The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Flagstaff premiere of “Loving Vincent” on Wednesday, Dec. 13 as part of the festival’s monthly Flagstaff Cinema Series. There will be one screening of the film at 7:00 p.m. at Harkins Flagstaff 16 Theatres.
“Loving Vincent” — the world’s first fully oil painted feature film — brings the artwork of Vincent van Gogh to life in an exploration of the complicated life and controversial death of one of history’s most celebrated artists.
More than six years in the making with the help of 125 specially trained painters, “Loving Vincent” is a uniquely animated film composed of 65,000 painted frames. Drawn from meticulous research and inspired by van Gogh’s masterpieces, subjects, and 800 personal letters, “Loving Vincent” captures the world of van Gogh in a cinematic experience like no other.
No other artist has attracted more legends than Vincent van Gogh. Variously labelled a martyr, a lustful satyr, a madman, a genius and a layabout, the real Vincent is at once revealed in his letters, and obscured by myth and time. Vincent himself said in his last letter: ‘We cannot speak other than by our paintings’. We take him at his word and let the paintings tell the real story of Vincent van Gogh.
“Loving Vincent” was first shot as a live action film with actors, and then hand-painted over frame-by-frame in oils. The final effect is an interaction of the performance of the actors playing Vincent’s famous portraits, and the performance of the painting animators, bringing these characters into the medium of paint.
“Loving Vincent” stars famous faces to match the famous paintings they portray:
• Douglas Booth stars as Armand Roulin
• Eleanor Tomlinson is Adeline Ravoux
• Jerome Flynn plays Doctor Gachet (the painting of which held the record for the highest priced painting for fourteen years, the longest time ever)
• Saoirse Ronan plays his daughter Marguerite Gachet
• Chris O’Dowd is Postman Joseph Roulin
• John Sessions is Vincent’s paint supplier, Pere Tanguy
• Aidan Turner is the Boatman from Vincent’s Bank of the Oise at Auvers painting
• Helen McCrory plays Louise Chevalier, house-keeper to Doctor Gachet
• Introducing theatre actor Robert Gulaczyk in his first film role as Vincent van Gogh.
“An animated masterpiece! It is easy to love 'Loving Vincent’. An absolutely stunning film … I have never seen anything on screen like it before. You will be amazed, and lifted by this extraordinary film.” — Pete Hammond - Deadline
"Hypnotic and Beguiling …” — AO Scott, New York Times
“Remarkable. You will marvel at the art in this labor-intensive labor-of-love.” — Bob Mondello, NPR All Things Considered
“A miraculous tribute.” — Joe McGovern, Entertainment Weekly
A representative from the NAU Philosophy Department and Philosophy in the Public Interest will lead a discussion following the film screening.