DocUtah 2018 Wrap-Up: A list of winners and a look at the heartfelt gem, “Virgin Blacktop”
The ninth annual DocUtah International Documentary Film Festival just came to a close, and with nearly 70 entries from around the globe, this wonderful festival set out to prove, once again, that documentaries aren’t just educational. They’re also insightful, enlightening, and in many cases straight-up entertaining!
Kudos to DSU, Phil Tuckett, Karman Packard Wilson, Bruce Bennett, Della Lowe, and the entire DocUtah team for upping their game yet again! This was, perhaps, the strongest lineup of films yet, but beyond the quality of the documentaries themselves, it should be noted that festival organizers truly brought the showmanship this year. From a brand-new venue to a drive-in movie experience to tequila tasting to a series of incredibly insightful Doc Talk filmmaker seminar sessions, DocUtah stepped it up in a big way. At the very least, they have certainly set the stage for what will surely be an epic 10th anniversary celebration in 2019!
That said, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s take a look at the big award winners from DocUtah 2018.
Best Feature
“The Cleaners,” Directors: Hans Block, Moritz Riesewieck
Best Short (tie)
“The Happiness Machine,” Director: Rebecca B. Blumhagen
“The Farmer,” Director: Daan Jongbloed
Audience Favorite – Feature
“The Illuminators,” director: Antti Haase
Audience Favorite: Short
“Connection in Crisis,” Director: Dennis Zaidi
Best Foreign Film
“Genesis 2.0,” Director: Maxim Arbugaev
Emerging Filmmaker-Feature
“Minding the Gap,” Director: Bing Liu/Producer Dian Quon
Emerging Filmmaker: Short
“Lotte: That Silhouette Girl,” Director: Carla Patullo, Elizabeth Beecherl
Humanitarian Award: Feature
“The Providers,” Directors: Anna Moot-Levin, Laura Green
Humanitarian Award: Short
“Minden Replying,” Director: Maik Ludemann
Environmental Award
“Bird of Prey,” Director: Eric Liner
Filmmaker Passion Award (tie)
“The 5th Sun,” Directors: Cristiana Pecci, Matteo Maggi
“A Sniper’s War,” Director: Olya Schechter
President’s Award
“A Serenade for Fanny,” Director: Monique Marmodee
Dean’s Award
“How They Got Over,” Director: Robert Clem
Mayor’s award
“Survivors,” Director: Folke Ryden
Director’s Award: Short
“Ferryman at the Wall,” Director: David Freid
Director’s Award Feature
“Rape of Recy Taylor,” Director: Nancy Buirski
RUNNERS UP
Audience Favorite – Feature: “3000 Cups of Tea, Sea Change”
Audience Favorite – Short: “Mrs. Schneider”
Audience Favorite – Student Short: “Hidden Life”
Admittedly, I didn’t have an opportunity to see all of the big award winners this year, but I was able to take in a handful of noteworthy films. I greatly enjoyed the likes of “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story,” “Rodents of Unusual Size,” “Never Be Boring: The Billy Wilder Story,” and “Going Sane,” but my personal DocUtah 2018 Best of Fest pick goes to:
VIRGIN BLACKTOP
What can I say? I fell head over heels for “Virgin Blacktop” in a big way! This lively, heartfelt documentary chronicles the lives of a group of skateboarders in Nyack, New York from their humble beginnings in the mid-70s to the present day. The Wizards, as they would come to be known, would not only become the best of friends but would become family in every sense of the word.
I’m not a skater, but that doesn’t matter! You don’t need to be skater to fall in love with this documentary. “Virgin Blacktop” is joyful, alive, and bursting at the seams with undeniable energy! Furthermore, it’s loaded with heart. This is to say nothing of the stunning stock skating footage on display. Breathtaking stuff!
Making “Virgin Blacktop” even more impressive is the realization that professional photographer (and Wizards team member) Charlie Samuels has never made a movie before. This is his directorial debut, and he clearly put his heart and soul into this thing. This doc is the very personification of family, and I could have easily spent another three hours with these skaters!
By the time this rousing, touching, and often funny doc came to a close, I felt like I had grown up alongside these individuals. While not without their flaws (and who the hell doesn’t have flaws?), the Wizards are a wonderfully colorful group of guys whose friendship knows no bounds.
In the end, “Virgin Blacktop” may not have focused on the kinds of important and topical issues that dominated the majority of DocUtah this year but in its own way, it speaks volumes about the power of love, family, and unity in a time when so much of the world feels so dishearteningly divided. All the more reason to see it!
If Samuels puts even a fraction of the energy displayed in “Virgin Blacktop” into his next movie, then he’ll have quite a fruitful career in filmmaking to look forward to.
I absolutely adore this movie!
Once again, it was quite a year for DocUtah, and it’s safe to say that the future is looking even brighter for one of the very best documentary film festivals in the world.
For exclusive info regarding DocUtah year round, click here.
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