The DOCUTAH International Film Festival enters its 16th season with many events to further its mission to promote education and create an atmosphere of community and camaraderie. Whether it is on the Utah Tech University campus or out in other parts of southern Utah, DOCUTAH continues to actively change the world through the creative business of filmed storytelling.
The 16th Annual DOCUTAH International Film Festival will take place February 26–28, 2026 at the Megaplex Theatres on Sunset. As always, the best of new documentary films will be featured including a showcase of student films by students or recent graduates of the UT Film Department. The event will be packed with opportunities to hear from filmmaking personnel at post screening Q & A’s well as at the free to the public DOCTalk Masterclasses. More information will be coming soon so clear your schedules now to get ready for an electric weekend celebrating the art of documentary film.
DOCUTAH is a program of Utah Tech University College of the Arts and the UT Digital Film Program. The 2025 festival held in February saw student involvement soar, with over 200 students participating. Students had the incredible opportunity to attend meet and greets and masterclasses with visiting filmmakers as well as learn the ins-and-outs of festival operations and production.
“Utah Tech students are at the center of everything we do,” says Karman Wilson, Utah Tech Assistant Dean of Professional Arts and Executive Director of DOCUTAH. “They get hands on training and interaction with professional filmmakers from day one. Combine that with incredible films, enthusiastic patrons and the A-Team of festival administration and volunteers and you get DOCUTAH; the perfect community-building partnership between the university and the City of St. George. “
Highlights of events in the community over the last year include hosting free film screenings with PBS Utah, the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office, and being a featured partner for the Electric Film series presented by the Film and Media Alliance of Southern Utah.
The PBS Utah screenings featured the films Hollywood in Utah and Free for All: The Public Library. Hollywood in Utah follows the history of the film industry in Utah, particularly in southern Utah, and was presented as part of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and the Utah Film Commissions’ 100 Years of Film in Utah celebration. The Public Library film was shown in conjunction with the Utah Library Association Annual Conference and teaches the history of the public library. Always an important element of DOCUTAH, an insightful discussion followed the films and patrons enjoyed refreshments provided by PBS Utah.
In partnership with the Utah Tech Cello Festival, DOCUTAH welcomed members of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade office. They presented the film To Be Continued, a look at the history of entertainment in Hong Kong through the lense of the historic theater where the acts performed. In addition to two senior members of HKETO, professional performers visiting from Hong Kong participated in the Cello Festival. The festival is managed by Dr. Ka-Wai Yu, Director of the cello festival and a UT Music Department faculty member.
The DOCUTAH Best of Fest series at the Center for the Arts at Kayenta is underway, presenting a selection of films from the 2025 festival. The monthly film screening is part of Kayenta’s First Friday event happening the first Friday of every month from September to June. Shown in the Lorraine Boccardo Theater, the DOCUTAH Best of Fest continues a wonderful partnership with Kayenta and provides the community with the opportunity to see films they may have missed during the festival. For more information on the Center for the Arts at Kayenta’s First Friday events go to https://kayentaarts.org.
DOCUTAH partnered with the Film and Media Alliance of Southern Utah this year to help with the Electric Film Series at the historic Electric Theater in downtown St. George. FMASU founders Adam Mast and John Pugh share, “The Film and Media Alliance of Southern and The Electric Film Series are incredibly grateful for their partnership with the amazing team at DOCUTAH. As an outlet designed to enlighten, entertain, and educate through the power of film, DOCUTAH’s mission statement aligns with that of FMASU’s making this a match made in Heaven. We feel beyond fortunate to have collaborated with this reputable organization and look forward to seeing this partnership continue.”
The Electric Film Series is free to the public every third Tuesday and features an array of thoughtfully chosen films, incredible discussions and a lot of fun. Head to https://www.fmasu.com/electricfilmseries to find out more.
DOCUTAH has a proud tradition of excellence and a goal of continuing to offer valuable experiences to the campus and community. To learn more, please visit https://docutah.com.