JOIN US FOR A SUMMER OF FUN WITH PFF’S
SUMMER CINEMA SERIES
You know what’s great for a Phoenix summer? Air conditioning. We know the perfect place to beat the summer heat - the movie theatre!
Join us for a celebration of cinema this summer as the Phoenix Film Festival presents its Summer Cinema Series. This series of epically awesome screening events is specially curated for filmgoers and festival fans as a way to keep the hype of the festival going through the summer! We’ll be showcasing some festival favorite encores, an insane trivia night, and more. Check out the full list of remaining events below and make sure to check back for updates and additional details as we lock in events for June - September, 2025. See you at the theatre!
*All events will take place at the Harkins Scottsdale 101 Theatre (7000 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85054) unless otherwise specified in the event description.
Scroll down for the full schedule or click the buttons below to jump to the screenings available during a specific month!
Are you a Phoenix Film Society member, IFP member, or Phoenix Film Foundation Reel Friend?
Be sure to click the ticket links and take advantage of exclusive Summer Cinema Series discounts!
THE KIDS ARE NOT ALRIGHT
MONDAY, AUGUST 4 AT 7:00 PM
Tickets: $17
What does it mean to be a survivor? Generations of children have been left with this question in the wake of abuse suffered at the hands of the Troubled Teen Industry, an unregulated network of for-profit institutions claiming to fix wayward teenagers. Decades later, they are fighting back. Filmed over the course of nine years, THE KIDS ARE NOT ALL RIGHT is an intimate portrait of trauma following three families’ journeys as they work to shed light on the devastating impacts of institutional abuse, pursue healing in the absence of justice, and fight to hold abusers accountable.
Join us for a special PFF presentation of THE KIDS ARE NOT ALL RIGHT, featuring a post-screening Q&A with director Mikaela Shwer as well as Cynthia Clark Harvey and Liz Ianelli who are featured in the film.
Directed by: Mikaela Shwer
Synopsis: Despite decades of documented abuse and hundreds of deaths, thousands of teenagers across the United States are held in cult-like reform programs that generate multibillion-dollar profits with little to no government oversight. Told through the personal lens of three families' journeys, The Kids Are Not Alright is an intimate portrait of trauma, what it means to survive, and if healing is possible in the absence of justice.
Director
Mikaela Shwer
Liz Ianelli
Cynthia Clark Harvey
Q&A Host
Josh Kasselman
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE
Wednesday, AUGUST 20 AT 7:00 PM
Tickets: $17
Who doesn’t love a road trip movie for the summer? Sci-fi and comedy blend together and bring audiences on an emotional journey as Thalia (Ashly Burch) and Kai (Jordan Rodrigues) navigate a changed world where life must go on after the appearance of a mysterious alien “spike”. Join us for a special PFF presentation of WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE, featuring a post-screening, virtual Q&A with the filmmakers!
Directed by: Matthew Arnold and Freddie Wong
Starring: Ashly Burch and Jordan Rodrigues
Synopsis: In the near future, everyone's gotten used to the 10,000-mile alien tentacle that materialized in the sky, and a struggling beekeeper and a grieving wanderer must join together and take a dangerous road trip to get their teleported stuff back.
Co-directors
Freddie Wong &
Matthew Arnold
We are an award-winning film and television directing duo with over a decade of experience behind the camera directing action, comedy, explosions, and the occasional horse.
Their debut feature film, We’re All Gonna Die, had its world premiere at SXSW 2024.
MAMMA MIA! PARTY
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28
Pre-Screening Happy Hour: 5:00 PM - 6:15 PM @ Cook & Craft
Grab a bite to eat before the show! Join our MAMMA MIA! PARTY partner COOK & CRAFT (Scottsdale & Shea - 7306 E. Shea Blvd Scottsdale, AZ 85260) located just across the parking lot from the Harkins Shea Theatre!
You can save some money, money, money with their incredible happy hour pricing for delicious sharables and select drink options! Be sure to ask about the MAMMA MIA! PARTY signature cocktail “The Dancing Queen” for a great happy hour price. How can you resist the perfect place to grab some grub before the show!
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Screening Party: 6:30 PM @ Harkins Shea 14 Theatre
Location: Harkins Shea 14 Theatre
7354 E Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Tickets: $17
Grab your flared pants, channel your inner Dancing Queen, and get ready for a Mamma Mia! screening that’s all about sparkle, singalongs, and serious ABBA energy.
Join PFF at Harkins Shea 14 Theatre for a summer party filled with music, mischief and Mamma Mia! magic. Strike a pose in front of our photo backdrop, dress in your best Super Trouper style for the costume contest, show off your trivia skills, and belt out every word like you’re on a Greek island with your three maybe-dads.
Costumes encouraged. Dancing inevitable. Fun guaranteed.
Directed by: Phillida Lloyd
Cast: Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård, Colin Firth, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski
Synopsis: Donna, an independent hotelier, is preparing for her daughter's wedding with the help of two old friends. Meanwhile Sophie, the spirited bride, has a plan. She invites three men from her mother's past in hope of meeting her real father.
25 CATS FROM QATAR
WEDNESDAY, sEPTEMBER 10 AT 7:00 PM
Tickets: $17
Join us for a special PFF presentation of 25 CATS FROM QATAR. It’s a purr-fect film for cat lovers, but really any animal lovers are welcome! Follow the harrowing journey of 25 cats as their rescuers and a determined cat café owner seek to save as many cats as they can and find them their forever homes 7,000 miles away. Stick around after the screening for a Q&A with director Mye Hoang!
Directed by: Mye Hoang
Synopsis: When Katy McHugh, owner of Milwaukee’s Sip and Purr Cat Café, learns of the feral cat crisis in Doha, Qatar, she creates a brave and unsanctioned plan to fly 25 cats from Doha back to Wisconsin for adoption. From MFF alum Mye Hoang (CAT DADDIES, MFF22), this film offers a heartwarming, urgent look at strangers overcoming barriers to save lives, highlighting the global struggle for animal welfare.
Director
Mye Hoang
Q&A Host
IFP Program Director
Rebekah Varghese
