This Week in Phoenix Film News!

Neil Young Journeys The Phoenix Film Critics Society Pic of the Week is the new documentary "Neil Young Journeys" directed by Jonathan Demme. The film takes a look at Neil Young's 2011 solo tour to Toronto's Massey Hall, an iconic venue in the city of his birth. At sixty-five, Young retains a youthful vitality and musical curiosity. Concert footage of the Massey Hall performances is interspersed with scenes from a road trip through Ontario. Driving a 1956 Ford Crown Victoria, Young visits the rural town of Omemee, where he spent a key part of his formative years, and reminisces about his former neighbors.

You can see it starting Friday at Harkins Camelview.

Other new releases

More docs and a couple of new wide releases

It's a big week for documentaries. Also being released this week are a couple of docs that have received some good reviews; Paul Williams: Still Alive and Pink Ribbons.

The two big wide releases this week include The Watch and Step Up: Revolution. Expect Dark Knight Rises to have a big weekend.

Upcoming film events

IFP-Phoenix Beat the Clock 48 Hour Film Challenge Screening and Awards

Join us for an evening of short films, food, music and awards.

This year 19 teams kicked off during the weekend of July 20-22. They were given a genre, a line and a prop then were given 48 hours to make a five minute film. Here's your chance to see all of the films that were completed. In fact, we'll be screening all of the films twice.

Visit here for details and to purchase tickets

In the news

Ruby Sparks directors interviewed by PFF

Our very own Lisa Minzey sat down with directors Jonathan Dayton and Valeire Faris to discuss their upcoming release Ruby Sparks. This is their follow up to their film Little Miss Sunshine.

Visit our website to read the interview

Friday Night Party – 5pm to 1am

Friday is Industry Night

If you are in the film industry in any capacity, please come by and meet yourfellow filmmakers! You do NOT have to be a member of the IFP/PHX to attend. Network to win big prizes!! Cash bar will be available! Mingle with the Who's Who of the Arizona film community. If you are a part of the Arizona Film and Television Industry, you need to be at the INDUSTRY NIGHT during the Annual Phoenix Film Festival. Be sure to bring your business cards!

Entertainment

5pm – 9pm Micah Beverly

2009 Winner of Alice Cooper's "Proof is in the Pudding" contest in Phoenix • 2nd place in the 2010 "BOSS Loop Station National Championships" in Hollywood • "Great guitar playing" - Andy Summers (The Police) • This solo Pop/Rock artist records and layers all his parts live using only an acoustic guitar and his voice to create the sound of a full electric band. Find out more at www.micahbeverly.com

9pm – 1am Karaoke Provided by Karaoke Now

Come belt out your favorite songs and be the life of the Friday Night Party! Join our host Ric Reyes for a rockin’ night. KaraokeNow is the total Karaoke source for over 25000 CDs, CDG, DVD, and VCD, of karaoke music. Largest inventory of systems, machines, mixers, players and software that makes us the most comprehensive retailer of karaoke to SAVE on ALL songs, karaoke, and complete systems for a thrilling karaoke event.

Saturday Night Party – 5pm to 1am

5:30pm - Carol Pacey & the Honey Shakers (lead guitar is Andy Borunda, bass is Mike George, percussion is Omar Cifuentes) is one of a very few female-fronted, all original Americana bands in the Phoenix metro area! With songs written in Americana’s mix of folk, alt-country and rock and roll, Carol brings it all to her shows with enthusiasm, ease and pure joy.

7:00pm Shahrazad Dance Company Shahrazad Dance Company performs Egyptian and Arabic Raqs Sharqi (belly dance) and folkloric dances in the Southwest. Known for their authentic dances, inspired by Egypt's rich history of queens and goddesses, and the heroine of 1001 Arabian Nights, the troupe provides the American public a glimpse into the beauty of these colorful and spirited dances, as well as providing Egyptians and Arabs, living abroad, a piece of their culture.

8:00pm Scorpius Dance Formed in 1999 by choreographer, Lisa Starry, Scorpius Dance Theatre has been a constant presence in the metropolitan Phoenix arts community since its inception, combining the motifs of humor, drama, and both organic and technical movement to form a very distinct brand of dance theater. Lisa Starry’s A Vampire Tale, is the requisite haunt of the fall season, 8 years running. Please visit our Booking page to learn about how you can hire Scorpius for your next event!

9:00pm Provocatease Do you like dancing girls, magic, high flyers, live music, and comedy galore? Oh yes, yes you do. Allow our multi-talented, smoking hot troop of Vaudevillians to captivate, amuse, and bring your temperature up. There's something for everyone in our sinfully delightful shows!

10:30pm The Legendary Barbra Seville and Friends Barbra Seville is a Valley original! When she takes the stage in a flurry of feathers, foam, and frivolity, you are in for a good time. She has delighted audiences from coast to coast for over 15 years with her high-glamor, high energy, and high heels. Experience Barbra at www.thebarbra.com

11:30pm to 1am – We’ll have a DJ to help us close out the night. Stick around until last call!

Sunday Night Awards Party 5pm to 11pm

5:30pm DJ Ascension The Artist, DJ Ascension represents a uniquely diverse taste of music gathered through generations paired with both natural and fine-tuned mixing skills, the handle: Ascension. may be used to describe but one element of this experience. With remixes including The Who vs. The Chemical Brothers (England), Bob Dylan vs. Daft Punk ((France), the recent Steve Miller Band vs. Danger (France), and the powerful 9/11 tribute mix of K'naan and Datsik(BC) this DJ/VDJ is never to be underestimated.

9:30pm Copper Wing Award Ceremony Your opportunity to see who the big winners are this year. Come find out who takes home the illustrious Copper Wing Award.

