Join us for the 2016 Phoenix Film Festival Summer Showcase

This special summer event returns with a fresh batch of films to help you cool off as we inch closer towards the end of summer. This year's event will be held August 22 to 25, 2016 at the Harkins Scottsdale 101 Theatre. All screenings are at 7pm with all of the films featuring a post-film discussion hosted by members of the Phoenix Critics Circle.

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MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

HANDS OF STONE

Hands of Stone Poster

Starring: Robert De Niro, Édgar Ramírez, Usher, John Turturro and Ellen Barkin.

Hands of Stone follows the life of Roberto Duran, the legendary Panamanian fighter who made his professional debut when he was just 16 years-old, and his equally legendary trainer Ray Arcel who together changed each other's lives. In June 1980, he defeated Sugar Ray Leonard to capture the WBC welterweight title, but shocked the boxing world by returning to his corner in their November rematch, famously saying the words "no mas" (no more.)

A discussion will follow the film hosted by Phoenix Critics Circle member Monte Yazzi of TheCodaFilms.com and the Phoenix Film Festival.

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

SEA OF TREES

The Sea of Trees posterDirected by Gus Van Sant

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Naomi Watts and Ken Watanabe

In this powerful story of love and redemption, Matthew McConaughey stars as Arthur Brennan, an American professor who travels to Japan in the midst of a personal crisis.  As he wanders through a mysterious forest with a dark past, he experiences flashbacks of his fraught but loving relationship with his wife, Joan (Naomi Watts), and meets an enigmatic stranger, Takumi (Ken Watanabe), who is lost and injured. Arthur devotes himself to saving Takumi and returning him home to safety, and the two embark on a spiritual, life-changing journey of friendship, discovery, and healing—one which may ultimately re-connect Arthur with his love for his wife.

A discussion will follow the film hosted by Phoenix Critics Circle member Jeff Mitchell of MitchonMovies.com and the Phoenix Film Festival.

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015

AUTHOR: THE JT LEROY STORY

 

Author The JT Leroy Story PosterSundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize nomination for documentary.

On January 9, 2006 The New York Times sent shockwaves through the literary world when it unmasked “it boy” wunderkind JT LeRoy, whose tough prose about a sordid childhood had captivated icons and luminaries internationally. It turned out LeRoy didn’t actually exist. He was the creative expression of 40-year-old San Francisco former phone-sex operator turned housewife, Laura Albert.  Author: The JT LeRoy Story takes us down the infinitely fascinating rabbit hole of how Laura Albert—like a Cyrano de Bergerac on steroids—breathed not only words, but life, into her avatar for a decade. Albert’s epic and entertaining account plunges us into a glittery world of rock shows, fashion events, and the Cannes red carpet where LeRoy becomes a mysterious sensation. As she recounts this astonishing odyssey, Albert also reveals the intricate web spun by irrepressible creative forces within her. Her extended and layered JT LeRoy performance still infuriates many; but according to Albert, channeling her brilliant fiction through another identity was the only possible path to self-expression.

A discussion will follow the film hosted by Phoenix Critics Circle member Jeff Mitchell of MitchonMovies.com and the Phoenix Film Festival.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2016

COMPLETE UNKNOWN

Complete Unknown Poster

Starring: Rachel Weisz, Michael Shannon, Kathy Bates and Danny Glover

Alice (Rachel Weisz) is a woman with a past—multiple pasts. She’s been a Portland hippie, an ER nurse, and a magician’s assistant in China, changing names and identities at the drop of hat. But when she walks into a Brooklyn dinner party one night, she’s recognized by Tom (Michael Shannon), who knows her not as Alice, but as Jenny, an ex-lover he hasn’t seen in fifteen years. Drawn once again to the enigmatic, chameleon-like woman, Tom steals away with her into the New York City night where she introduces him to the thrills and dangers of reinventing oneself. Acclaimed filmmaker Joshua Marston (Maria Full of Grace) directs this smart, seductive investigation into the mystery of identity that explores what it means to leave everything behind and start your life over.

A discussion will follow the film hosted by Phoenix Critics Circle member Monte Yazzi of TheCodaFilms.com and the Phoenix Film Festival.

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4 Amazing Films.

4 Amazing Nights.

Tickets are $10 each and a pass for all 4 films is just $32. Don't wait to buy tickets. Seating is limited!

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