DOCUTAH documentary festival announces 2015 lineup

Images of DOCUTAH films in the 2015 line up | Image by Brett Barrett, St. George News

 ST. GEORGE — Dixie State University and the DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival announced the festival’s 2015 lineup Sunday. The festival, now in its sixth season, receives submissions from all over the world with topics ranging from serious to hilarious.

Trailers for 75 of the 77 films accepted into the festival can be viewed through the DOCUTAH website.

The films accepted for the festival this year include subjects as diverse as “#Chicago Girl – Social Media Takes on a Dictator,” the story of an American teenage girl armed only with Facebook, Twitter, Skype and camera phones using social media to coordinate the revolution in Syria, to lighter fare such as “BOUNCE,” which traces the history of the ball and removes the audience from the scandals and commercialism of today’s sports world to uncover the reasons humans have played ball throughout the centuries.

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Trailer for “BOUNCE” courtesy of DOCUTAH, St. George News

“Our films this year are filled with colorful characters, exotic locations and stories which are at times compelling, amazing, quirky and riveting. There really is something for everyone,” said Phil Tuckett, artistic director for DOCUTAH, associate professor and the director of the center for media innovation at the DSU media center.

“Submissions came in from 39 states and 31 countries, and the quality of production rivals any theatrical release,” Tuckett said. “The variety of subjects will bring audiences to places they have never known and allow them to experience a wide range of emotions from tears to laughter.”

In 2015, DOCUTAH received over 400 submissions, and the 77 films chosen for the festival include eight from students, who reveal remarkable talent and insight.

DOCUTAH is unique not only because it is a pure documentary festival, but also because it is university-supported, which allows both visitors and students to have easy access to this art form.

“What really strikes us about the submissions this year was the diversity — cultural, national, regional, topical, informational — and how often stories of people from one era or region can relate to the lives of others far away or far removed,” said Jeffery Jarvis, dean of the school of visual and performing arts at DSU.

“Independent documentary films inspire audiences by providing a global connection to the universal human experience,” Jarvis said. “DOCUTAH brings together independent filmmakers, aspiring film students, citizens of the world and the Southern Utah community in an educational setting on the campus of Dixie State University. We believe that this sixth year of the DOCUTAH festival is the best we have ever presented.”

This year, the film festival will be held at Dixie State University. The festival runs from Sept. 8-12 and includes filmmaker chats, seminars and gala events, all within the beautiful scenery of Southern Utah’s red rock country.

In 2015, the festival has launched a newly designed website to do justice to the quality of the films and events included in DOCUTAH, and to offer visitors a better experience.

About DOCUTAH

DOCUTAH’s mission is to inspire a global connection through independent documentary films and intellectual discussions. DOCUTAH strives to enhance the education of independent filmmakers, aspiring film students, citizens of the world and the community.

DOCUTAH is one of the few university-sponsored film festivals in the U.S. It is an international pure documentary film festival. As part of Dixie State University’s academic component, DOCUTAH also offers master class seminars and filmmaker panels where student, amateur and professional filmmakers can discuss and advance their skills in the art of filmmaking.

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