PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER

Matt Black is the director/editor of the feature documentary Bright Spark: The Reconciliation of Trevor Southey which had a six week theatrical run in Utah and will air nationally on PBS in 2024. He served on the steering committee of the Seattle Documentary Association from 2016-2017, and his experience with that group inspired him to start a similar association to serve the filmmaking community here in Utah. Matt has a master's degree in Documentary Film from Stanford University and was a Filmmaker-in-Residence at the Utah Film Center from 2021-2023.

VICE PRESIDENT

Tyler Smith is an Associate Professor of Film in the Department of Performing Arts at Salt Lake Community College. Tyler is a geek at heart. His research interests are documentary film, visual anthropology, media in culture, diversity in media, media ethics, and using the camera as a research tool.

Tyler began teaching in 1998 as a graduate student while studying documentary film and over the past 25 years has taught a variety of courses in film and television production, film criticism, and research writing. As a documentary filmmaker and artist, Tyler considers himself a professional people watcher who enjoys studying the connections between media and society.

SECRETARY

J.R. Hardman serves as Associate Producer at PBS Utah for the award-winning series This is Utah and Utah Insight. She previously served as Operations Manager for Sundance Institute Artist Programs; as Senior Tour Manager for Campus Movie Fest, the world's largest student film festival; and as Technical Director for Camp Flix kids filmmaking camp. J.R. has created short films which have premiered at a variety of festivals including Outfest and the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. She earned her BA in Cinema/Television Production and Spanish from the University of Southern California. J.R.’s first feature-length documentary as director, Reenactress, is currently in production. She also serves as Co-chair of the Membership Committee and on the Board for the Documentary Producers Alliance.

TREASURER

Having worked on various film sets since 1998, Richardson has always had a passion for filmmaking. Earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Digital Filmmaking and Video Production from The Art Institute of Salt Lake in 2011, he shortly thereafter founded Glemati Road Pictures, a successful industrial filmmaking business in Salt Lake City.

A multi-award winning director and producer, he has worked on many different kinds of productions in countries all over the world. From award winning commercials, documentaries, feature films, cable television shows, the 2018 Winter Olympics in Korea, and industrial films, Richardson has experienced nearly the full gamut of media production.

STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER

Savannah Coles is a dynamic filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer for the Utah film community. Savannah has been crafting and bringing to life a diverse range of films, from gripping short films, documentaries, and soon feature films. With a passion for storytelling and a deep connection to Utah's rich cultural landscape, Savannah has fostered local talent and collaborated with various creatives, helping to elevate the state's film industry. Known for a hands-on approach and a commitment to authentic narratives, Savannah hopes to continue to enrich the Utah film scene.

STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER

Nicole Docta (she/her) is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who has focused her career on producing socially provoking BIPOC stories. She last produced Emmy Award-winning BELLY OF THE BEAST (HRWFF 2020), and duPont Award-winner THROUGH THE NIGHT (Tribeca 2021). 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.

STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER

Sam worked as an in-house producer for the outdoor industry for four years, but is now committed to telling the raw, intimate and vulnerable stories of the complex human condition through documentary filmmaking. Sam has worked on two non-fiction shorts: Meet Me Where I Am and Winding Path. Dedicated to various forms of filmmaking; Sam has also directed and produced her first festival-run dance film, September. Finding joy in the dirty and chaotic moments, the shy stranger and convoluted logistics, Sam has a quiet fire to share the truth and beauty of this fragile existence. She is currently associate producer for the feature-length documentary, We Arrive With Fire about cultural burning on Ancestral lands. 

STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER

Holly Tuckett is a veteran storyteller, filmmaker and cinematographer. Anchor Point is her second feature-length documentary film. Her first, Church & State, debuted in 2018, winning a Special Jury Award at AmDocs and Best Feature Documentary at the Nice International Film Festival in France. Her documentary short, “Timi Earl Skelton Girl” — which she produced, directed & edited — screened at the Park City Film Series in conjunction with the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Holly’s producing credits also include the 2008 festival circuit favorite Una Vida Mejor. Holly has contributed to nearly 100 film/television productions, including work for National Geographic, Discovery, Vice, TLC, NBC Olympic broadcasts & more.

PAST STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER

PAST STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER