When Naveen (Karan Soni, Deadpool) brings his fiancé Jay (multiple Tony-award winner Jonathan Groff) home to meet his traditional Indian family, they must contend with accepting his white-orphan-artist boyfriend and helping them plan the Indian wedding of their dreams. With a starry cast, “A Nice Indian Boy” is a charming, lovely, heartwarming film that makes audiences smile. And smiling is good! "It is a remarkably sweet film, the kind of nice comedy that feels increasingly hard to make well in a landscape when so many films come with cynical agendas." — RogerEbert.com "’A Nice Indian Boy’ delights in defying expectations." — Indiewire

Join us for “An Evening with Director Gabe Polsky”, where he’ll unveil a special sneak peek of his latest documentary — an early, exclusive behind-the-scenes look at a mystical, globe-trotting road movie that proves the old adage that sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. Polsky is an award-winning and globally recognized writer, director, and producer, best known for “Red Army”, “Red Penguins” and “In Search of Greatness”. His films explore human nature, resilience and the pursuit of greatness, all told with his signature entertaining and creative cinematic style. Most recently, he wrote, directed and produced “Butcher’s Crossing”, starring Nicolas Cage, which premiered at TIFF 2022. This one-night-only event offers a rare opportunity to step inside the creative mind of a very unique filmmaker at work. Expect insights, unfiltered anecdotes, and a live Q&A discussion where audience feedback is welcome.

Thomas Kinkade’s pastoral landscapes made him the most collected painter of all time – and the most despised. You’ve seen his cozy cottages, idyllic gardens, and welcoming village streets on everything from canvas to commemorative plates. Both celebrated and disparaged for his kitschy signature settings, the “Painter of Light” Thomas Kinkade rocketed to popularity in the ‘90s by marketing himself to American evangelicals and pitting himself against the elite art establishment. Yet beneath the pristine public persona were demons that would drive him to alcoholism, scandal, and death from an overdose in 2012. After his passing, Kinkade’s daughters uncovered a trove of unseen, unexpectedly dark paintings, a discovery that launched an investigation into their father’s true personality. Through the voices of skeptical critics, adoring fans, and Kinkade’s closest friends and family, “Art for Everybody” digs deep into Kinkade’s life and work to elucidate the real man behind the persona.

Maria Schneider (Anamaria Vartolomei) is a promising young French actress. When she gets the lead in a feature film directed by an acclaimed Italian filmmaker and starring one of America’s most beloved actors, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. Her collaborators, director Bernardo Bertolucci and star Marlon Brando (Matt Dillon) seem to be bringing out the best in Maria, sharing a warm rapport and mentorship with the 19-year old girl. Until one day, when the men conspire to shoot a crucial sex scene as a harrowing assault without letting Maria in on the plan. The film goes on to be lauded as a fearless artistic breakthrough, but for Maria, it’s the beginning of a living hell. Based on the behind-the-scenes true story of the making of “Last Tango in Paris”, Jessica Palud’s sensitive biopic centers Maria’s story for the first time.

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to join theaters around the world for a global theatrical event: “Björk: Cornucopia” on Wednesday, May 7 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. “Björk: Cornucopia” — the highly anticipated concert film recorded live in Lisbon — captures the celebrated artist’s groundbreaking tour that mesmerized audiences worldwide for five years. This unique cinematic experience immerses viewers in Björk’s spectacular stage production, featuring a setlist spanning her iconic early works to the visionary Utopia (2017) and Fossora (2023). The production showcases bespoke instruments, including a magnetic harp, a circular flute, an aluphone, and a reverb chamber, and Björk is furthermore joined on stage by musical director and multi-instrumentalist Bergur Þórisson, percussionist Manu Delago, flute septet Viibra, harpist Katie Buckley and the Hamrahlid choir.

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present “Monday Movies on Main” on Monday, April 7 with the Cottonwood premiere of “The Way, My Way” at 7 p.m. at Old Town Center for the Arts. “The Way, My Way” is the charming and captivating true story of a stubborn and amusingly self-centered Australian man who decides to walk the 800 kilometer-long Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route through Spain. He doesn’t know why he’s doing it, but one step at a time it will change him and his outlook on life forever. Based on Bill Bennett’s best-selling memoir of the same name, “The Way, My Way” has been described by Camino elder statesman Johnnie Walker as the most authentic film ever made about the Camino.

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to partner with Arizona State University to present “The Load” and “Depth Two” on Saturday and Sunday, April 5 and 6 at the Mary D. Fisher and Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatres. The screenings of “The Load” and “Depth Two” are organized in conjunction with Genocide Awareness Week at Arizona State University, and the Kino Nights series of screenings and conversations at ASU's Melikian Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, programmed by Luiza Parvu and Toma Peiu. THE LOAD Saturday, April 5 at 1:00 p.m. The screening of “The Load” on Saturday, April 5, will be followed by a conversation with director Ognjen Glavonic and cinematographer Tatjana Krstevski. “The Load” (2018) premiered to rave reviews in the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, and was subsequently screened in dozens of film festivals, including Toronto, Rotterdam and New Directors/New Films (New York).

The National Theatre of London continues its season with its acclaimed new production of “Dr. Strangelove” showing in Sedona on Sunday and Tuesday, April 27 and 29. Seven-time BAFTA Award-winner Steve Coogan plays four roles in the world premiere stage adaptation of Stanley Kubrick’s comedy masterpiece “Dr. Strangelove”. This explosively funny satire, about a rogue U.S General who triggers a nuclear attack, is led by a world-renowned creative team including Emmy Award-winner Armando Iannucci and Olivier Award-winner Sean Foley.

Two recreational baseball teams, the River Dogs and Adlers Paint, have been meeting on their New England field on Sunday afternoons for longer than anyone can remember. These middle-aged sportsmen can’t run as fast as they used to or connect as reliably with a pitch, but their vigorous appetite for socializing, squabbling, and busting chops remains undiminished. After the know-nothing county board opts to raze the baseball diamond to make way for a school, the teams meet for one final game at their beloved Soldier’s Field, with girlfriends, kids, and local hooligans as intermittent spectators. As day turns to night and innings bleed together, the players face the uncertainty of a new era. Lovingly laid in a vanished Massachusetts of the mid-1990s, Carson Lund’s poignant feature debut plays like a lazy afternoon, perfectly attuned to the rhythms of America’s eternal pastime.

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to partner with Theatrikos Theatre Company to bring movies to Downtown Flagstaff! This series continues on Wednesday, April 16 with the Flagstaff premiere of “Bad Shabbos” at 7:00 p.m. at Theatrikos Theatre Company. “Bad Shabbos” was one of the top award-winning films at the recent Sedona International Film Festival, garnering the Directors’ Choice for Best Feature Comedy and rave audience reviews. Audience Award Winner at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, "Bad Shabbos" is here to prove that even Shabbat can go haywire in this off-beat comedy. Directed by Daniel Robbins and co-written by Zack Weiner — and starring Kyra Sedgwick and David Paymer — this chaotic "one-night-in-New-York" story turns family dinner into a side-splitting disaster.

In 1965, Janis Ian — a 14-year-old singer-songwriter from New Jersey — wrote “Society’s Child” about an interracial relationship. Recorded and released a year later, the song launched Ian’s career, but its subject matter ignited controversy, even resulting in death threats. The fallout plunged Ian into an emotional tailspin–and yet a few years later she emerged from the ashes with an even bigger hit, “At Seventeen.” Over six decades, Janis Ian gained ten Grammy nominations in eight different categories, saw her song “Stars” recorded by such luminaries as Nina Simone and Cher, and overcame homophobia, misogyny, and a life-threatening illness to produce an indelible body of work that continues to draw audiences around the globe. “Janis Ian: Breaking Silence” features interviews with Ian's extraordinary community of friends and collaborators, including folk luminaries Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, and Tom Paxton, as well as Hollywood greats Lily Tomlin, Jean Smart, and Laurie Metcalf.

Set in a 1970s world of tent boxing in outback Western Australia, “Kid Snow” is a film about breaking free from the cycle of loss and regret. A washed-up Irish boxer named Kid Snow is faced with a chance to redeem himself when he is offered a rematch against the man he fought a decade prior. When he meets single mother Sunny, he is forced to think of a future beyond boxing.

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present “Leaving: The Musical Journey Out” — starring Colleen Porter — live on stage at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on Saturday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m. Sedona local Colleen Porter shares her one-woman musical and the journey of leaving what's no longer aligned — from religion and relationships to environments and old paradigms. Join her for an evening of heart expansive songs and stories as she gets ready to leave Sedona and take off on her "Unsilent Tour" featuring the musical alongside Unsilencing Workshops for women. With songs created over her past decade of leaving the Mormon church, expect a compassion-filled evening with touching lyrics and poetry, live violin, philosophy, psychology, and moments of audience participation. Never the same twice, this musical revolutionizes the way we look at leaving — giving ourselves so much grace as our brave walks away lead us into deeper spaces of growth and alignment with ourselves.

“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.

The Metropolitan Opera’s 2024–25 Live in HD season comes to a close with a live transmission of Rossini’s effervescent comedy on May 31. Russian mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina headlines a winning ensemble as the feisty heroine, Rosina, alongside American tenor Jack Swanson, in his Met debut, as her secret beloved, Count Almaviva. Moldovan baritone Andrey Zhilikhovsky stars as Figaro, the ingenious barber of Seville, with Hungarian bass-baritone Peter Kálmán as Dr. Bartolo and Russian bass Alexander Vinogradov as Don Basilio rounding out the principal cast. Giacomo Sagripanti conducts Bartlett Sher’s madcap production.

On April 26, Mozart’s timeless comedy returns to cinemas worldwide with a live transmission from the Metropolitan Opera. Conductor Joana Mallwitz, in her Met debut, takes the podium to conduct a stellar ensemble cast including American bass-baritone Michael Sumuel as the clever valet Figaro, Ukrainian soprano Olga Kulchynska as the wily maid Susanna, Canadian baritone Joshua Hopkins as the skirt-chasing Count, Italian soprano Federica Lombardi as his anguished wife, and French mezzo-soprano Marianne Crebassa as the adolescent page Cherubino.

Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium on May 17 to conduct Strauss’s one-act tragedy, which will be transmitted live from the Metropolitan Opera stage to cinemas worldwide. Leading the company’s first new production of the work in 20 years, Claus Guth, one of Europe’s leading opera directors, gives the biblical story a psychologically perceptive Victorian-era setting. South African soprano Elza van den Heever leads a celebrated cast as the abused and unhinged antiheroine, with Swedish baritone Peter Mattei as the imprisoned prophet Jochanaan; German tenor Gerhard Siegel as Salome’s lecherous stepfather, King Herod; American mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung as his wife, Herodias; and Polish tenor Piotr Buszewski as Narraboth.

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to join theaters around the world for a global theatrical event: “Neil Young: Coastal” on April 17 and 20 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. Take a journey with maverick musician Neil Young in this personal, behind-the-scenes doc as he cruises the coast on his recent solo tour. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker and Young’s wife, Daryl Hannah, “Coastal” offers a glimpse behind the curtain of this unguarded iconoclast, as he navigates a return to the stage post-Covid — from his everyday observations on the bus to his candid, wry banter with his audience. The illuminating film also features songs rarely, if ever played live, performed in breathtakingly beautiful theaters.

The Sedona International Film Festival is partnering with the Sedona Arts Center and taking its show on the road with its “Movies on the Move” mobile movie truck and outdoor film experience! On Thursday, April 10, the festival will present the blockbuster big screen sensation “42” in the Sedona Arts Center lot in Uptown Sedona. Showtime will be at dusk (approximately 7:45-8:00 p.m.). Bring your lawn chairs and your family and friends and enjoy “Cinema Under the Stars” on the festival’s giant outdoor screen with state-of-the-art projection and sound! The festival’s mobile concession stand will have movie treats available. This special outdoor film event is part of the Sedona Arts Center’s “Element of Sport” exhibition, which explores the dynamic connection between art and athletics, showcasing a diverse range of sport-inspired artworks across artistic styles.

The Sedona International Film Festival is partnering with the Sedona Arts Center and taking its show on the road with its “Movies on the Move” mobile movie truck and outdoor film experience! On Thursday, April 24, the festival will present “McFarland, USA” in the Sedona Arts Center lot in Uptown Sedona. Showtime will be at dusk (approximately 7:45-8:00 p.m.). Bring your lawn chairs and your family and friends and enjoy “Cinema Under the Stars” on the festival’s giant outdoor screen with state-of-the-art projection and sound! The festival’s mobile concession stand will have movie treats available. This special outdoor film event is part of the Sedona Arts Center’s “Element of Sport” exhibition, which explores the dynamic connection between art and athletics, showcasing a diverse range of sport-inspired artworks across artistic styles.

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to join theaters around the world for a global theatrical event: “Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII” on April 24 and 27 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. “Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII” — the groundbreaking 1972 film directed by Adrian Maben — returns to theaters, now digitally re-mastered in 4K from the original 35mm footage with enhanced audio. Set in the hauntingly beautiful ruins of the ancient Roman Amphitheater in Pompeii, Italy, the film captures Pink Floyd performing an intimate concert without an audience. Filmed in October 1971, the performance features unforgettable tracks such as “Echoes,” “A Saucerful of Secrets,” and “One of These Days.” The breathtaking visuals of the amphitheater, captured both day and night, amplify the magic of the performance, creating a unique and immersive experience.

June 26,1990, the Dude Fire rages across Zane Gray country in the towering ponderosa forests below the Mogollon Rim in Central Arizona, killing five prison crew members and a female supervisor on her first fire. Follow along with the survivors and firefighters as they share their experience as inmate firefighters and their harrowing story of courage, loss and redemption. “Prisoners of Fire” — by filmmaker Scott Briggs — is a tribute to all involved but also a heartfelt documentary behind the scenes of the brave men and women that fight these fires every day.

Theatre will be closed for a private event.

The Sedona International Film Festival is once again proud to present “Red Rocks Magic” for an encore performance — an extraordinary audience-driven magical experience — on Friday, April 18 at 4 p.m. at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. This is Sedona’s #1 magic experience! Mentalist Brett Barry presents his mind-boggling Sedona themed magic show, exploring the incredible power of the mind and the unseen connections we have to one another. Red Rocks Magic is a "sleights of mind" tour-de-force, with extensive audience interaction and this will not be your typical magic show. The 75-minute journey promises an afternoon of “mind-to-mind” magic and apparent ESP that will leave guests energized, inspired and amazed. The first Sedona show on September 18th was a huge success, with Brett winning over skeptics with smiles and a standing ovation at the surprising “twist” ending.

From Bach to the Beatles and barn-burners to ballads, audiences delight when world-renowned fingerstyle guitarist Richard Smith returns with his solo concert to Sedona by popular demand. There will be one show on Monday, April 28 at 7 p.m. at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre, presented by the Sedona International Film Festival. Richard Smith is a British fingerstyle guitarist, renowned for his variety of styles and techniques, entertaining performances and engaging charisma. Inspired by iconic guitarists like Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Jerry Reed, Django Reinhardt and Joe Pass, Smith's unique style blends country, jazz, classical and ragtime influences. In his very early years, he received mentorship from guitar greats, laying the foundation for his future success.

“Rule Breakers” tells the incredible true story of Afghanistan’s first all-girls robotics team, a group of young women who defied the odds and changed the world. From an inspiring teacher who dared to educate in a place where it was considered rebellious to a team of brilliant minds facing overwhelming obstacles, Rule Breakers is a story of hope, resilience, and the power of dreams. In a nation where educating girls is seen as rebellion, a visionary woman dares to teach young minds to dream. When their innovation draws global attention, their success sparks hope — and opposition. As threats loom and sacrifices are made, their courage and unity ignite a movement that could forever transform the world.

The Sedona Poetry Slam returns on Saturday, April 5. Performance poets will bring high-energy, competitive spoken word to the Mary D. Fisher Theatre starting at 7:30 p.m. A poetry slam is like a series of high-energy, three-minute one-person plays, judged by the audience. Anyone can sign up to compete in the slam for the $100 grand prize, $50 second-place prize and $25 third-place prize. Open Slam To compete in the slam, poets will need three original poems, each lasting no longer than three minutes. No props, costumes nor musical accompaniment are permitted. The poets are judged Olympics-style by five members of the audience selected at random at the beginning of the slam. Slam poetry is an art form that allows written page poets to share their work alongside theatrical performers, hip-hop artists and lyricists.

