DOCUTAH announces DOCUTAH Red Cliffs Theaters at Red Cliffs Mall
By Della Lowe
DOCUTAH continues to grow and expand its offerings each year. We are excited to be entering a new era using the Red Cliffs theater complex at the Red Cliffs Mall in St. George as our main venue this year to launch the DOCUTAH Red Cliffs Theaters. The location not only offers a professional theater complex for viewing films but also allows us to create unique special events to complement the screenings. Other screenings will continue to be held at both the Electric Theater and the Eccles Main Stage during the Festival.
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 Dixie state 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 to July 1968,” said Phil Tuckett, professor of digital film at DSU and executive director of DOCUTAH. “Everyone in 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 A–Z lists of features, shorts, and trailers and a schedule can be found on the DOCUTAH website. Special events are also listed on the website, but watch for exciting additions in the coming weeks.
DOCUTAH audiences also can interact directly with filmmakers through post-screening Q&A sessions as well as daily DOCtalk 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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