28, 2:15 pm, Theatre 6, 0:52:49 Ranger of the North - Short Friday, February 27, 2:15 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 4, 0:30:00
Reformers, The - Feature - [SS, EX, SX] Thursday, February 26, 4:15 pm, Theatre 5, 1:26:40
Remnants - Short......................................................................................................................... Friday, February 27, 6:30 pm Feature Block, Theatre 5, 0:22:33
Rising Phoenix: A New Revolution - Feature- [EX] Saturday, February 28, 2:15 pm, Theatre 4, 1:30:00
Saffron Robe - Feature Saturday, February 28, 11:00 am, Theatre 4, 1:25:13
Secrets of Great Salt Lake - Feature - [FF] Friday, February 27, 1:15 pm, Theatre 6, 0:45:00
Sheepdogs - Short Friday, February 27, 2:15 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 6, 0:25:43
Shuffle - Feature Saturday, February 28, 4:00 pm, Theatre 6, 1:21:56
SLC Comb - Student Short- [FF] Friday, February 27, 2:15 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 6, 0:04:37
Snowland - Feature- [SS, V, SX, EX] ................................................................................................................ Saturday, February 28, 4:00 pm, Theatre 4, 1:30:00
Spirit of the Driftless: Preserving Our Legacy - Short- [FF] Friday, February 27, 2:15 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 4, 0:26:46
Stronger Than the Wave - Foreign Feature- [SS] Thursday, February 26, 6:00 pm, Theatre 4, 1:31:07
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story - Feature Saturday, February 28, 6:00 pm, Theatre 5, 1:44:00
This is Pike County - Feature- [SS] Saturday, February 28, 2:15 pm, Theatre 5, 1:17:33
Twin Gimmick - Student Short Friday, February 27, 2:15 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 6, 0:08:30
Voices: The Danny Gans Story - Feature- [EX] Saturday, February 28, 11:00 am, Theatre 5, 1:42:00
What the River Knows - Short- [EX] Friday, February 27, 1:15 pm, Theatre 5, 0:34:14
White Nine - Short Saturday, February 28, 1:00 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 6, 0:29:15
XXY47 - Student Short Saturday, February 28, 1:00 pm Shorts Block, Theatre 4, 0:12:11
FEaTurE FILMS
SECRETS OF THE GREAT SALT LAKE
Director(s): Tyler Mifflin
Producer(s): Charles S. Potter Jr., Chris Dorsey, Alex Mifflin, Tyler Mifflin, Wendy MacKeigan
Journey back to when mammoths, camels and sabertoothed cats roamed the ancient shores of Lake Bonneville and witness its transformation into Great Salt Lake, caused by one of the largest floods in history! Be immersed in a rare ecosystem where unusual creatures thrive in waters five times saltier than the ocean. Yet, the source of the Lake is freshwater!
SNOWLAND
Director(s): Jill Orschel
Producer(s): Joanne Feinberg, Jill Orschel, J.R. Hardman
A former child bride from a notorious polygamous sect in Utah escapes her painful past by creating a magical fantasy realm she calls Snowland. Within this artistic endeavor, which spans decades, is a metaphorical journey of lost innocence, survival and self-discovery.
SHUFFLE
Director(s): Benjamin Flaherty
Producer(s): Carra Greenberg, Scott Paskoff, Harris Fishman, Benjamin Flaherty
Through the lens of his own recovery, a filmmaker offers a character-driven look inside the billion dollar addiction treatment industry where young people are bought and sold for their insurance policies and ushered into a system designed to keep them sick. What begins as an investigation of a street-level scam, explodes to uncover systemic conflicts-of-interest and collusion at the highest levels of government. 1:21:56
STRONGER THAN THE WAVE
Director(s): Robbie McKane
Producer(s): James Clark, Kumi Aizawa
A journey of rebirth and resilience through Japan’s wild north, surveying the landscape and inhabitants of the Michinoku Coastal Trail. 1:31:07
1:44:00
SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER
REEVE STORY
Director(s): Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui
Producer(s): Lizzie Gillett, Robert Ford, Ian Bonhôte
The story of Christopher Reeve is an astonishing rise from unknown actor to iconic movie star, and his definitive portrayal of Clark Kent/Superman set the benchmark for the superhero cinematic universes that dominate cinema today. Reeve portrayed the Man of Steel in four Superman films and played dozens of other roles that displayed his talent and range as an actor, before being injured in a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down.
1:42:00 EX
VOICES: THE DANNY GANS STORY
Director(s): Andrew Davies Gans
Producer(s): Andrew Davies Gans, Clare Tucker
“Voices: The Danny Gans Story” is a poignant and personal exploration of a son’s journey to understand his father. Andrew Gans, son of the renowned Las Vegas entertainer, Danny Gans, embarks on an intimate exploration of his father’s inspiring, improbable life and the circumstances surrounding his untimely passing.