Back by popular demand: The Sedona International Film Festival announces award-winning recording duo Sirsy will be performing live in concert Wednesday, April 23 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre in Sedona at 7 p.m. It’s hard to imagine a sound this big coming from just two people. The Boston Globe calls Sirsy the “little band with the big sound.” Fans call them the little band with big heart. Hailing from Upstate New York, Sirsy is a sassy pop-rock duo with folk intimacy. Sirsy is known for their passionate, honest, heartfelt live performances that have a charming intensity and loads of stories from the road. Playing more than 200 shows per year all over the US,

“The Fishbowl” is the first-ever Puerto Rican-produced film to be selected for Sundance, and it has played to critic and audience acclaim. Noelia, a 40-year-old Puerto Rican visual artist, discovers her cancer has metastasized after spending several years in remission. Despite the insistence of her partner, Jorge, she refuses to continue her treatment and decides to return to Vieques, the small Caribbean island east of Puerto Rico where she grew up and where her mother, Flora, lives. Once there, she keeps her cancer a secret in order to live freely and throws herself into the work she had dedicated herself to years before — denouncing pollution left by the U.S. Army after years of military exercises on the island.

The National Theatre of London continues its season with its acclaimed new production of “The Importance of Being Earnest” showing in Sedona on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 8 and 9. The Sedona International Film Festival hosts the big screen premiere at its Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre. Three-time Olivier Award-winner Sharon D Clarke is joined by Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who; Sex Education) in this joyful reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s most celebrated comedy. Being sensible can be excessively boring. At least Jack thinks so. While assuming the role of a dutiful guardian in the country, Jack lets loose in town under a false identity. Meanwhile, his friend Algy adopts a similar facade. Hoping to impress two eligible ladies, the gentlemen find themselves caught in a web of lies they must carefully navigate. Max Webster (Life of Pi) directs this hilarious story of identity, impersonation and romance, filmed live from the National Theatre in London.

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to partner with Arizona State University to present “The Load” and “Depth Two” on Saturday and Sunday, April 5 and 6 at the Mary D. Fisher and Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatres. The screenings of “The Load” and “Depth Two” are organized in conjunction with Genocide Awareness Week at Arizona State University, and the Kino Nights series of screenings and conversations at ASU's Melikian Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, programmed by Luiza Parvu and Toma Peiu. THE LOAD Saturday, April 5 at 1:00 p.m. The screening of “The Load” on Saturday, April 5, will be followed by a conversation with director Ognjen Glavonic and cinematographer Tatjana Krstevski. “The Load” (2018) premiered to rave reviews in the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, and was subsequently screened in dozens of film festivals, including Toronto, Rotterdam and New Directors/New Films (New York).

Based on a true story, “The Luckiest Man in America” is set in May 1984, when an unemployed ice cream truck driver from Ohio (Paul Walter Hauser) steps onto the game show Press Your Luck harboring a big secret: the key to endless amounts of money. His winning streak is threatened when the bewildered executives in the control room start to uncover his real motivations. “The Luckiest Man in America” features a stellar ensemble cast, including Paul Walter Hauser, Walton Goggins, Shamier Anderson, David Strathairn, Maisie Williams, Patti Harrison, Brian Geraghty, Haley Bennett and Johnny Knoxville.

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present “Travis: The True Story of Travis Walton” on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 3:00 and 7:00 p.m. at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. The film screenings mark a significant milestone: the 50th Anniversary of the world-famous Travis Walton incident — his alien abduction on November 5, 1975. Travis Walton and film director Jennifer Stein will be in Sedona to present the film and host a Q&A discussion following each show. Travis will engage with attendees, sharing insights and experiences that have captivated audiences worldwide for 50 years. “Travis” combines new and archived interviews with the logging crew, police, the polygraph examiner, and UFO experts explaining why this story continues to astound investigators, researchers, astrophysicists, journalists, and filmmakers in their quest for reliable evidence of other worlds, other beings, and other more advanced technologies.

Emmy Award-winning director Andrew Goldberg's “White With Fear” sheds light on the decades-long strategy of politicians and media outlets to amplify racial divisions and white victimization narratives for power and profit. Described by critics as “riveting,” “masterful” and “absolutely required viewing,” and in the tradition of past classic documentary exposes such as “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” and “Inside Job”, “White With Fear” uncovers the real-world consequences of manipulative tactics that seek to demonize immigrants, spread Islamophobia, and deploy a cynical and strategic campaign of racist rhetoric with real world effects. “White With Fear” is a potent journalistic undertaking that unearths the hidden political playbook and key operatives behind these efforts.