The Arizona Republic presents Phoenix Film Festival Fall Showcase hosted by Bill Goodykoontz.

The weather is under 100 (almost) which means that fall is upon us! What better way to spend 4 amazing October nights than at The Phoenix Film Festival Fall Showcase. Audiences will have an opportunity to preview some of the best and most anticipated studio films before they’re released! Plus they will be treated to a discussion of the films by The Arizona Republic’s own Bill Goodykoontz.

PURCHASE TICKETS TO ALL 4 NOW!

MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015

MOJAVE

Directed by William Monahan
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Garrett Hedlund, Walter Goggins and Mark Wahlberg

Synopsis: In this electrifying and darkly comedic Hollywood neo-noir, an artist has an ominous encounter with a drifter in the desert, which gets taken to shocking extremes when the drifter follows him back to his privileged L.A. home life.

Garret Hedlund plays Thomas, a brooding artist in a spiritual funk who leaves the comfort of his Hollywood Hills home to spend a few days in the Mojave desert. Before long, though, he meets Jack (Oscar Isaac), a dangerous, chameleon-like drifter who resents Thomas’ wealth and privilege; after a heated campfire conversation, Thomas tries to get away from Jack but in the process accidentally ends up killing an innocent stranger. Jack witnesses the murder and decides to follow Thomas home, adopting a new identity and relentlessly pursuing Thomas, holding his dark secret over his head as he attempts to infiltrate and destroy his seemingly-perfect life. Thomas must come to terms with his own insecurities and self-doubt to protect himself and his family, and go head-to-head with his nemesis in a riveting two-man clash that plays out in exciting and unexpected ways.

A discussion will follow the film hosted by The Arizona Republic’s Bill Goodykoontz

PURCHASE TICKETS FOR MOJAVE

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20

OUR BRAND IS CRISIS

Director: David Gordon Green
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie, Joaquim de Almeida, Ann Dowd, Scoot McNairy, Zoe Kazan

A Bolivian presidential candidate failing badly in the polls enlists the firepower of an elite American management team, led by the deeply damaged but still brilliant strategist “Calamity” Jane Bodine (Sandra Bullock). In self-imposed retirement following a scandal that earned her nickname and rocked her to her core, Jane is coaxed back into the game for the chance to beat her professional nemesis, the loathsome Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton), now coaching the opposition. But as Candy zeroes in on every vulnerabilityboth on and off the campaign trailJane is plunged into a personal crisis as intense as the one her team exploits nationally to boost their numbers. Dramatic, rapid-fire and laced with satire, “Our Brand is Crisis” reveals the cynical machinations and private battles of world-class political consultants for whom nothing is sacred and winning is all that matters.

A discussion will follow the film hosted by The Arizona Republic’s Bill Goodykoontz

PURCHASE TICKETS FOR OUR BRAND IS CRISIS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2015

KRISHA

Directed by Trey Edward Shults
Starring: Krisha Fairchild, Robyn Fairchild, Bill Wise, Trey Edward Shults, Chris Doubek, Olivia Grace Applegate, Alex Dobrenko, Chase Joliet

Winner of both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards at the 2015 South-by-Southwest Film Festival, and official selection of Critics’ Week at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, Krisha is the story of a woman’s return to the family she abandoned years before, set entirely over the course of one turbulent Thanksgiving.

When Krisha shows up at her sister’s Texas home on Thanksgiving morning, her close and extended family greet her with a mixture of warmth and wariness. Almost immediately, a palpable unease permeates the air, one which only grows in force as Krisha gets to work cooking the turkey and trying to make up for lost time by catching up with her various relatives, chief among them her nephew, Trey. As Krisha’s attempts at reconciliation become increasingly rebuffed, tension and suspicion reach their peak, with long-buried secrets and deep-seated resentments coming to the fore as everyone becomes immersed in an emotionally charged familial reckoning.

A discussion will follow the film hosted by The Arizona Republic’s Bill Goodykoontz

PURCHASE TICKETS FOR KRISHA