The countdown is on.
In just over two weeks the 27th annual Sedona International Film Festival kicks off after being delayed this year by four months as a result of the pandemic. But according to Patrick Schweiss, the long-time executive director, it will have been worth the wait.
“Things are going really well,” he said. “People are getting excited about coming out and seeing movies on the big screen. The filmmakers are also very excited. Most of them, all year long, had been premiering their films virtually. And for many of them this will be the first time they’ve seen their film in a theatre with an audience and they’re thrilled.”
The festival will take place June 12 to 20 with films shown on two screens at Harkins Theater, the Mary D. Fisher Theatre and Sedona Performing Arts Center. New this year will be films being shown at Enchantment Resort in its grand ballroom, with shuttle service available. In all, they plan to show 180 films — up from last year’s 172. In addition, because of the warmer weather in June, all the evening galas will be taking place, mostly in outdoor venues to allow social distancing.
The festival is normally held at the end of February. Last year’s event was held in its entirety just before COVID-related restrictions went into place and most other events were canceled. The decision was made late last year, with the backing of the SIFF board and sponsors, to move the event to summer instead of having a modified version in its traditional time slot. And with the move has comes a few challenges.
“The process has that new-car smell because we’re redesigning everything,” Schweiss said. “Something new is that we’re allowing people to pick their seats in the theatre through reserved seating. We don’t want to encourage congregating in the lobbies.
“The theatres will be at about two-thirds capacity. This means that all these venues had to be built into our system to allow reserved seating. There will be blocked seats that you can’t purchase and those that you can. Our box officer manager, Lori Reinhart, has been diligently building these theatres into the system, testing the process while making sure that once people start picking their movies, the system works. Everything we’re doing behind-the-scenes this year has resulted in an added layer of work, challenge and uncertainty.”
Schweiss said they realize that many COVID restrictions have lessened but they want their patrons to feel safe when attending the festival. Aside from the reduced seating capacity and reserved seating, masks will be required when entering and exiting film venues but can be removed once seated.
“We really feel like we’re doing our part — which does add that extra level of something we’ve never had to worry about at the festival,” he said. “But, it’s all worth it. We want people to feel safe.”
While the films and galas are in place, the final details are being ironed out for the special events within the festival and the celebrities who are scheduled to attend. Famed award-winning costume designer Bob Mackie will be receiving the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award. On June 16, the SPAC will host a screening of the 1975 film “Funny Lady,” which stars Barbra Streisand and James Caan. Mackie, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design on the film, will be on hand following the screening for questions and answers. Then, the following night will be “An Evening with Bob Mackie” with a retrospective and conversation.
In addition, the festival will be honoring the 35th anniversary of “La Bamba” and its writer and director, Luis Valdez, for his influence on the Hispanic culture in Hollywood. The Oscar-winning film “The Red Violin” will be shown and is based on a 1720 Stradivarius violin, which was owned by many but was sold at auction for $1.7 million in the 1990s. The violin was given to the buyer’s granddaughter, Elizabeth Pitcairn, who was a teen at the time. Following the screening of the film, Pitcairn will be performing using the 400- year-old violin.
Kicking off the festival on June 11 will be a concert entitled “Mercury.” While this is not a tribute to the band Queen — nor is it a sound-alike — it does pay tribute to Freddie Mercury’s music and message and will feature Grammy-nominated vocalist Terry Barber.
While the list of celebrities is always subject to change or cancellation, others scheduled to appear, either in person or virtually, include Tom Skerritt, Marianne Williamson and Mariel Hemingway, as well as others who are in the works.
For more information on the films and tickets, visit sedonafilmfestival.com.
