DOCUTAH announces 2018 film lineup
Premier screening of “Dreams of the Black Echo” co-produced with Duy Tan University in Vietnam
By Della Lowe
Dixie State University’s DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival announced its 2018 lineup of 67 films — 47 feature length and 20 short films. The festival, which runs from Sept. 3 through 8, includes films from 14 countries. This year, the film “Dreams of the Black Echo” — a co-production with Duy Tan University in Vietnam and DSU film students, faculty, and staff — launches the festival Sept. 3 with a gala evening and screening at The Electric Theater. It is the story of the Vietnam War, told through the reminiscences and experience of veterans from both sides of the conflict and one significant battle. Film students at Duy Tan University produced half the film from the perspective of their veterans, and DSU film students and faculty produced half the film at DSU using U.S. veterans as the storytellers.
“’Dreams of the Black Echo’ is not a sweeping 14-year saga but rather the story told through one event, the battle of Khe Sanh, which took place January–July 1968,” said Phil Tuckett, professor of digital film at DSU and executive director of DOCUTAH. “Everyone in the film gives eyewitness testimony of what they saw and experienced in that battle. Although there was plenty of propaganda pumped out on both sides, we found these veterans were completely oblivious to it because they were living the reality of war on the ground. It comes down to a basic shared experience told from both sides of the front lines. I think that is what makes the film unique.”
This year’s selections cover a wide range of subjects, but all of them connect attendees to a broader understanding of the common human experience. The list of features and shorts can be found at docutah.com. Special events are still being put together and will be added to the website in coming weeks.
“When we launched DOCUTAH in 2010, the festival was two weeks long, which was a bit overly ambitious, but we did it and gave ourselves a template for the future which has steadily attracted both filmmakers and audience to experience something unique: a window on the world, a global experience in the high desert, never sugar coated or censored, allowing the filmmakers to express their vision of the people and topics they cover,” said Tuckett.
DOCUTAH audiences also can interact directly with filmmakers through post-screening Q&A sessions as well as daily DOC talk events, intimate conversations that bring together these accomplished artists, allowing attendees and budding filmmakers to hear their thoughts on the joys, pitfalls, struggles, and successes when tackling documentary filmmaking. During these talks, attendees can ask questions and get advice on the business of filmmaking from those who have been there, done that.
More information about all the films included in this year’s DOCUTAH festival, special events, and ticketing may be found at docutah.com. Specific program information and film screening schedules will be announced on the website in August.
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