The day has nearly come for Valley cinephiles.
The 11th Annual Phoenix Film Festival will kick off Thursday, March 31 and run through Thursday, April 7 at Harkins Scottsdale 101, 7000 E. Mayo Blvd.
“Starting at the Finish Line: The Coach Buehler Story,” a documentary about Coach Al Buehler – the Track and Field Coach at Duke University – as he battles an inoperable brain tumor, will open the festival Thursday night with director Amy Unell producer Grant Hill in attendance.
“It's the kind of film that is perfect to start off the Phoenix Film Festival,” festival president and founder Chris LaMont stated. “A film with heart and soul that engages the audience with an unforgettable true-life story.”
“Night Club,” a comedy about three friends who start a night club in a retirement home after taking a job there working the night shift to put themselves through USC, will close out the festival. Stars include Earnest Borgnine, Zachary Abel and Natasha Lyonne.
Other showcase features include “Henry's Crime,” a dramatic comedy starring Keanu Reeves; “Exporting Raymond,” a documentary about “Everybody Loves Raymond” creator Phil Rosenthal; and “Lucky,” a comedy starring Colin Hanks.
Peter Weller, best known for his titular role in “Robocop,” will receive the Copper Wing Tribute Award 7 p.m. Saturday. Then, Cuba Gooding Jr., whose thriller “The Hit List” will screen during the festival, will be on hand for a career retrospective and Q-and-A program 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
Meanwhile, 10 films are set to compete for multiple honors during the festival, including “A Little Help,” a dramatic comedy starring Jenna Fischer; “The Lake Effect,” a dramatic comedy starring Kay Panabaker; and “The Dead Inside” a horror musical.
Other competition features include “Wild Horse, Wild Ride,” “Falling Overnight,” “Suspicion,” “Stranger Things,” “Crime After Crime” and “Thespians.”
The 11th Annual Phoenix Film Festival takes place March 31-April 7 at Harkins Scottsdale 101, 7000 E. Mayo Blvd. Tickets, which range in price from $10 for a single screening to $250 for a VIP package, are currently available on the Phoenix Film Festival Web site and will be also sold throughout the event at the Phoenix Film Festival Welcome Center next to Harkins Scottsdale 101.
Listen to Joseph J. Airdo's “Movie Maverick” segment every Friday morning during “The Daily Blender with Jeffry O'Brien,” 6-9 a.m. weekdays on NBC 1260 AM and 96.1 FM.
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