Written by Nick Fiala

From nature documentaries to stories exploring addiction, wildfire and mental health, the 2026 DocUtah International Documentary Film Festival brings 57 films to St. George this week. 

The films will screen Feb. 26-28 at St. George’s Megaplex Theatres at Sunset, 1091 N. Bluff St., with an awards ceremony set for 8 p.m. on the final night. Many of this year’s selections are regional premieres.

Two featured directors will host DocTalk Masterclasses at Utah Tech University, where the festival began. The free masterclasses begin at 9 a.m. Thursday and Friday in the Zions Bank Room at the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons & Library. Coffee and donuts will be provided.

The festival closes with a screening of “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” recipient of Utah Tech University’s Trailblazer Award.

Christopher Reeve’s son, Matthew Reeve, said he and his siblings were thrilled to learn that the festival was honoring their father with a posthumous award.

“We deeply appreciate your recognition of his achievement,” he said.

The Trailblazer Award is meant to honor individuals who have “made a significant contribution to society.” This award and other recognitions will be presented at the festival’s award ceremony.

DocUtah Program Director Tisa Zito said the festival’s staff reviewed 152 films this year for the festival.

“Every year we pick the best in story and film production from all over the world,” Zito said. “Interestingly, every year there is a recurring theme. The year after COVID we had a lot of health focused films and last year a lot of political films. This year we had several nature docs, as if people are looking for a bit of escapism.” 

One of the attendees at the festival will be a student filmmaker who spent four months making a short film titled “As I Witness,” which explores colonization.   

The first film, “Remnants,” directed by Michael Catenacci, is about several generations of the Bowen rancher family and how they are affected by fires in California. Catenacci will be leading a DocTalk on Thursday, Feb. 26.  

The second film, “Before the Moon Falls,” directed by Kimberlee Bassford, centers on a Samoan writer, Sia Figiel, who struggles with mental illness. Bassford will be leading a DocTalk on Friday, Feb. 27.

“The production itself matches the poetic content of the film, and there are quite a few twists to the story,” Zito said. 

Highlighting a third film, “This Is Pike County,” Zito said the documentary’s look at addiction and poverty serves as “a microcosm of the world we’re living in.”

“It's solid proof that we need more support for therapists and mental health professionals,” she said. “The director, Laura Paglin, has a great eye for knowing what to film and what characters are revealing. I was hooked at the very first scene.”