ST. GEORGE – This past weekend, viewers appreciated the creativity and diversity presented in the featured documentaries during the first weekend of the DOCUTAH Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival. The topics ranged from the humanitarian effort of the Homeless World Cup in “Streetball,” art as a healing tool for the mentally ill in “Brushes With Life,” to honoring our veterans this past Saturday with “Home from the War,” “Honor in the Valley of Tears,” and “Kaziah, the Goat Woman.”
Music was a reoccurring theme in many selections for the DOCUTAH festival such as: “El Sistema,” “Me, the Vinyl and the Rest of the World,” and “Do It Again.” “Do It Again,” directed by Robert Patton-Spruill, played at the Electric Theater in downtown St. George, with an accompanying concert by Las Vegas-area Kinks cover band “The ‘60s Sensation.” “Do It Again” is about one man's quest to reunite the '60s rock band, The Kinks. It follows Geoff Edgers, a Boston Globe staff writer, driven by both his desire to create something special before he becomes 40 and his longing to reclaim his teenage, garage band past.
At the viewing of Cambria Matlow’s “Burning in the Sun,” all were profoundly touched, and one audience member said she felt this is the way to help the people of Haiti. Although unable to attend, Matlow explained – “We attempt to open the door to what is possible in Africa and update Western cultural awareness with a profound dose of optimism.”
DOCUTAH will continue through Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010, at venues on the Dixie State College campus, and in St. George and Kanab, Utah. The film festival showcases the genre of documentary filmmaking with over 130 innovative feature and short films created by professionals, amateurs and student filmmakers from around the world. In all, 34 countries will be represented at the festival. Master class seminars will be taught by internationally renowned guest lecturers who are industry professionals.
For information on tickets, films, seminars, locations and times see www.docutah.com. Please also visit us on Twitter and Facebook, which are accessible through the DOCUTAH website.