Upcoming Events

“9,963,000 Frames: The EXTRA Years”
Dec
5

“9,963,000 Frames: The EXTRA Years”

Community Screening of:
“9,963,000 Frames: The EXTRA Years”

An unlikely creation born out of the marriage of independent filmmaking and investigative journalism, EXTRA debuted just a few weeks before the release of Star Wars.  From 1977 to 1984, it shined as a showcase of independence in the world of television.

EXTRA was unconventional and unpredictable, at times running against the grain of conservatism that dominates Utah. Inspired by 60 Minutes and born out of the passions of documentary filmmaker Diane Orr and Utah journalist Lucky Severson, it featured some of the best visual storytelling of the era.

Now, that revolutionary idea is being honored by the Utah Film Commission as part of 100 Years of Film and Television in Utah, with a screening of 9,963,000 Frames: The EXTRA Years.

Post-screening Q&A participants to include:

  • Ken Fall: Cinematographer, Producer

  • Judy Hallet: Former National Geographic Explorer Producer/Director

  • Trent Harris: Rubin & Ed, Plan 10 From Outer Space, The Beaver Trilogy

  • Karl Idsvoog: Investigative Reporter

  • Diane Orr: Documentary Filmmaker

  • Bill Lord: Middle East Correspondent, NBC News

  • Lucky Severson: Former NBC News Correspondent

  • Larry Warren: Investigative Reporter

Screening to be held at the Salt Lake City Main Library: 210 E 400 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

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Business of Filmmaking: Funding your Documentary Workshop
Dec
14

Business of Filmmaking: Funding your Documentary Workshop

The Business of Filmmaking:
Funding Your Documentary

December 14, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Location: Utah Film Center

$100, Artist Foundry Members receive a discount

This season’s Business of Filmmaking Workshop series will be a comprehensive deep dive into the business aspects of making your short film, feature film, documentary, or TV pilot/series, providing you with resources to create an effective infrastructure in order for your project to succeed.

With industry expert instructors, including local PGA Producer, Marcie Gibboney, and independent producers, Nicole Docta and Jenny Mackenzie, this educational series consists of presentations, discussion, and workshopping your project.

This workshop, co-presented by the Artist Foundry and Utah Documentary Association, will focus on various paths for funding nonfiction projects. We will work through best practices for writing grants and crowdfunding, the DPA’s waterfall guidelines, equity investments, and how to create a budget. There will also be time for direct support on individual projects, whether that’s taking the first steps to outline your crowdfunding campaign, making a list of project-aligned grants, or creating a first draft of your budget.

The cost of this workshop is $100.

  • Artist Foundry members receive a 25% discount – see member portal for code.

  • Due to generous grant funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (brought to us by the Salt Lake Mayor’s Office of Economic Development), we were able to provide scholarships through August 31st, 2024 for Salt Lake City residents with additional workshop discounts during their 1-year free membership. If you participated in this scholarship program, reach out to amadden@utahfilmcenter.org for a 75% discount.

Register for the Workshop

Jenny Mackenzie

Dr. Jenny Mackenzie’s films have aired on top broadcast and VOD channels such as HBO, HULU, PBS, and Amazon, and have received praise in the New York Times, The LA Times and The Hollywood Reporter. Her films include KICK LIKE A GIRL, SUGAR BABIES,  LEAD WITH LOVE, DYING IN VEIN, QUIET HEROES and THE RIGHT TO READ. Jenny has a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, a Ph.D. from the University of Utah and is an assistant professor in documentary film production at Utah Valley University.


Nicole Docta

Nicole Docta (she/her) is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who has focused her career on producing socially provoking BIPOC stories and managing their impact campaigns. Nicole was part of the producing teams on Peabody Award-winning and Emmy-nominated THE JUDGE (TIFF 2017) and Emmy Award-winning BELLY OF THE BEAST (HRWFF 2020) with Director Erika Cohn, and duPont Award-winner THROUGH THE NIGHT (Tribeca 2020) with Director Loira Limbal. Nicole worked as the Special Initiatives Producer at Firelight Media for three years co-curating the Beyond Resilience Series and helping to implement new artist programs to support BIPOC filmmakers. She volunteers on the DPA Equity & Inclusion Committee and for Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc) and is an active member of Brown Girls Doc Mafia (BGDM). Nicole is also a USC CPD NextGen Creative Fellow, one of DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40, a PGA Create alum, Sundance Producer Fellow, and Impact Partners Producer Fellow.