We've got films!

During the film festival you'll have your choice of over 140 screenings over eight-days. It's a great chance to see new feature films, world cinema films, horror and sci-fi films. and all type of short films. It's like an all you can eat buffet of films.  

Some of the highlights from 2012 included "Darling Companion" starring Diane Keaton and Kevin Kline, "The Woman in the Fifth" starring Ethan Hawke and Kristin Scott Thomas, "The Perfect Family" starring Emily Deschanel, Jason Ritter and Kathleen Turner and finally "6 Month Rule" starring Blayne Weaver, Martin Starr, Natalie Morales, Dave Foley and Jaime Pressly.

We're working to bring you an even better 2013 line-up.  To get the scoop on all of our films and the schedule, visit our Films page

The People of PFF: Deb Hildebrandt!

It's time to learn more about the people who help make the festival happen. Meet Deb Hildebrandt, our Director of Student Programming!

Who are you? 

Deb Hildebrandt

What do you do (for the festival)? 

I’m the Director of Student Programming.  I put together the programs for College Shorts and Grade/High School Shorts.  I’m also responsible for programming the Arizona Student Film Festival.

How did you end up doing that? 

8 years ago I attended a Phoenix Film Society screening and decided I wanted to be involved in the organization.  I’d previously volunteered for Cinequest in San Jose and The New Orleans Film Festival.  I started working with the Volunteer Coordinator in that department, eventually becoming the Volunteer Director.  I was excited to explore other areas of the festival so I spent a few years as a Short Film Programming Director.  Over the years I’ve also enjoyed volunteering with IFP Phoenix and working with the International Horror and Sci-Fi Festival as the Filmmaker Relations Director.

What do you love most about your role? 

I really love movies!  All kinds.  I get to screen a lot of them.  Every year there seems to be a common theme or mood to the films submitted based on what’s happening in the world.  I enjoy the different points of view and it’s exciting to see such original work from talented, new filmmakers.

What's the biggest challenge? 

Putting the programs together can be challenging.  Sometimes we’re spoiled for choice and I’m unable to program a film I’ve really, really enjoyed.  It’s difficult to decline a submission from a talented filmmaker.  I also find it’s crucial to keep very specific notes on the films I see.  The movies may make a strong impression when I see them, but after going through so many submissions, it’s difficult to supply the feedback a filmmaker deserves without strong notes to refer to.

What's the movie you're most excited for this year? 

I’m looking forward to “Paranoia”.  We’re very lucky to have so many talented filmmakers in Phoenix.  Bivas Biswas has been made quite a few short films I’ve really enjoyed.  He was the Arizona Filmmaker of the Year in 2008.  He has a lot of talent and I’ve been looking forward to a feature film. I’m excited to see it screen at the festival!

What are your three favorite movies featuring a primate in a leading role? 

King Kong (1933), King Kong (1976), King Kong (2005)

The People of PFF: Jason Carney!

Happy Saturday! First - an introduction: We'd be lying if we told you we didn't love being Arizona's largest film festival. It gives us the ability to throw a great party every year and show you hundreds of amazing films. We're fortunate to be where we are.

But size and reach aren't everything. We take a lot of pride in the fact that our festival retains a "home-grown" attitude. It's run by real people - not a large media company or conglomerate. In fact, nearly every staff member you see at the festival is a volunteer. They do it for the love of film.

In this series, The People of PFF, you'll get to know some of our awesome staff members and volunteers. Maybe you'll even learn a little more about our festival. So, without further delay, we present Jason Carney.

What do you do?

I'm the Festival Director and the Executive Director for the Phoenix Film Foundation, the 501c3 organization that produces the festival.

How did you end up doing that?

About two weeks before the very first festival, my old pal Greg Hall (PFF Program Director) asked me if I wanted to come out and help work on the film festival. I was there a couple of hours and I was hooked. You cannot beat the adrenaline rush of the film festival. Over the few years, I did many things with the festival until becoming the Festival Director in 2005.

What do you love most about your role?

I love that we get to expose the Phoenix community to films that they can't see anywhere else. It's a great feeling to give these independent films the attention they deserve. To get to see the filmmakers at the festival and the pride they have in their films is pretty cool. So just to think we got to play a small part in making that happening is awesome.

What is the biggest challenge?

This is going to sound weird, but the festival ending is often my biggest challenge. My brain is going 150 miles per hour for the month leading up to the festival and 200 miles per hour the week of the festival. So slowing down afterwards is very difficult. My brain just doesn't want to quit.

If you want a more process-based challenge, I would go with juggling everything at once. There's just so many things going on during the opening weekend, it can sometimes get a little crazy to be in so many places.

What's the movie you're most excited for this year?

The politically correct answer is that I'm most excited about all of the movies. But secretly, I can't wait to see FDR: American Badass. It looks ridiculously amazing. The movie I'm most excited about is a film that we can't quite announce yet. It looks amazing. How's that for a tease?

What are your three favorite movies featuring a primate in a leading role?

1- Every Which Way But Loose

2- Any Which Way You Can

3- Going Ape

The Schedule is Coming!

"So, what's playing at the festival?" We've heard some version of that question over the past few weeks. We're listening!

While we can't release the full schedule quite yet, we can assure you that you'll be able to plan your festival week very, very soon. But feel free to keep asking! It makes us feel special.

In the meantime, here are a couple choice selections:

Hollywood to Dollywood - A documentary about two brothers with a special fondness for Dolly Parton and an incomparable drive to get their screenplay into her hands.

How Do You Write a Joe Schermann Song - After landing an opportunity to write for an Off-Broadway musical, Joe is forced to cast either the love of his life or his newly discovered muse.

Hit our Facebook for more announcements and keep checking back for more!