THIS IS PIKE COUNTY
Director(s): Laura Paglin
Producer(s): Laura Paglin, Thomas Lennon
Mounting pressures – including an unsolved family murder – test a close-knit rural community. Between the temptation to give up and the urge to hold on, the film lingers on what it means to come of age in a place left behind. “Haunting, quietly searing, hard to forget.” –Arlie Hochschild, Author, Strangers in Their Own Land 1:17:33 SS
ShorT
FILMS
AS I WITNESS
Director(s): Pamela Andrea Martinez Barrera
Producer(s): Pamela Andrea Martinez Barrera
The act of writing collapses the past and the present into the dissonant experience of witnessing the colonization of the body.
BLUE BLOODED TAXIDERMY
Director(s): Hunter Wyatt Goring
Retired police-officer uses his unique art form of taxidermy to help himself overcome trauma inflicted from being in law enforcement.
CONGRESS, THE
Director(s): Eko Krisna
Producer(s): Gabriel Diamond, Phil Collis, Matthew Beighley, Chris Metzler
Indonesian activist, Rukka Sombolinggi believes the key to confronting the climate crisis is to unite and mobilize the Indigenous communities who are often impacted the most. Now, as the first female general secretary of the world’s largest Indigenous Peoples organization, she has the power to do just that. But the challenge is monumental.
DISTILLED
Director(s): Christopher Larson
Producer(s): Christopher Larson
Distilled is a documentary following Asmir Hadzibeganovic, a Bosnian war refugee, who is now an entrepreneur living in Berlin. As Asmir works to realize his dream of opening his own distillery in a ruined historic cellar under the old Wine Street Berlin, he makes the decision to face his own buried past and travel back to his hometown in Bosnia for the first time since he was forced to flee.
EARTH MOTHER
Director(s): Nati Levinger
Producer(s): Nati Levinger
Avital, a mother of five, moves with her young children to live in a converted truck on South Mt. Hebron in order to establish a legal, but totally isolated, community farm. But the physical and emotional hardship make her question whether she and her children can continue to pay the price for her dream.
GODDESS
Director(s): Dean Cropp
Producer(s): Dean Cropp
Goddess is an enchanting short that takes you on a poetic journey beneath the waves. Through the voice of a diver, this cinematic love letter celebrates the breathtaking beauty of underwater life, inviting you to connect deeply with the ocean’s wonders. Prepare to be mesmerised by this celebration of nature’s majesty and humanity’s bond with the sea.
FALLOUT & FLOWERS
Director(s): Megan Newbold
Producer(s): McKenna Murphy, Megan Newbold
On July 16, 1945, the United States dropped the first nuclear bomb on U.S. soil. Almost 80 years later, the people in Southern Utah are still feeling the effects of nuclear testing. Follow a filmmaker as she explores her family history and the connection between the people and the land that led to their deaths.
I WANTED TO HEAR YOUR VOICE
Director(s): James Pellerito
Producer(s): David Barba
After eight years of caring for his mother with severe dementia, a son struggles through their daily care routine. Recorded voicemails serve to show the progression of the disease, underscoring the frustration, isolation and burnout that comes with intensive caregiving.
ShorT FILMS
IN COLD BLOOD
Director(s): Alex Heitler
Producer(s): Victor De Le Rue
“IN COLD BLOOD” is an intimate mountain film told through the inner voice of a rider torn between fear and obsession. As he moves between high-stakes competitions and raw backcountry adventures, we witness a search for balance between adrenaline and family, ambition and peace. No interviews, no showboating—just one man’s honest dialogue with the mountains. A visual and emotional journey into what truly drives us. In the end, it’s not about the best ride—it’s about feeling fully alive.
MASAI MARA
Director(s): Andrea Bufi
In the heart of the Masai Mara, amid the smiles of children, Masai dances, and the wild breath of the savannah, an intense and authentic visual story unfolds. A journey in which tradition, nature, and humanity merge under the African sun. A cinematic tribute to the primordial beauty of Kenya.
LEGEND HAS IT: THE REMARKABLE RISE OF STEPHEN MCCAIN
Director(s): Hisonni Mustafa
Producer(s): Hisonni Mustafa, Stephen McCain, Ernest Brown, Devian Carlton
From childhood dreams to Olympic triumphs, Legend Has It: The Remarkable Rise of Stephen McCain unveils the resilience, sacrifice, and heart of an athlete whose pursuit of greatness redefined what it means to be a legend.
MONSTER SLAYER
Director(s): Catie Skipp
Producer(s): Grace Oathout
After Monty is assaulted at the strip club where she works, she weaponizes public art to exact justice against a system’s refusal to act.
0:09:46
MY FRIEND LAIRD
Director(s): Joseph C.H. Rigdon
Producer(s): Joseph C.H. Rigdon, Ben Vasion
Laird, a simple man turned rancher, operates a farm in Northern Nevada that comes with its “benefits”.
