Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival
The Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival (DOCUTAH) is an annual film festival, held in September, that strives to recognize some of the best in international documentary films.[1] Hosted by Dixie State University (DSU), the festival screens films at various locations throughout the southern Utah area, including Ivins, Springdale, Kanab, and St. George.
DOCUTAH, also, has an educational focus, and features “master class educational seminars.”
Contents
History
Dixie State University founded DOCUTAH in 2009. From the beginning, this Festival has aimed to provide attendees with not only a meaningful film-going experience, but also an educational one through its “master class educational seminars.”
The originator of the festival idea, Phil Tuckett, serves as the director of the Dick Nourse Center for Media Innovation at DSU. When he returned to his junior college (DSU) in 2006, after 38 years of working for NFL Films and receiving 30 Emmy Awards, he felt that the southern Utah area would serve as the perfect place to hold an international documentary film festival.[2]
After working for several months with DSU’s Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Christina Schultz, to make his vision come to fruition, Tuckett officially announced DOCUTAH on 24 September 2009.
The City of St. George, the St. George Convention and Tourism office, the City of Kanab, and Kane County’s Office of Tourism and Film Commission (along with the Center for Education, Business,and the Arts) were some of the first to support and sponsor DOCUTAH.
Structure
The Festival runs for ten days annually, including two weekends, in the month of September.
Screenings
The Festival screens films throughout the southern Utah area, in both indoor and outdoor locations. Some notable outdoor venues include Tuachan Amphitheater in Ivins, UT, and the O.C. Tanner Amphitheater in Springdale, UT.
Master Class Educational Seminars
Film industry professionals are scheduled to teach the educational seminars during the Festival, which focus both on academic knowledge and real world application.
Film Categories
DOCUTAH has two separate film entry categories, one for general entrants and one for students. These both have sub-categories.[3]
General:
- Minis running less than 5 minutes (including titles and credits)
- Short documentaries up to 45 minutes (including titles and credits)
- Features more than 45 minutes
Student:
- High School Student Film
- College/University Student Film
Awards
Five judges make up the DOCUTAH awards panel.
They confer the honors for the following categories:
- Judges Award
DOCUTAH also has an award for the Audience Favorite.
