Presenting De Palma Week!

See some of your favorite movies back on the big screen as the Phoenix Film Festival presents De Palma Week.

You know Brian De Palma from his amazing slate of movies from over the last forty years including iconic films like Carrie and Scarface. In June, we’ll be celebrating this legendary filmmaker with a retrospective of his career and a screening of the new documentary, De Palma -- all at the Harkins 101 in North Phoenix. But the coolest part about it is you helped us choose one of the films!

On June 13th, we’ll be screening Carrie on the big screen at the Harkins 101

On June 14th, we’ll say hello to Scarface.

For the June 15th screening, as our Audience Choice screening, you chose... Dressed to Kill !

So here's our lineup for De Palma week:

MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2016

CARRIE

Directed by Brian De Palma Starring: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving

Synopsis: In this chilling adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel, withdrawn and sensitive teen Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) faces taunting from classmates at school and abuse from her fanatically pious mother (Piper Laurie) at home. When strange occurrences start happening around Carrie, she begins to suspect that she has supernatural powers. Invited to the prom by the empathetic Tommy Ross (William Katt), Carrie tries to let her guard down, but things eventually take a dark and violent turn.

A discussion will follow the film.

PURCHASE TICKETS FOR CARRIE

TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2016

SCARFACE

Directed by Brian De Palma Starring: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer

Synopsis: After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana (Al Pacino) stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami. Viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way, Tony eventually becomes the biggest drug lord in the state, controlling nearly all the cocaine that comes through Miami. But increased pressure from the police, wars with Colombian drug cartels and his own drug-fueled paranoia serve to fuel the flames of his eventual downfall.

A discussion will follow the film.

PURCHASE TICKETS FOR SCARFACE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

DRESSED TO KILL

Directed by Brian De Palma Starring: Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen

Synopsis: When Liz Blake (Nancy Allen), a prostitute, sees a mysterious woman brutally slay homemaker Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson), she finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation. While the police think Liz is the murderer, the real killer wants to silence the crime's only witness. Only Kate's inventor son, Peter (Keith Gordon), believes Liz. Peter and Liz team up to find the real culprit, who has an unexpected means of hiding her identity and an even more surprising motivation to kill.

A discussion will follow the film.

PURCHASE TICKETS FOR DRESSED TO KILL

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2016

DE PALMA

Directed by Noah Baumbach, Jake Paltrow

Synopsis: One of the most talented, influential, and iconoclastic filmmakers of all time, Brian De Palma's career started in the 60s and has included such acclaimed and diverse films as Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Blow Out, Scarface, The Untouchables, Carlito's Way, and Mission: Impossible. In this lively, illuminating and unexpectedly moving documentary, directors Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow engage in a personal and candid discussion with De Palma, exploring not only his life and work but also his singular approach to the craft of filmmaking and his remarkable experiences navigating the film business, from his early days as the bad boy of New Hollywood to his more recent years as a respected veteran of the field. In the end, what emerges is a funny, honest, and incisive portrait of a truly one-of-a-kind artist, and an exhilarating behind-the-scenes look at the last 50 years of the film industry through the eyes of someone who has truly seen it all.

A discussion will follow the film.

Click here to check out the trailer for De Palma - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97XoMjwoZ5w

Tickets are not available for purchase for this film. Stay tuned to learn how you can win tickets to see De Palma!

Tickets to Carrie, Scarface and Dressed to Kill are on sale now and are just $5.00 each. We will also have a special advanced screening of the new documentary De Palma on June 16th, but that's not a ticket you can buy! You have to win them. Not to worry. We’ll have several opportunities for you to win tickets leading up to De Palma Week and of course at the screenings of Carrie, Scarface and Dressed to Kill. All screenings will be held at the Harkins Scottsdale 101 with a post-film discussion following each.

Join us as the Phoenix Film Festival celebrates Brian De Palma!

Click here to get your tickets - http://www.brownpapertickets.com/profile/2093

Mark your Calendars for the 2017 Phoenix Film Festival

Drumroll, please. The 2017 Phoenix Film Festival will be...

April 6 - 13, 2017 at the Harkins Scottsdale 101.

So take off work now. Tell your friends not to get married that week. Schedule your island vacation for April 14th, because you are going to be very busy April 6 - 13, 2017.

We will be back with over 175 screenings of the best in independent cinema from here and abroad. Plus some great films you can't see anywhere else!

So block it out now! Early bird passes will go on sale in December.

And for you filmmakers out there, we will start accepting submissions in August, so get those final edits finished because we want to see your film.

We will see you in 2017!

SILENT AUCTION EXTENDED!

It's become one of your favorite events at the Phoenix Film Festival and this year's Silent Auction HAS BEEN EXTENDED! Continue the excitement of the 2016 Phoenix Film Festival Silent Auction!  We have opened the Auction for "Part Deux".  Starting today, April 12th through Sunday, April 17th at 6pm, you have the opportunity to bid on a very limited list of items.  Opening bids as low as $5 on some items valued at over $100 and more.

