THE ESSENTIAL A&E PICKS FOR AUG 3 - 9 

Ronald's Little Factory
San Diego-based filmmaker Brent Bokovoy took to heart the maxim of "write what you know" for his debut feature, and simplified his production by shooting in his own bedroom in the middle of the pandemic. The result is Ronald's Little Factory, a darkly comedic "Mormonsploitation" film about a teenager (Conner Scott) whose attempt to keep himself morally pure—translation: not touching himself—in the runup to departing on his LDS mission results in trapping himself handcuffed to his bedframe.

Imbuing his movie with a late-1980s horror aesthetic, Bokovoy—who was raised in the LDS church, but is no longer a member—took as his inspiration a 1976 anti-masturbation General Conference talk by Boyd Packer for the film's tonal mixture of humor and creepiness. "Most of [the talk] is things we can laugh about, euphemisms for masturbation," Bokovoy says. "But near the end, he starts talking about the gay community, and condoning violence against them. That's kind of the gut punch."

Bokovoy notes that his challenges included not just finding creative ways to build a feature-length story out of his premise by introducing new characters at regular intervals, but also making sure his cast and crew understood the idea, since he was the only one among them familiar with LDS culture; "I had to explain it to them, the doctrine and the songs," he says.

Ronald's Little Factory screens at Brewvies Cinema Pub (677 S. 200 West) on Thursday, Aug. 3 at 7:15 p.m. The screening will also feature a Q&A with ex-Mormon sex therapist Natasha Helfer. Tickets are $10; visit allevents.in. (Scott Renshaw)

• Rebekah Stevens

Park City Kimball Arts Festival
As the summer heat hits its peak, any opportunity to head up into the mountains is a good one. That's one of the many reasons why the 53rd annual Park City Kimball Arts Festival is such an appealing tradition, bringing art, food, music and general merriment to the heart of Park City for a glorious open-air summer weekend.

The highlight, of course, is the chance to visit booths where you can check out the work of more than 200 jury-selected local, regional and national artists working in paint, mixed media, sculpture, wood, metal, jewelry and more. Two music stages host live performances in conjunction with Mountain Town Music, including singer/songwriters and headliner bands like Pixie & the Partygrass Boys and Triggers & Slips. Visitors of all ages can try their own hand at artistic work at the Creatino Station. And then there's the food, which includes not just the Food Truck Alley and Artisan Alley hosting local culinary artisans, but the many amazing restaurants that occupy Main Street throughout the year.

The 2023 Park City Kimball Arts Festival occupies Park City's Historic Main Street Aug. 4 – 6, open Friday 5 – 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Individual day tickets are $6 - $12, with weekend VIP passes $85 - $225 and free Friday admission for Summit County residents with registration; proceeds from the event support Kimball Art Center's year-round arts programming. Free parking is available at Park City High School, with regular free shuttle service to Main Street. Visit kimballartsfestival.org for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

• William Murphy

Ogden Pride
Thanks to its historical legacy as a railroad "crossroads of the west," Ogden has always had a bit of its own distinctive vibe in this state. So it's not surprising that the city celebrates its local LGBTQ+ community not during the traditional June Pride Month, but a couple of months later. So as long as there's still plenty of need to give love and support to our queer siblings and friends, here's yet another chance to celebrate the diversity of Utah, under the theme "The Future is Inclusive."

Ogden Pride festivities kick off on Friday night with the Youth Pride Night & Dance, featuring young performers showing off their skills at singing, drag, magic and more, followed by a dance event until 10 p.m.; gates are 5 p.m., with the show starting at 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, Aug. 5, "The Inclusive Revolution: A Rock & Drag Affair" presents a centerpiece concert with great local talent and entertainers, including SheCock With a Vengeance and Ginger and the Gents; gates are 4 p.m., showtime 5 p.m. Then on Sunday, Aug. 6, join the fun for the main festival day, with two stages of live entertainment, food offerings and more than 120 vendors, kicking off with the opening rally at 11 a.m. and entertainment running until 8 p.m.

The 9th annual Ogden Pride Festival's events take place at Ogden Amphitheater (343 E. 25th St.) Aug. 4 – 6. The Aug. 5 concert is $15 general admission, but other events—including the Sunday main festival—are free and open to the public. Visit ogdenpride.org for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

• 20th Century Fox

The Sandlot at The Sandlot
Utah has provided the filming locations for plenty of iconic movies over the years, including the Monument Valley settings of John Ford's classic Westerns. But among the most beloved is the 1993 comedy The Sandlot, writer/director David Mickey Evans' nostalgic tale of adolescent friends coming of age and bonding over playing baseball at a neighborhood field. That field can be found in Salt Lake City's Glendale neighborhood—and for one night only, you can help celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Sandlot with a special screening of the film and fan event that will take place on that very spot.

The day-long anniversary event begins with VIP activities, before opening up to the general public. Several members of the original cast of the film—including Chauncey Leopardi ("Squints") and Patrick Renna ("Ham")—are scheduled to be in attendance at press time, and available to sign autographs. The cast members will also participate in a special pre-screening Q&A about the experience of making the movie, before a screening of the film at dusk. For those who find themselves with a scheduling conflict on Saturday, cast members are also scheduled to attend the Salt Lake Bees game on Friday, Aug. 4, with admission including cast meet-and-greet.

The Sandlot 30th anniversary special event takes place on Saturday, Aug. 5, with the VIP event beginning at 2 p.m., gates open to general admission tickets at 4 p.m., and the movie beginning at 9:20 p.m. Tickets are $40 general admission, $125 VIP (including photo op, limited edition Sandlot baseball and more); visit eventbrite.com/e/the-sandlot-30th-reunion-salt-lake-city-tickets-666513569027 for tickets and additional event information. (SR)