PHOENIX, AZ – It has been announced that The Spectacular Now, a Sundance favorite, will have its Arizona Premiere on April 4th as this year’s Opening Night film selection at the 13th Annual Phoenix Film Festival! The evening begins with a cocktail party and the presentation of the Festival’s annual Visionary Award. This year, the award will be presented to Dr. Sidney K. Shapiro, the founder of The Shapiro Family Philanthropic Foundation. He is being honored for his continued community service and their support of film in Arizona. “I’m very proud that we’re honoring Dr. Shapiro as part of our Opening Night Event. The Shapiro Family Philanthropic has been a big supporter of our organization for many years,” says Jason Carney, Festival Director.
James Ponsoldt, the director of The Spectacular Now, will also be on hand to introduce the film and participate in a post screening Q&A. Ponsoldt premiered The Spectacular Now this year at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. This is Ponsoldt’s third feature film and an adaptation of Tim Tharp’s novel The Spectacular Now. “Securing the film, The Spectacular Now, for Opening Night was a real coup for us and we’re anxious to share it with audiences,” says Jason Carney, Festival Director.
The Opening Night Gala begins at 5:00 PM on Thursday, April 4th and will feature live music by Colton Avery, a cocktail reception featuring cuisine from 12 of the Valley’s best restaurants, and a silent auction. Premiere tickets are $60 per person with proceeds benefiting the educational programs of the Phoenix Film Foundation. The Spectacular Now will show at 7:30 PM in the Cine Capri at Harkins Scottsdale 101 and will conclude with the Q&A with director James Ponsoldt.
For movie lovers, this is an event that is not to be missed. The Festival will be held once again at Harkins Scottsdale 101 Theaters located at 7000 E. Mayo Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85054. Tickets and passes are on sale now and available through the Phoenix Film Festival website. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Phoenix Film Festival Ticket Center next to the Harkins Scottsdale 101 Theater. Tickets range in price from $12 for a single screening to $300 for a platinum pass. For more information call 602-955-6444 or go to www.phoenixfilmfestival.com.
Film Synopsis: The Spectacular Now is a funny, compassionate and poignant look at young adulthood. The film captures the insecurity and confusion of adolescence without looking for tidy truths. Sutter Keely (Miles Teller from Footloose), lives in the now. It’s a good place for him. A high school senior, charming and self-possessed, he’s the life of the party, loves his job at a men’s clothing store, and has no plans for the future. A budding alcoholic, he’s never far from his supersized, whiskey-fortified thirst-master cup. But after being dumped by his girlfriend, Sutter gets drunk and wakes up on a lawn with Aimee Finicky (Shailene Woodley from The Descendants) hovering over him. She’s different: the “nice girl” who reads science fiction and doesn’t have a boyfriend. While Amy has dreams of a future, Sutter lives in the impressive delusion of a spectacular now, yet somehow, they’re drawn together.
7000 E. Mayo Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85054 (602)955-6444
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The Phoenix Film Festival is a program of the
501c3 non-profit Phoenix Film Foundation
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