Sedona, AZ: Fifteen years ago, the Sedona International Film Festival was barely a blip on the independent film industry radar screen, let alone a showcase platform on movie screens.
The 2009 Festival, which runs from February 22 to March 1, changes all that once and for all with a roster of films, artists, directors, animators and documentarians loaded with Oscar-worthy and Oscar-loaded connections.
“This is the strongest link we’ve ever had to the Academy Awards,” said Executive Director Patrick Schweiss. “In past years, we’ve had limited connections to the Oscars. This year it’s overwhelming.”
Among the highlights:
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Ravanche is nominated for Best Foreign Film in the upcoming Oscar awards.
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The Garden is nominated for Best Documentary.
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Closing-night film Captain Abu Raed was short-listed for the Oscars and was one of 15 films vying for five nominations.
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The other closing night film, Sunshine Cleaning, features Oscar-winner Alan Arkin and Oscar-nominee Amy Adams.
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Pray The Devil Back to Hell and
They Killed Sister Dorothy were both short-listed.
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Oscar winning documentary film director John Zaritsky (
The Fifth Estate: Just Another Missing Kid) will be in Sedona to discuss his newest film, The Suicide Tourist.
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Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton’s new films, Idiots and Angels and
Hot Dog, will be screened and he will participate in the Festival’s workshop.
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Oscar-winning animator John Canemaker’s new film,
Chuck Jones: Memories of Childhood will be screened. Canemaker also will be speaking at the workshop.
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Touching Home, a new film by Oscar nominees Ed Harris (
Apollo 13,
The Truman Show,
Pollock,
The Hours”) and Brad Dourif (
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) will be screened.
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James Keach, who starred in the Oscar-winning
Walk the Line, will be in Sedona to screen his new movie that also stars Jane Seymour.
“The Festival has become one of the most attractive in the industry for many reasons,” Schweiss said. “We’re now able to bring in top films from top filmmakers as well as the actors, directors, writers and others who want to be in Sedona because of the exposure they receive and the overall experience.”