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“Outstretched Hands” February 13, 2025 Work-in-Progress Screening
Feb
13

“Outstretched Hands” February 13, 2025 Work-in-Progress Screening

  • Salt Lake Community College - Center for Arts and Media Screening Room (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Utah Documentary Association Work-in-Progress Screening

Join us for our February 13, 2025 Work-in-Progress screening of Outstretched Hands, directed by Jared Jones.

Outstretched Hands (Working Title) is a story about two seemingly very different groups coming together and developing a strong connection. Despite cultural, religious and other differences, a group of American soldiers and this remote village in Afghanistan formed a kinship that transcended the apparent divide.

What we found: we had more in common than not. This is a story about different cultures who – more than anything else – wanted to get to know and understand one another, and in doing so, forged a bond that should not be forgotten. More than that: it should be celebrated. Come join us in getting a rare glimpse of a misunderstood people in a faraway land, and understanding “the other.”

This film is not yet rated and deals with some mature themes, such as: facing the unknown, life in combat, dealing with PTSD, looking for and finding a purpose, human rights, and perhaps most importantly… friendship and faith in each other. But that was 20 years ago, and we worry about the everyday people of Afghanistan, especially due to declining rights of women there.

Filmmaker Bio:

CW5 Jared Jones is a retired Warrant Officer, having served in the Utah National Guard for over 25 years.  He is a former AH-64 Apache helicopter pilot and has deployed to Afghanistan three times.  Each deployment was of course very different – the first one was truly unique.  In 2004-5, his Aviation Task Force found a village in the remote mountains of Afghanistan and formed deep relationships with the people there.   

Jared is a graduate of the University of Utah's Film/Media program, but on this first deployment was a new pilot in the middle of film school.  He brought his Canon GL-1 camera with him and returned with over 50 hours of footage and some truly unique footage.

WIP screener intro

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“Diverted” May 15, 2025 Work-in-Progress Screening
May
15

“Diverted” May 15, 2025 Work-in-Progress Screening

  • Salt Lake Community College - Center for Arts and Media Screening Room (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Utah Documentary Association Work-in-Progress Screening

Join us for our May 2025 Work-in-Progress screening of Diverted: Indigenous Stewardship and Saving Great Salt Lake, directed by Valene Peratrovich.
Utah Documentary Association Work-in-Progress Screening

Join us for our May 2025 Work-in-Progress screening of Diverted: Indigenous Stewardship and Saving Great Salt Lake, directed by Valene Peratrovich.

Logline: Great Salt Lake is a natural wonder that is disappearing before our very eyes. Indigenous stewardship over natural resources has been carried out successfully in other states and the time has come for Great Salt Lake before it fades away forever.

Diverted trailer

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“You’re Fine” Work-in-Progress Screening
Nov
14

“You’re Fine” Work-in-Progress Screening

  • Salt Lake Community College - Center for Arts and Media Screening Room (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join us for our upcoming Work-In-Progress screening. We'll be screening You're Fine the latest project from director Paige Sparks

We'll screen a rough cut and provide valuable feedback to the filmmakers as they move ahead in this critical moment of their edit. This is a great opportunity to get more involved in the documentary community here in Utah, so we hope you'll join us. 

Seating is limited so please reserve your seat nowthrough Zeffy.

More about You're Fine

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and concussions remain enigmatic in the medical world, despite affecting over 3 million individuals annually through various incidents like sports injuries, domestic violence, car crashes, or simple falls. These injuries, though internal, inflict severe consequences on individuals' lives, from exorbitant medical bills to feelings of isolation, misunderstanding, and depression due to misdiagnosis and medical gaslighting. Amplifying this issue, women and minorities face systemic inequities in healthcare, often dismissed as "anxious" or "sensitive" when seeking assistance. Drawing from personal experiences, the producers of this film share their encounters with medical gaslighting, seeking validation through others' stories. Through extensive outreach, they uncover a community of disregarded individuals grappling with the daily ramifications of head injuries. "You're Fine" aims to illuminate the real impact of medical discrimination, particularly concerning invisible injuries like TBIs and concussions.

