DOCUTAH Collaborates with Sundance Institute to Present
Won’t You be My Neighbor?
Free Screening Offered August 24 at Eccles Fine Arts Center at DSU in St. George
August 1, 2018 — Saint George, UT —
Dixie State University
DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival™
in collaboration with
Sundance Institute
and the Sundance Summer Film Series presents a free community screening of
Won’t You Be My Neighbor
? Directed by
Academy Award-winning filmmaker
Morgan Neville, this is the story of Mr. Rogers, the unlikely television star, who came into our homes and helped us through childhood. Entertainment magazine called the film, “A balm of kindness and empathy in divisive times.” Mr. Rogers came into our homes as an unlikely star and changed children’s TV forever. The film will be shown on August 24 at the Eccles Fine Arts Center on the campus of Dixie State University in St. George and will be followed by a Q&A with producer Nicholas Ma.
Fred Rogers used puppets and play to explore complex social issues: race, disability, equality, and tragedy, helping form the American concept of childhood. He spoke directly to children and they responded enthusiastically. Yet today, his impact is unclear. Have we lived up to Fred’s ideal of good neighbors?
In
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
, Morgan Neville looks back on the legacy of Rogers, focusing on his radically kind ideas. While the nation changed around him, Rogers stood firm in his beliefs about the importance of protecting childhood. Neville pays tribute to this legacy with the latest in his series of highly engaging, moving documentary portraits of essential American artists.
“DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival is proud to collaborate with SUNDANCE INSTITUTE to present this fine family film,” said Phil Tuckett, Professor of Digital Film at DSU and Executive Director of the DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival. “
When we launched DOCUTAH in 2010, we gave ourselves a template for the future which has steadily attracted both filmmakers and audience to experience something unique - a window on the world, a global experience in the high desert. It is privilege also to be recognized by Sundance Institute as a resource for our community.”
Open seating at the Eccles is first-come, first-served. The screening is free and open to the public–no ticket needed. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. The Eccles Main Stage seats 500.
2018 DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival
This year’s Festival runs from September 3-8 and presents 68 films from 14 countries, 4 DOCTalk presentations and 6 special events. Information about all the films included in this year’s DOCUTAH Festival, special events and ticketing may be found at
docutah.com
.
2018 Sundance Summer Film Series
Now in its 21
st
year, the Sundance Summer Film Series brings free outdoor screenings to cities around Utah. This year’s Series features 11 screenings from June 16 to August 26, in Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden, Kamas and St. George. More information about the Summer Film Series can be found at
sundance.org/utah
.
