Utah Arts Festival 2021: You Are Always 20 takes Fear No Film’s Grand Jury Best of Show; Fear No Filmmaker Award goes to Luis Fernando Puente for The Moon and The Hummingbird

Twelve awards have been announced in the 18th Fear No Film portion of the Utah Arts Festival, including a Grand Jury Prize, Fear No Filmmaker Award, three honorable mentions and seven audience awards. Winning Grand Jury Best of Show is the Swedish short film, You Are Always 20, directed by Christer Wahlberg, is based on … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2021: Creative Zone, Art & Technology, Urban Arts venues set for three full days of activities

Although a bit scaled back this year, the Utah Arts Festival’s Art & Technology, Creative Zone and Urban Art venues will have plenty of activities for patrons and their families. Creative Zone Open all three days between noon and 8 p.m., the Creative Zone this year temporarily replaces the Kids’ Art Yard, out of prudence … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2021: Music highlights include headliner Las Cafeteras from East LA; local standouts Fry Pan Band, La Calavera, Mel Soul, Brent Yo and The Messenger

Las Cafeteras (Aug. 28, 9:30 p.m., Festival Stage) It has been three years since Las Cafeteras, the acoustic alt-folk rock band from East Los Angeles, performed in Salt Lake City, at The University of Utah. They appeared then with the all-female mariachi crew Flor de Toloache, who had won a Latin Grammy just a year … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2021: artÉmotion in collaboration with Ballet West set to premiere five dance commissions with live music

In the decade since the Utah Arts Festival added dance commissions to its chamber music and jazz world premieres, Ballet West artists have established stellar standards in the program. This year’s program (Aug. 27, 4:45 p.m., Festival Stage), however, takes the dance commissions to a new level, featuring more new works and artists than ever … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2021: Five local companies set to perform on Festival Stage, The Round, highlighting Utah’s numerous strengths in dance.

This year’s Festival Stage and The Round programming at the Utah Arts Festival, as customary, includes some of Utah’s most influential dance institutions. In addition to the dance commissions being presented by artÉmotion (see accompanying feature at The Utah Review) in collaboration with Ballet West (Aug. 27, 4:45 p.m.), there are five performances by Repertory … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2021: Fear No Film set for three days of screening at The Leonardo, featuring nine programs totaling 67 short films from 22 countries

EDITOR’S NOTE: To read more about this year’s Fear No Film slate, including the Utah Made Film program, see here. With the pandemic, some might have wondered what the extent and scope of submissions for an international short film program might look like. This year’s Fear No Film program at the Utah Arts Festival, the … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2021: The official slate of 67 films in nine programs for the 18th presentation of Fear No Film

This year’s Fear No Film program for the 45th Utah Arts Festival includes nine rotating programs of short films representing 22 countries and will be screened in the third floor auditorium of The Leonardo museum. Audience members are reminded that masks will be required for the indoor program. Each screening lasts approximately one hour. The … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2021: Literary Arts program, now in its 27th year, adds new features including BIPOC literary program, readings by college student writers, performances at three stages

EDITOR’S NOTE: To read more about some highlights of this year’s Utah Arts Festival literary arts program, see the features about the BIPOC literary program here, A. M. Luzzader and Chadd VanZanten here, Danielle Susi and the SLCC student writers here and the indie and team poetry slams here.  Now in its 27th year at … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2021: BIPOC literary program heightens visibility of thriving sustained voices to strengthen resolve for achieving equity in community

For a significant stretch of time, Utah’s literary arts community has been animated by an impressive diverse range of poets, authors and performers but this year’s new BIPOC literary arts program at the Utah Arts Festival emphasizes a presence that informs audiences and readers just how extensively many writers have enlightened and reshaped the region’s … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2021: More than just wife and husband, A. M. Luzzader and Chadd VanZanten find mutual support in each other for productive careers as authors

A.M. Luzzader has cultivated a thriving enterprise as an independent author She has published novels with apocalyptic themes for adults but who decided to switch things up as the pandemic expanded by writing children’s books including fantasy adventures with a young mermaid and a humorous mystery series. Meanwhile, her husband, also an author as well … Read more