Phoenix Film Festival Announces 2005 Showcase Events; Arizona's Largest Film Festival Celebrates its 5th Anniversary with Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Tom Arnold and More …

Business Wire, March 23, 2005

PHOENIX -- Watch out Sundance! The Phoenix Film Festival is rolling out the record carpet for its fifth annual event featuring exciting new independent films and stars such as Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick and Tom Arnold. The 2005 Phoenix Film Festival, presented by the Independent Film Channel on Cox Cable starts Thursday, April 7 and runs through Sunday, April 10 at the Harkins Scottsdale 101 Theatre.

Actor/director Kevin Bacon ("Mystic River," "The Woodsman") and actress Kyra Sedgwick ("The Woodsman," "Phenomenon") will each be awarded Copper Wing Tribute Awards during the weekend, and the couple will introduce and do a live Q&A with audience members for the Arizona premiere of "Loverboy," the 2005 Sundance Film Festival Official Selection starring Kyra Sedgwick, Kevin Bacon and Marisa Tomei, and directed by Kevin Bacon in his directorial debut. Late Saturday, April 9, Kevin and his brother Michael take the party spotlight as The Bacon Brothers Band tears up the stage starting at 11 p.m.

Tom Arnold will attend Thursday, April 7 for the Opening Night Event, featuring his new film directly from Sundance, "Happy Endings," a film about relationships, adoption, sperm donation and reunions. Directed by Don Roos ("The Opposite of Sex") and produced by Tom Ortenberg ("Girl with Pearl Earring," "The Rules of Attraction"), "Happy Endings" features a fantastic ensemble cast including Lisa Kudrow ("Friends," "The Opposite of Sex"), Ray Liotta ("GoodFellas," "Narc") and Maggie Gyllenhaal ("Mona Lisa Smile," "Secretary"). Tom Ortenberg, president of Lion's Gate Films, will be presented with a Copper Wing Tribute Award by Tom Arnold for his outstanding support of independent film.

More than 60 films will be screened at the 2005 Phoenix Film Festival, with films running continually all weekend at Harkins Scottsdale 101. Other noted showings include "Dust to Glory," a documentary about the Baja 1000, "Winter Solstice" staring Anthony LaPaglia ("Without a Trace") and "Mad Hot Ballroom," a documentary about the journey of 11-year-old New York City public school kids into the world of ballroom dancing and one of the hottest films to come out of Sundance. Other films include "Fifth World," the Arizona-made Sundance 2005 Selection, "Sexual Life," directed by Ken Kwapis and starring Anne Heche and Dule Hill, and the world premiere of "Champion," the documentary about actor Danny Trejo ("Once Upon a Time in Mexico") featuring Antonio Banderas and Steve Buscemi.

This year, more than 15,000 movie lovers are expected to attend the weekend festival, which also includes festival parties every night, workshops and seminars for high school and grade school kids, and conversations and panels with filmmakers and directors.

Call the Phoenix Film Festival office at 602-955-6444 for more information or go to www.phxfilmfestival.com to see and download a complete schedule of events and movies. This is an event that shouldn't be missed and if you love movies, you'll definitely be first in line for the 2005 Phoenix Film Festival.

A limited number of festival passes are available through www.ticketmaster.com, as well as Ticketmaster locations at Fry's Marketplace and select Robinsons-May customer service areas and in person at the Phoenix Film Festival office at 2345 E. Thomas Rd, Ste. 102 in Phoenix. Single tickets to movies are only sold the day of the event at the Phoenix Film Festival Welcome Center next to the Harkins Scottsdale 101 Theatre.