By Joseph Ghiz
The director of “God”s Army,” Richard Dutcher, plans to give back to the community with the creation of a non-profit organization called the Utah Filmmakers Association.
“We envision UFA to be an open artistic community where artists of all disciplines can mingle, network and continue their education,” said Jon Enos, managing director of UFA.
Enos said the organization”s main goals will be educating its members in all aspects of filmmaking. Members will have the opportunity to be instructed in acting, writing, editing, visual and graphic arts and all the technology involved in filmmaking. Enos said they eventually want to hold a workshop every week.
“We hope to serve three basic bodies through the UFA,” Enos said, “professionals, students and the interested public.”
For all three bodies, Enos said he hopes to help them network and meet others in their field. Utah is a hotbed for independent film, primarily because of the Sundance Film Festival, he said.
“We have a lot of filmmakers here who work year round in their own little world and they have no real access to each other,” Enos said.
Dutcher said UFA will be a great way for Utah filmmakers to make a connection with each other.
“As long as there are LDS filmmakers who really want to spend their lives making films, we”ll be just fine,” said Dutcher, who acts as the executive director of UFA.
Both Dutcher and Enos said they hope to have enough members to create a directory broken down into particular fields of interest. For example, Enos said a director could look at his member list and find an entire crew to shoot a film.
“There are a lot of groups in Utah but not a lot of coordination,” Enos said. “So ultimately, UFA can be some kind of umbrella.”
Since UFA is a non-profit organization, it will be financed primarily through annual membership dues and admission revenues from events.
Students desiring membership in UFA pay $35 a year, and all others pay $50 a year. This fee will give members access to UFA”s classes, a library full of film magazines and books and, eventually, equipment to make short films.
“In time I think that filmmakers will get better and good filmmakers will emerge,” Dutcher said.
Because of Excel Entertainment”s sponsorship, UFA can get up and running, Enos said. UFA is holding an open house on Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Dutcher and Enos said they also plan to hold a press conference some time that day. A panel discussion with the founders of UFA is scheduled on Oct. 9. The open house, press conference and panel discussion will all be located in Provo at 37 E. Center St. Suite 204.
Dutcher and Enos said they are thinking big and can”t wait to see what happens.
“I think it is the sense of possibility,” Enos said. “So I think UFA has the potential to become something great.”
