DOCUTAH will present the following ticketed gala events:

OPENING GALA
Thursday, September 16th, 2010
Reception - 5:00pm (Dixie State College: Eccles Fine Arts Center)
Gala - 7:00pm (Tuacahn Ampitheater)



"Tuacahn" comes from a Mayan word meaning "Canyon of the Gods." Built in the shadow of 1500-foot spectacular red rock cliffs, Tuacahn Amphitheater was created to awaken the nobility of the human soul and transmit light and hope to people everywhere through the arts and education.

DOCUTAH Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival plans to do just that at their opening gala to kick-off the ten-day film festival being held September 16 -25, in St. George and Kanab. The program for the evening will feature an inspirational performance by the 65-piece Dixie State College Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Paul Abegg.

“To complement the majestic beauty of the venue and to enhance the film going experience, we have decided to perform Barber’s Adagio for Strings and Dvorak’s Largo from The New World Symphony,” said Dr. Paul Abegg Director of String Studies at Dixie State College. The program will also include a stunning dance performance by the Dixie State College dancers under the direction of Dr. Li Lei.

The audience will then watch part one of Helen Whitney’s latest documentary, “Forgiveness.” Award-winning filmmaker, Helen Whitney, will be a featured guest at this event. She has been writing, producing and directing films for TV for 30 years. She has won Emmys, Duponts, and Peabodys and is widely respected for the integrity of her work, which has included the series “The Mormons.”

Her film, “Forgiveness”, is a two-part, four-hour PBS documentary special featuring intimate and emotional stories of great wrongdoings and the struggle to find the strength for forgiveness. With emotional rawness the films challenge our psychological and ethical assumptions that it is always best to forgive, and that those who embrace anger are lesser for it. Among the more personal stories of the film: A survivor of a gruesome attempted murder who single-handedly tracks down her assailant and a penitent 60’s radical on the run for more than 30 years for murder who must face her victim’s widow.

Part two of “Forgiveness” will be screened on Friday, September 17th at 7 p.m. at the Dolores Doré Eccles Fine Arts Center Mainstage Theater on the Dixie State College campus.

KANAB GALA
Friday, September 24th, 2010
Reception - 5:00pm (Frontier Movie Town)
Gala - 7:00pm (Best Friends Animal Sanctuary - Angel's Landing)


DOCUTAH’s Kanab Gala will be Friday September 24, 2010 as the film festival makes its way into the heart of “Little Hollywood.” The evening will begin with a reception at Frontier Movie Town catered by Rewind Diner. The world fusion menu will feature everything from wasabi popcorn, to chevre goat cheese stuffed leeks, to southwestern cannoli to tantalize the palate and excite the eye.

If guests are interested in experiencing Utah’s “Little Hollywood,” then Frontier Movie Town is the place to be. “The Movie Museum on the back lot of Frontier Movie Town has sets from ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales,’ ‘Sergeants 3,’ ‘One Little Indian’ and more.

After the reception, the Kanab gala will be held at “Angel’s Landing” a beautiful, natural amphitheater on the grounds of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the largest companion animal sanctuary in the United States. This 3,700-acre facility, which features stunning scenery, has served as a backdrop for well known Western films and television shows.

The evening will begin with a performance by The Symphony of the Canyons under the direction of Kortney Stirland as they perform “Movie Music Magic” - a selection of film music from productions that have been filmed in the area.

The main event will be a screening of “The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club”. A charismatic figure immortalized in Tom Wolfe's book, “The Right Stuff,” Florence 'Pancho' Barnes was one of the most important women in early 20th Century aviation. A tough and fearless pilot, Pancho flew on Amelia Earhart's wingtip, performed as a barnstormer throughout California, and made a name for herself as Hollywood's first female stunt pilot in the 1920's and 30's. Just before WWII she opened a ranch near Edwards Air Force Base that became a notorious hangout for test pilots and movie stars. Known as the 'Happy Bottom Riding Club', it became the epicenter of the aviation world during the early jet age.

“The Legend of Pancho Barnes” was produced and written by Nick Spark and directed by Amanda Pope. It features interviews with test pilots Bob Cardenas, Bob Hoover and Chuck Yeager, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and biographers Barbara Schultz and Lauren Kessler. The film is narrated by Tom Skerritt with Kathy Bates as the voice of Pancho Barnes.

2010 DOCUTAH will feature over 130 films from professionals, amateurs and student filmmakers representing 34 countries. Click the following link to view a pdf file with film descriptions, screening times and locations for all films and events.

2010 MASTER LIST - FILM SCHEDULE, INFO & VENUES 382KB pdf

   

You can find a concise list of venues and dates on our Tickets page.

DOCUTAH is featuring a variety of Master Class Educational Seminars taught by industry professionals, with an academically based/ hands-on approach to film making.

The schedule for Seminars can be found by clicking on this link to the SEMINAR SCHEDULE (90K pdf).

    Tickets for Seminars will be available in a few days. Check back soon.