Sedona film festival includes 5 Oscar-nominated movies

Film buffs can enjoy a smorgasbord of full-length features, documentaries, foreign films, shorts and animated films at the 24th annual Sedona International Film Festival.

Executive Director Pat Schweiss said the selection committees put in a huge amount of time selecting this year’s 150-plus films from more than 1,000 that were submitted for consideration.

“It really is a daunting task, and the people who make up our selection committees come from all walks of life— some have film backgrounds, but most do not,” Schweiss said.

“We want our selection committees to reflect our diverse audience, and they are really good at knowing what the audiences like and what they don’t like.”

Five Academy Award nominees will be shown during the festival: "Abacus: Small Enough to Jail," "Last Men in Aleppo," "Faces Places," "The Insult" and "Watu Wote: All of Us."

“Sedona really becomes a little Hollywood during the festival, and everywhere there are people having conversations about the films,” Schweiss said.

One of the documentaries, "Poisoning Paradise," was produced by actor Pierce Brosnan and his wife Keely Shaye Brosnan. It's about the impact of testing genetically engineered seeds and crops in Hawaii.

The Brosnans will be in Sedona for the screening of their film and will participate in a post-screening Q&A, Schweiss said.

Several special events will take place during the festival, including an evening with Dan Kamin and his film "Funny Bones: The Comedy of Charlie Chaplin." Kamin trained Robert Downey Jr. for his Oscar-nominated performance as Chaplin.

Live musicians will provide the soundtrack to some of the films, Schweiss said, including "The Pawnshop," Chaplin’s sixth film for the Mutual Film Corp. in 1916 and one that is known for its slapstick comedy.

Oscar and Golden Globe winner Richard Dreyfuss will also appear at the festival, when he will be honored during 40th anniversary screenings of Steven Spielberg’s 1977 movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and the 1978 film "The Big Fix."

Four-time Academy Award nominee Jane Alexander will receive the Sedona International Film Festival’s 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award, Schweiss said. She acted in "Testament," "The Great White Hope" and "Kramer vs. Kramer," among many other movies, and these will be screened during the festival.

Attendees may purchase tickets to individual films or passes good for multiple films, Schweiss said.

"We have so many films and theaters, people should not be afraid to dabble,” he said.

Sedona International Film Festival

When: Films will shown daily from Saturday, Feb. 24, through Sunday, March 4.

Where: Mary D. Fisher Theater, 2030 W. State Route 89A; Sedona Performing Arts Center at Sedona Red Rock High School, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Road; and Sedona Harkins 6, 2081 W. SR 89A.

Admission: A wide range of passes and membership packages are available. Check website for details.

Details: 928-282-1177, www.sedonafilmfestival.org.