For the 25th anniversary of the Sedona International Film Festival, Patrick Schweiss, the festival’s executive director, says movie lovers will find nods to the festival’s past and present. From Feb. 23 through March 3, more than 160 films will be screened at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre, Sedona Performing Arts Center and Harkins Sedona 6. Every night there will be a party at a unique venue with a different celebrity as the featured guest. New this year is a kick-off party at Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock on Feb. 22. The wine-and-cheese social will be open to festival pass and package holders. “It’s our way of thanking the community for all of their support,” says Patrick.
While the roster of celebrities was still being finalized at press time, Pat was able to confirm that the festival will honor two filmmakers – an actor and a director – with lifetime achievement awards. Actress Jane Alexander, the festival’s lifetime achievement recipient in 2018, returns for Jane Alexander Presents in which she will honor one of her fellow filmmakers and present their films.
And as for those films, Pat is raving about this year’s lineup of documentaries including The Push, Serengeti Rules, Muhi: Generally Temporary and The China Hustle. The feature films that should be on your must-see list include Shoplifters, The Chaperone, School of Life, No Date, No Signature and Return of the Hero.
Patrick will be celebrating his 15th festival this year. When he first took the position, the festival was only three days, and the Mary D. Fisher Theatre was eight years away from being built. “It’s exciting to look back at where we came from and realize that we’ve grown but have still managed to maintain an intimate feeling,” says Patrick. “And don’t forget that as impressive as the festival is, we screen four times as many films and hold four times as many parties throughout the rest of the year. That’s all because of Sedona.”
SEDONA CALENDAR: Events, activities, shows, happenings
