UMFA Spring 2014 Film Series:“Creativity in Focus”

Salt Lake City – The Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA), in partnership with the Utah Film Center, presents a monthly series of free films this spring highlighting the lives and creative processes of various artists and exploring the pressures, concerns, and influences that shape their work. All films will screen at 7 pm in the UMFA’s Katherine W. and Ezekiel R. Dumke Jr. Auditorium and are free and open to the public.

The Spring 2014 Film Series: “Creativity in Focus” begins tonight, January 29, with a screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary Cutie and the Boxer, a candid portrait of the 40-year marriage of “boxing” painter Ushio Shinohara and his wife Noriko, both Brooklyn-based artists. Cutie and the Boxer reflects on love and the creative spirit, as well as the sacrifices the couple make in their struggle to establish themselves in New York’s art community. Directed by Zachary Heinzerling, the film won the Documentary Directing Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in addition to its 2014 Oscar nomination for Best Feature Documentary.

The series continues on February 26 with a screening of Angel Azul. This film investigates the artistic journey of Jason deCaires Taylor, who creates artificial coral reefs with statues cast from live models. These artificial reefs are meant to stimulate coral growth and divert tourist attention away from fragile natural reefs. Angel Azul provides expert insight regarding the precarious situation facing coral reefs and what needs to be done to preserve them for future generations. Director Marcy Cravat will be in attendance at the screening for a post-film Q&A session.

Everybody Street, directed by Cheryl Dunn, will be shown on March 26. The documentary illuminates the lives and work of New York’s iconic street photographers and the incomparable city that has inspired them for decades. Paying tribute to the spirit of street photography through a cinematic exploration of New York City, and through gritty and sublime moments, the film captures the visceral rush, singular perseverance and at times immediate danger customary to these artists.

The spring series concludes on April 30 with a screening of The Great North Korean Picture Show. For the first time, foreign filmmakers have been granted access to North Korea’s only film school. Under the direction of Lynn Lee and James Leong, the documentary illustrates the film industry’s key role in shaping the country through propaganda.

Visit www.umfa.utah.edu or http://www.utahfilmcenter.org for more information.

Schedule

Wednesday, January 29, 7 pm – Cutie and the Boxer (82 min., USA, 2013, rated R)
Wednesday, February 26, 7 pm – Angel Azul (74 min., USA/UK/Mexico/Indonesia/Grenada, 2013, not rated)
Wednesday, March 26, 7 pm – Everybody Street (83 min., USA, 2013, not rated)
Wednesday, April 30, 7 pm – The Great North Korean Picture Show (94 min., Singapore, 2013, not rated)

Location

The UMFA, located on the South Campus of the University of Utah, is easily accessible by car from Foothill Drive—free and paid parking is available adjacent to the Museum—and by Trax. The UMFA is located only a short walk northwest of the South Campus Drive stop on the University (red) line.