0:12:11
OH YEAH
Director(s): Nick Canfield
Producer(s): Nick Canfield, Justin Levy
The story of the iconic electronic music group Yello and their classic 1980’s hit song. Oh Yeah is one of the most recognizable songs of all time, made famous by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and embodies 80’s American culture more than any other song. While not well known in the United States, the Swiss duo that founded Yello have been making avant-garde music and videos for over 45 years. This short documentary explores the cultural phenomenon of Oh Yeah and its enduring place in the American psyche, while introducing the unique artists behind the music.
0:12:39
OPEN VEINS OF POTOSÍ, THE
Director(s): Samuel George
For centuries, the natural riches of Cerro Rico in Potosí, Bolivia, fueled empires—colonial forces extracted immense quantities of silver while countless indigenous miners lost their lives in the mine shafts and rubble. While Europe prospered, Potosí was left behind to face poverty and environmental ruin. Today, the cycle threatens to repeat itself. Beneath the Potosí’s vast salt flats lie some of the planet’s largest lithium reserves— critical to the global green energy transition. This short documentary confronts a haunting question: is Potosí once again at the center of a resource boom that will enrich the world, but leave its people behind?
0:30:00
RANGER OF THE NORTH
Director(s): Bradley Bethel
Producer(s): Ned Phillips
Inspired by his favorite novel, The Lord of the Rings, a retiring park ranger journeys into the Alaskan wilderness to search for hope in the face of climate change.
ShorT FILMS
REMNANTS
Director(s): Michael Catenacci
Producer(s): Matt Pirrall, Nick Reid, Lana Link, Rob Pfaltzgraff
When a devastating wildfire ravages their land, a sixthgeneration ranching family grapples with the legacy of the American cowboy in the face of government policies that threaten their livelihood and a changing culture that brands their lifestyle a thing of the past.
SHEEPDOGS
Director(s): Hunter Wyatt Goring
Producer(s): Anna Stump, Brian Knappmiller
In the remote military town of 29 Palms, artist Ted Meyer helps wounded veterans and active-duty service members turn their physical scars into powerful works of art—unearthing the emotional trauma beneath, and telling the stories their bodies can’t forget. This short documentary follows four individuals: an active-duty Marine instructor still coping with an injury sustained early in his career; an active-duty Marine who recently suffered a potentially career-ending injury; a retired Marine sergeant whose battle with cancer may be linked to her military service; and a retired Navy special ops officer—now a transgender woman—grappling with trauma after being ambushed and shot multiple times.
SLC COMB
Director(s): Emery Willis
Producer(s): Austin Smock
Two eusocial species, humans and bees, survive amidst pollution and climate change. Backyard beekeeper Alex Wonder tends a hive at Rose Park community garden, minutes away from two oil refineries and a waste treatment plant. Alex and bumblebee scientist LauraArneson Horn emphasize the importance of biodiversity as opposed to the message to “save the bees.”
SPIRIT OF THE DRIFTLESS: PRESERVING OUR LEGACY
Director(s): Jonas Stenstrom
Producer(s): Timothy Steven Jacobson, Rob Nelson, George Howe
Spirit of the Driftless is a short documentary that transports viewers on a serene yet powerful journey through the rugged landscapes, hidden underworlds, ancient archaeology, rare habitats, and vibrant wildlife of the unglaciated Driftless Region. for the first time since he was forced to flee.
TWIN GIMMICK
Director(s): Loren Zoltan
Producer(s): Loren Zoltan
Twin brothers, with the same name, go on a road trip to their childhood home as they unpack their rocky relationship.
WHAT THE RIVER KNOWS
Director(s): Diego Riley, Will Buckley
Producer(s): Diego Riley, Will Buckley
A lost eden drowned under Lake Powell re-emerges, revealing the follies of the past and a new way forward for the Colorado River. What The River Knows is an advocacy short-doc that explores this unique inflection point in a centuries-long history: at the same time that we are met with the need to redesign our systems of water management in the west, we are presented with the opportunity to restore one of the most stunning landscapes on the planet.
WHITE NINE
Director(s): Nilou Safinya
Producer(s): Nilou Safinya, Bill Martin
After three teen boys suffered devastating spinal cord injuries in the 1960s, they formed a profound bond and dedicated their lives to leading the independent living movement in Massachusetts. White Nine follows the story of these three survivalists turned activists and their fight for their civil rights.
XXY-47
Director(s): Adam Dov Horovitz
Producer(s): Adam Dov Horovitz
At puberty Adam was diagnosed with a chromosomal abnormality, XXY-47. A number of surgeries later, and with the knowledge that he may never be able to father biological children, Adam uses his own illustrations and medical records in this animated documentary to try and come to terms with his disorder.
CHA DOCUTAH.COM
Utah Tech University
Free Admission
Co ee and donuts will be served
DOCTalks panels include Emmy and Festival award-winning filmmakers with experience producing for major networks including HBO, Netflix, Hulu, PBS, National Geographic, and more!
Saturday, February 28 | 8:00 PM
Megaplex Theatres on Sunset Theater 5
Free Admission
with Co-Chairs
& Melissa Jeppson and Brandon & Becky Staples present