All auction proceeds go to Phoenix Film Foundation, a 501c3 Non-profit Organization, whose purpose is to support and develop the growth of independent filmmaking in Arizona.

All you need to do is click on our auction site HERE to see all of the amazing items!

Can't make it to the festival? No problem. This year, we will be online with many of our auction items, so everyone can join in on the fun.

All you need to do is click on our auction site HERE.

WE HAVE SOME AMAZING AUCTION ITEMS THIS YEAR!

Check back soon to see some of the cool items you could be bringing home!

WANT TO BE A BIDDER?

If you were a bidder with us last year, your login information still works for this year. If you are a new bidder this year, WELCOME!

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Be ready to bid on items the moment our auction goes live by registering early for your bidder number.

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HAVE AN ITEM TO DONATE?

The Phoenix Film Foundation is a 501c3 and depends on the kindness of donations from the community. Do you have something that you would like to donate to the Foundation for our Silent Auction? If so, contact Brenda at Brenda@phxfilm.com. [/box]

Get to Know Your PFF 2016 Filmmakers - Scott K. Foley

We're just seven days shy of PFF 2016 and we want to introduce you to some of our newest filmmakers.  This week we chatted with Scott K. Foley, director of this year's feature festival selection Jessica.  

What should festival goers know about your film? 

Sometimes to get where you’re going, you have to outrun who you don’t want to be.

Jessica is a low-budget indie that's been favorably compared to films like Drinking Buddies and Frances Ha, though, as one reviewer put it, with a "story unique enough that it never falls victim to cliché." It’s a movie with a complicated female character at the center of her own story, a film that passes the "Bechdel Test" in its opening minutes and one that goes on to set a new grading curve as it unfolds. We like to say Jessica is a story about a young woman who’s coming-of-age, just five years too late.

How did you first learn about the Phoenix Film Festival, and what made it the right fit for your film?

When we started looking into festivals, we had the opportunity to sit down with talented filmmaker Frank Hall Green to talk about our strategy. Frank’s film Wildlike had played at Phoenix last year and he spoke very highly of the fest. After learning that the festival was started by filmmakers and was recently named one of the Top 25 coolest Fests by Moviemaker Magazine, it was clear that the Phoenix Film Festival would be on our list! Plus, for a short time, when he was Jessica’s age, director Scott Foley lived in Arizona (Wickenburg), and he’s very excited to share the film with the with one of the few places he has called home.

What are you most looking forward to at the festival?

We’re incredibly excited about the screenings of the film. There’s simply nothing better than getting to share the film with audiences, which is always such a rewarding experience. Films were meant to be shared, and we’re really excited about how the Phoenix Film Festival is not only helping us share Jessica, but also allowing us the opportunity to connect with audiences in person. We’re also excited to meet other filmmakers and attend the awesome seminars and talks!

What do you most enjoy about the independent film world?

The piles of money, right? :) But seriously, what we love the most is the sense of community.  First in the creativity and passion of all the amazing collaborators you get to work with throughout the entire process, and then again when screening the film. At every festival we’ve been to, we’ve met lots of other talented filmmakers and independent film fans, and the conversations have been truly amazing. To be able to interact with such a large group of like-minded people is a rare privilege.

What projects are you currently working on?

Well Josh and I actually just moved from our beloved Chicago. Unfortunately we moved in separate directions.  Josh moved to Los Angeles where he continues to work for the Oprah Winfrey Network and I moved to Brooklyn where I’m doing film and video editing. Although we are both still getting settled in our new cities, we have been working on two new genre scripts--one about the dangers of human cloning. Quite a departure from Jessica!

Get to Know Your PFF 2016 Filmmakers - Valerie Weiss

It's that time of the year again! PFF 2016 is just around the corner and we want to introduce you to some of our newest filmmakers.  This week we chatted with the team from A Light Beneath Their Feet, and the film's director Valerie Weiss. 

What should festival goers know about your film? 

A Light Beneath Their Feet is a commanding performance, Taryn Manning (Orange Is The New Black) plays Gloria, an Evanston mother wrestling with bipolar disorder and an imminent empty nest. Her dedicated daughter Beth (Madison Davenport) has a bright future ahead, but must decide if she will stay near home to care for her unpredictable mom or follow her own path.

How did you first learn about the Phoenix Film Festival, and what made it the right fit for your film?

We produced a movie called Bread and Butter directed by Liz Manashil that screened at the Phoenix Film Festival. Liz raved about the festival so we decided we couldn’t miss it this year!

What are you most looking forward to at the festival?

Our writer, Moira McMahon Leeper, will be attending and representing the film. I know she is very excited about the whole idea of the festival and sharing our film with the amazing audiences of Phoenix.

What do you most enjoy about the independent film world?

Being able to tackle topics that can have a profound affect on our society and help change the world we live in.

What projects are you currently working on?

Valerie Weiss, our director, is directing a feminist coming-of-age action film called The Archer that shoots in April 2016.  PhD Productions has several other films and television shows in development. Feel free to get in touch for more info!

