Film

Two excellent dance productions: Repertory Dance Theatre’s Link Series, Thayer Jonutz, Out of the Ashes; Samba Fogo’s Chama Do Coração (The Burning Call Of The Heart) 

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The first part of spring has brought numerous dance productions of note. The Utah Review features two recent examples. REPERTORY DANCE THEATRE’S LINK SERIES: THAYER JONUTZ, OUT OF THE ASHES It always is an audacious enterprise for modern dance artists to perform truly as their authentic selves in works choreographed by others, but that sense … Read more

Material Art Gallery’s Grief Work is most ambitious exhibition in its young history: a paragon of collaborative multidisciplinary excellence

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In her 2015 master of fine arts’ thesis, Molly Heller wrote about her formative development as a dancer. performer, choreographer and teacher. “It is in the act of being witnessed and witnessing that I feel my existence. I believe that we are all part of the same mystery and collectively we search for meaning. On … Read more

salt 17 at Utah Museum of Fine Arts: Adama Delphine Fawundu’s cross-continental creative dynamics bring poetic harmony to a museum collection’s living archives

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The most significant takeaway from the Utah Museum of Fine Arts ongoing salt exhibition series, has been demonstrating the diasporic knowledge of culture as so spiritually, socially, ethically and epistemologically potent that its most meaningful and historically accurate expressions emerge not through the neutral space of conventional categorization, but rather by honoring the diasporic origins … Read more

Sundance 2026: Comprehensive dive into a fascinating, diverse slate of short films

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This was a signature year of short films at Sundance. Four program tracks highlight the incredible spectrum of approaches in this compact format. For The Utah Review’s feature reviews about the remainder of the short film slate, see these links: Animated Short Film Program, Documentary Short Film Program, Midnight Short Film Program and Short Film … Read more

Sundance 2026: Brilliant cultural documentary with profound sociopolitical relevance shapes American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez

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One of the most important considerations for any arts critic and reviewer is to ponder the role that new work plays in the  democratization of society. For any critic to embrace a genuine role as a public intellectual when commenting on the arts and culture, that individual must set aside their personal tastes and view … Read more

Sundance 2026: Hot Water, Episodic Fiction Pilot Showcase offer solid comedic moments

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Comedy also has its place on this year’s Sundance slate, including the feature-length Hot Water and three selections in the Episodic Fiction Pilot Showcase.  A boilerplate road comedy but anchored with some unique features to captivate the audience’s attention, Hot Water is a Sundance feature-length narrative debut for director and screenwriter Ramzi Bashour. Utahns also … Read more

Sundance 2026: Septet in Short Film Program 2 is marvelous offering of excellent acting performances

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The septet of juried offerings in the second track of the Sundance Short Film program reiterate the strength of this year’s slate in this cinematic format, particularly in the quality of acting across the board. Seniors, directed by Adam Curley, shows promise as a comedic feature-length film. It is the morning of the day when … Read more

Sundance 2026: Three masterfully crafted documentaries to contemplate contemporary moral, ethical challenges: One in a Million, Kikuyu Land and Seized

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With different subjects and geographical locations, three Sundance Film Festival documentaries are masterfully crafted contemplations of our greatest contemporary moral and ethical responsibilities, when considered together.   ONE IN A MILLION One In A Million (directed by Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes) is an exceptional documentary. The documentary chronicles the experiences of Isra’a from her preteen … Read more

Sundance 2026: Weird is smart, funny, thrilling and elucidating in Midnight Short Program’s set of six miniature gems

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After making her Sundance debut in the Midnight Short Program with the short narrative Prime, also her first film as a director, Meagan Coyle says she still eats meat and she still feels bad about it. Prime is a deliciously sardonic comedy about how ethical consumption is defined, the privilege of those who champion its … Read more

Sundance 2026: A robust intellectually curious inquiry into the Not AI motif: Valerie Veatch’s Ghost in the Machine documentary is compelling conversation starter

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The ‘Not AI’ motif comes through robustly in the urgent tone of the punk aesthetic approach that propels Valerie Veatch’s documentary Ghost in the Machine. Previously, her Sundance-premiering films Me @ The Zoo (HBO) and Love  Child 사이버 사랑 (HBO) examined how new technologies reshape our conceptions and perceptions identity, power and culture. In her … Read more