> Starting Out - Director Andrew Wagner: "Starting Out in the Evening" writer and director, Andrew Wagner, will be present at the Sedona debut to introduce the film and host a Q&A discussion following the screening.

As her inquiry proceeds, Heather displays a profound personal interest in Leonard, which unsettles him and stirs up his long-dormant need for intimacy. Leonard's encounters with Heather lead him down an unfamiliar path that threatens his writing, his health, and his relationship to his daughter.

Meanwhile, Leonard's daughter Ariel (Lili Taylor) reconnects with her ex-boyfriend Casey (Adrian Lester), a man Leonard firmly disapproves of. A traumatic event causes Ariel to realize that she must loosen her dependence on her father and be willing to leave Casey in order to become a complete person in her own right.

But in living out in the open, in the evening of his life Schiller puts into practice the core theme of his novels — life is not designed for our comfort but for our struggle, for in struggle there is growth. "Starting Out in the Evening" is a film is about transformation, reinvention and renewal—and starting out in life with a beginner's mind.

"Starting Out in the Evening" is director Wagner's second feature film. His first, "The Talent Given Us", was an Official Selection at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. The film also won the Jury Prize at CineVegas and Best First Feature Film at Michael Moore's Traverse City Film Festival. It went on to make the New York Times and other critics Best Films of 2005 lists. Wagner was a Breakthrough Director nominee at the 2005 Gotham Awards.

The title sponsor for the event is the Well Red Coyote Bookstore. The lodging host is Amara Resort & Spa. The series is also made possible by a grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts and the City of Sedona.

The film will be shown on two screens simultaneously on Tuesday, October 9. Tickets are $10, or $8 for Film Sedona members, and will be available at 5:30 p.m. in the Harkins Sedona Six Theatres lobby on show night. Cash or checks only. Seats are limited. Film Sedona members can purchase tickets in advance at the Sedona International Film Festival office, 45 Sunset Drive, or by calling (928) 282-1177.

Bistro Bella Terra will provide a "Dinner and a Movie" package for Second Tuesday including dinner with writer/director Andrew Wagner at Bistro Bella Terra with a pre-film discussion, a reserved-seat ticket to the film and trolley transportation to and from the theater. Space is limited. Cost is $45 per person inclusive for the dinner package.

For more information, visit: www.SedonaFilmFestival.com or call (928) 282-1177.

Article courtesy of Sedona International Film Festival & Workshop