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Free Documentary Screening Event of "TikTok, Boom"
Nov
6

Free Documentary Screening Event of "TikTok, Boom"

  • Salt Lake Community College Screening Room (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Come enjoy thought-provoking films at the

SLCC Center for Arts and Media!  

Each screening will be followed by a discussion with SLCC faculty.  

Free and open to the public | No tickets required

Screenings begin at 6 PM

SLCC South City Campus Screening Room

1575 S. State Street, Salt Lake City 

Free parking after 5:00 PM on the east side of South City Campus using code FALLFILMS at the kiosk.

TikTok, Boom.

Film Not Rated

With TikTok crowned the world's most downloaded app, these are the personal stories of a cultural phenomenon, told through an ensemble cast of Gen-Z natives, journalists and experts alike.

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Fall Mixer/Meetup
Sep
6

Fall Mixer/Meetup

You’re invited to the UDA
Fall Mixer!

Date: September 6
Time: 7:00-10:00 PM
Location: Mountain West Cider (across from the Utah Film Center)

Join us for an evening of socializing and networking at Mountain West Cider. Enjoy the lively atmosphere and great company, and then take a short stroll to the Utah Film Center for exclusive sneak peeks of the new facility at 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM.

Los Tapia Kitchen food truck will be outside of Mountain West Cider for our event. We will also have drinks inside the Utah Film Center.

This event is free, but we ask that you RSVP.

RSVP at: https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/8bffe255-5ca1-4e73-bb8c-29db6bb9895d

Please note: Mountain West Cider is a 21+ venue, while the new Utah Film Center welcomes documentarians and enthusiasts of all ages.

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Davey Fest 2024 Short Docs in partnership with Utah Documentary Association and Artist Foundry at Utah Film Center
Jun
29

Davey Fest 2024 Short Docs in partnership with Utah Documentary Association and Artist Foundry at Utah Film Center

Sat, June 29, 2:00pm, 21+

Davey Fest 2024 Short Docs in partnership with Utah Documentary Association and Artist Foundry at Utah Film Center

Documentary films screened at this event:

Confused Blood, James Cutler

Call Me Anytime, I’m Not Leaving the House, Sanjna Selva

Expanding Sanctuary, Kristal Sotomayor

The Paternal Prism, Jon Tinsley

While We’re Here, Aaron McClintock & Dylan Wineland

What We Show Them, Brian Durkee & Nate Stranzl

American Seams, Carly Jakins

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Davey Fest 2024 Tailgate Party!
Jun
28

Davey Fest 2024 Tailgate Party!

7:00pm • Davey Fest 2024 Opening Tailgate Party, 21+

Followed by …

9:30pm • Short films

You Are Here, Michael Friberg ︎

All the Words on the Page, Hunter Gause

Bellybutton, Hilary Eden

Death and Ramen, Tiger Ji

It Came From Inside!, Aura Martinez Sandoval & Jackson Rees ︎

The Basics of Love, Joshua Nathan

The Touch of the Master’s Hand, Gregory Barnes ︎

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"The Crux" WIP Screening
Jun
20

"The Crux" WIP Screening

  • Salt Lake Community College - Center for Arts and Media (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

The Crux from the filmmaker Phil Hessler and his team at WZRD Media:

High stakes, fierce rivalries and dreams teetering on the edge - welcome to the captivating world of competitive climbing. The Crux is a heart-pounding, four-part docu-series that thrusts you into the Climbing World Cup circuit - the ultimate battleground for the world's elite climbers. Every year, they traverse the globe, competing in a relentless series of events, all leading to the grand finale: the World Championship. In this high-octane arena, rivalries ignite, legacies are forged, and only one can be crowned the world's best climber. The series will be releasing in Mid-July with National Geographic and we will be screening the first two episodes for feedback. We're genuinely interested in how you feel like the characters are resonating, if you understand the way the climbing competition works, and how you feel about the stakes and drama as it is laid out.

Let us know you are coming:

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/dd588030-e8d2-4c0c-9224-71c8a7104f0d

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Grant Writing Working Group
Aug
23

Grant Writing Working Group

Seeking funding for your documentary? Our Producer's Grant-Writing Accountability Group provides guidance, mentorship, and resources to help you navigate the competitive grant application process and secure the financial support needed to bring your vision to life.

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