Film

Not just a Utah film, By His Hand, by the Paur brothers, hits elegantly on escaping from the pessimistic gloom of the zeigeist to find new journeys for kindness, community, self empowerment

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By His Hand is a film made in Utah by local filmmakers who also are brothers that incorporated their own experiences about living in Utah. Set in rural portions of the Beehive State, the film follows a young woman who escapes a fundamentalist sect, only to realize that her story is more than just survival. … Read more

Utah Arts Festival at 50: Awards announced for Artist Marketplace, Fear No Film, People’s Choice for Performing Arts

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The 50th Utah Arts Festival announced awards for the Artist Marketplace and Fear No Film, along with the People’s Choice Performing Artist Award. “This 50th anniversary Utah Arts Festival proved what’s possible when we invest in artists and invite the public into the experience. From BANDALOOP’s breathtaking vertical dance on the Main Library glass wall … Read more

Utah Arts Festival at 50: Constance Anderson’s multidisciplinary profile: Sissy at Fear No Film; Phantom Limb performance by Sock Opera Dance

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EDITOR’S NOTE: For preview coverage of the 50th Utah Arts Festival, which runs June 18-21, The Utah Review is presenting individual or group profiles of artists, performers, entertainers and some newcomers to the event. The curtain raiser highlights the history of the Festival which is marking its golden anniversary. BANDALOOP, among the most prominent pioneers … Read more

Utah Arts Festival at 50: 23rd Fear No Film set for 84 short films from 20 countries, second largest in program history; 15 from Utah; 10 from Iran

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EDITOR’S NOTE: For preview coverage of the 50th Utah Arts Festival, which runs June 18-21, The Utah Review is presenting individual or group profiles of artists, performers, entertainers and some newcomers to the event. The curtain raiser highlights the history of the Festival which is marking its golden anniversary. BANDALOOP, among the most prominent pioneers … Read more

Utah Arts Festival at 50: Elevating the art of the tribute band, The Discographers set to pay multimedia tribute to David Bowie’s lifetime catalog of songs

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EDITOR’S NOTE: For preview coverage of the 50th Utah Arts Festival, which runs June 18-21, The Utah Review is presenting individual or group profiles of artists, performers, entertainers and some newcomers to the event. The curtain raiser highlights the history of the Festival which is marking its golden anniversary. BANDALOOP, among the most prominent pioneers … Read more

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