Editor’s note The Sedona International Film Festival has been postponed until June 12-20, 2021. Visit sedonafilmfestival.org for more.
The Sedona International Film Festival is returning in 2021, and for the first time ever, will include a virtual component – a unique approach for film festivals everywhere. “We’ve had to reimagine the festival,” says Patrick Schweiss, artistic director of the Sedona International Film Festival. “For years, we’ve been encouraging people, ‘Please don’t watch films on your devices and at home, go to the theater, because you should see films the way they were meant to be seen on the big screen.’ Well, the pandemic has caused us all to have a little bit of a shift of attitude.” The reimagined festival will have both a virtual, and as of press time, a scaled down in-person component. The details of the in-person portion could change depending on the pandemic. Check the festival’s website for the most accurate information. After meeting with the festival’s sponsors and donors, it was critical that the festival continue on. “It’s time to bring back some of the things that we enjoy so much in our festivals, the biggest single event that happens in Sedona,” says Patrick. “We didn’t want to take that away. It’s important for the economy. It’s important for our locals. It’s important for our businesses and for our audience.”
The festival will tentatively include screenings at venues including the Sedona Performing Arts Center, the Mary D. Fisher Theater, the Harkins Theater, and (new this year) the Old Town Center for the Arts in Cottonwood. Masks will be required. Seating will be at reduced capacity. Tickets are available first come, first served. Films you can expect to see at the festival are “My Salinger Year” starring Sigourney Weaver and Judi Dench pictures “Blithe Spirit” and “Six Minutes to Midnight.” Some documentaries you can watch include “Public Trust,” “The Truffle Hunters,” “Some Kind of Heaven,” “iHuman,” “Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance” and “The Reason I Jump.” You can purchase an entirely virtual pass or just purchase individual films online. The new virtual component will give the festival a chance to expand its reach. “We’re hoping we’ll be able to catch a little bit of that star and ride it a little bit so that we get that experience where people all over the world want to check into our festival,” says Patrick. “We are going to bring you some tremendous films, virtually, that you can watch on your computer, your phone, your in-home theater, and you can craft that experience and create a festival that is all your own.” − Teresa K. Traverse
SEDONA CALENDAR: Events, activities, shows, happenings