Join us for our Opening Night Premiere Event

The Phoenix Film Festival is proud to announce that our Opening Night Film is Morris From America. A heartwarming and crowd-pleasing coming-of-age comedy with a unique spin, Morris from America centers on Morris Gentry (Markees Christmas, in an incredible breakout performance) a 13-year-old who has just relocated with his single father, Curtis (Craig Robinson) to Heidelberg, Germany. Morris, who fancies himself the next Notorious B.I.G., is a complete fish-out-of-water—a budding hip-hop star in an EDM world. To complicate matters further, Morris quickly falls hard for his cool, rebellious, 15-year-old classmate Katrin. Morris sets out against all odds to take the hip-hop world by storm and win the girl of his dreams.

Written and directed by acclaimed up-and-coming filmmaker Chad Hartigan (This is Martin Bonner), Morris from America won two prizes at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the Waldo Salt Screening Award and a Special Jury Award for Robinson, who has been receiving tremendous praise for his touching and nuanced performance in his first serious role. Poignant and funny in equal measure, Morris from America is a delightfully original take on growing up, following your dreams, and finding your voice.

Once again, our opening night film will be shown in conjunction with our Opening night Premiere Event on April 7, a full night of food and celebration, beginning at the Party Pavilion with tastes from some of the best restaurants in town, great entertainment and some special silent auction items.

Then it's over to the theatre for our Opening Night Film, Morris from America.

Tickets for this Opening Night Event are $60 with all proceeds going to the Phoenix Film Foundation's education programs.

Please note that the Opening Night Event is not included in Single Tickets, Flex, Festival and VIP Passes.

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Tickets and Passes are on sale NOW!

Passes and tickets are available now for the 2016 Phoenix Film Festival! We have a great line up of films for you this year. Check out our SCHEDULE! The schedule is arranged by venue and gives you a great visual of when everything is happening.

And, of course, if you don't have your passes or tickets yet, CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.

Purchasing your passes online through Brown Paper Tickets will allow you to choose what films you would like to see right on the web. Then when you come to the Phoenix Film Festival Ticket office, you can get your passes and tickets all at once! It couldn't be easier.

We are also available to help you purchase tickets at the Festival office by calling 480-513-3195.

See you at the Festival!

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Get to Know Your PFF Alumni-Scott Storm

As a Phoenix Film Festival alumni attendee, you may recall Scott’s award winning Best Documentary We Run Sh*t at PFF2012, or perhaps Ten Til Noon in 2006. His latest contribution is a #PFF2016 animated short – and already multi-award winner – The Apple Tree. Scott shares a bit of his experience with us below.

What projects are you currently working on?

Currently I'm hard at work at my next animated short, the dark, psychological medieval tale, Custodian.  I started it while still working on The Apple Tree because you have to start when inspiration strikes.  It's been a great way to deal with the delays of my next full-length feature, a political thriller, set in the world of Chicago politics, called OPPO.  It was written by Glenn Jeffers and will be produced by Anthony Miller and David Scott Hay.

What advice do you have for independent filmmakers?

I'm not one to give advice because I believe that every artist’s journey is unique, but I will say that you should always be working on something.  The independent film world is tough, highly competitive and not for the faint of heart.  Vacations are a waste of valuable time.  Surround yourself with good people, most often if they are smarter than you are, and have strengths in areas where you yourself have weaknesses.  Jettison any bad apples in your circle, even those that may once have been allies.  They will only bring you down.

Above all ... A. B. C.  Always.  Be.  Creating.

What are some rookie mistakes to be avoided?

Thinking you know more than you do and pretending you know something when you don't.  Always take meetings yourself, even if they are with crew-members, or financiers you'd rather not deal with. You must always be the face of your project.

What is your go-to camera and/or favorite piece of equipment? 

Adobe Photoshop.  For animation anyway.  I create in Photoshop and composite in After Effects.  When shooting live action, I leave the shooting to someone more knowledgeable than I.  I've never been much of a camera geek.  Whatever gets the job done and looking its best.  Trust your DP – even if it's yourself.

What’s one of your quirks on-set?

Talking loudly and being impatient.  I'm aware things take time, but time is money.  I tend to grow prickly if things take too long ... and this extends to the editing process.  I don't believe it should take a year to edit a feature film unless your shoot extends that period.  Another quirk is that I expect everyone else to work at LEAST as hard as I do.   It's a tad unrealistic, but it's something I rarely compromise on.  I have fired people for being lazy and not pulling their weight.  I've never regretted it.

As a filmmaker, what can you not live without?

I cannot live without my favorite movies, which I often look to for inspiration.  I cannot live without TIME to create.  It may sometimes appear selfish to friends and loved ones, but if I don't have long stretches of time to do what I love to do and what I do best, I transform into a hideous beast.

The Apple Tree screens thrice within the Animated Shorts Program at #PFF2016

Check out the schedule, and get your tickets here!

Learn more about the film … and Scott: www.scottstorm.net

Contributed by Laurie Smith