15th Scottsdale International Film FestivalOpening Night
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Reception: 6 p.m.Screening of Landfill Harmonic: 7:30 p.m.
Recycled Orchestra Performance: 9 p.m.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St.
Screenings
Friday – Monday, November 6–9, 2015
Harkins Shea 14 Theatre, 7354 E. Shea Blvd.
(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) – Celebrating its 15th year, the Scottsdale International Film Festival will showcase 42 feature films representing more than 30 countries, including buzz-worthy dramas, thrillers, romances, comedies and documentaries, Nov. 5–9.
The Festival will kick off on Thursday, Nov. 5, at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts with daytime screenings of 17 children’s animated and live-action short films – perfect for school groups.
That evening, the Festival’s opening night celebration at the Center will feature the documentary Landfill Harmonic, which tells the inspiring story of Paraguay’s Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, the world-famous youth symphony that performs with instruments made from recycled trash. After the film, the Recycled Orchestra, conducted by its founder, Favio Chavez, will perform onstage and participate in an audience Q-and-A, along with Executive Producer Alejandra Amarilla and Producer Juliana Penaranda-Loftus.
“We’re honored to welcome the Recycled Orchestra to Scottsdale as part of our 15th anniversary celebration and new collaboration with Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts,” remarked Scottsdale International Film Festival Founder and Executive Director Amy Ettinger. “The Recycled Orchestra’s incredible story, so beautifully told in the film Landfill Harmonic, is a powerful reminder of the many ways that the arts bring joy and positive change to the world. We invite everyone to join us for this extraordinary experience.”
Following opening night, the Festival will return to its longtime home at Harkins Shea 14 Theatre in Scottsdale for all other screenings, Nov. 6–9. Among the highlights are The Adderall Diaries (starring James Franco and Ed Harris), Anomalisa (Jennifer Jason Leigh), The Benefactor(Richard Gere, Dakota Fanning and Theo James), Carol (Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara), Hitchcock/Truffaut (Martin Scorsese and Wes Anderson), Love the Coopers (John Goodman and Diane Keaton), Remember (Martin Landau and Christopher Plummer), Tumbledown(Rebecca Hall and Jason Sudeikis) and Youth (Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel).
Festival audiences will enjoy insights from moderators and select Q-and-A sessions. Among the special guests are actor Jack McGee and filmmakers Nestor and Rosemary Rodriguez of the indie dramedy Silver Skies; Jessica Cox, the focus of the documentary Right Footed; and Robert Aberlin, executive producer of the documentary Paul Taylor: Creative Domain.
The Scottsdale International Film Festival’s complete schedule as well as information about VIP passes and tickets will be available Oct. 5 at www.ScottsdaleFilmFestival.com.
Tickets for the Festival’s Nov. 5 opening night celebration, film and performance are $39 and will be available Oct. 5 through www.ScottsdalePerformingArts.org or 480-499-TKTS (8587). Tickets for all Festival screenings, Nov. 6–9, are $12 and will be available at Harkins Shea 14 Theatre.
SPONSORS
The 15th Scottsdale International Film Festival is made possible by: Presenting Sponsors AARP, AZCentral.com, City of Scottsdale, InEight and Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts; Signature Sponsors AJ’s Fine Foods, Alliance Bank of Arizona, Mercedes-Benz; Supporting Sponsors Harkins Theatres, KBACH 89.5 FM and KJZZ 91.5 FM; and Producing Sponsors A24, CBS Films, Chaparral Suites (soon to be Embassy Suites by Hilton), Cohen Media Group, Courtyard Scottsdale Salt River, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Hotel Valley Ho, Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival, Hyatt House Scottsdale/Old Town, Mephisto, Paramount Pictures, The Saguaro, Samuel Goldywn Films, Starz, Time Warner Cable and The Weinstein Company.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts’ 2015–16 season is sponsored by InEight.
SCOTTSDALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Founded in 2001, Scottsdale International Film Festival is an annual five-day destination event that connects audiences with award-winning cinema from around the globe. During its 15-year history, the Festival has presented some 450 films – ranging from major Academy Award winners to undiscovered indie gems – to more than 80,000 attendees. In 2015, the Festival began an innovative new partnership with Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, a division of the nonprofit Scottsdale Cultural Council, which enables the organizations to share resources and offer expanded film programming to the community.
HARKINS THEATRES
Harkins Theatres is a family owned and operated business, founded and based in Arizona since 1933. With 30 locations in five states, Harkins Theatres is the 5th largest theatre circuit in North America. With more than 80 years of colorful history, Harkins Theatres remains the Southwest’s premier entertainment company. www.HarkinsTheatres.com.
SCOTTSDALE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Since opening in 1975, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts has provided a stage for a wide range of voices and perspectives, creating shared, inspiring experiences for the community that celebrate artistic excellence and cultural awareness. Today one of the premier performing-arts halls in the western United States, the Center presents a diverse season of dance, music, theater, comedy and film from around the world. More than 1,000 indoor and outdoor performances, educational programs, festivals and other events are presented and hosted by the Center annually, serving approximately 250,000 participants. The Center’s education and outreach programs reach 25,000 students and adults each year. Events take place in the state-of-the-art, 853-seat Virginia G. Piper Theater, recognized for its intimacy, acoustics and comfort, as well as the 137-seat Stage 2 and neighboring 1,800-capacity Scottsdale Civic Center Amphitheater. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is located on Scottsdale Civic Center Park, a 21-acre urban oasis next to the city’s Old Town and gallery districts.
The nonprofit Scottsdale Cultural Council is contracted by the City of Scottsdale, Ariz., to manage Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) and Scottsdale Public Art.
Scottsdale International Film Festivalwww.ScottsdaleFilmFestival.com
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts7380 E. Second St.Scottsdale, AZ 85251www.ScottsdalePerformingArts.org
480-499-TKTS (8587)