Tucson Film Festival 2023 Official Screening Schedule

Thursday, November 2

7:30 PM

The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. Tickets $12 / $10 Loft Members.

KISS THE FUTURE (Arizona Premiere) Opening Night Film Documentary

Directed by Nenad Cicin-Sain

Follow an underground community that continued to work, create, and live throughout the 1990s Siege of Sarajevo. Featuring the legendary rock band U2.

Q&A with screenwriter/producer Bill S. Carter and producer Sarah Anthony.

Friday, November 3

7:30 PM

The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress Street. Tickets $10.

A Tale Of Two Houses (Centerpiece Film) Documentary

Directed by Christopher Carlone

Documents Tucson music history between the years of 1984-86 focusing on the party houses located at 814 & 818 Speedway, conveniently located next to Greasy Tony’s, the only late-night restaurant in town .

Q&A with filmmaker Chris Carlone.

Saturday, November 4

12:30 PM

The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress Street. Tickets $10.

Tucson Film Festival 2023 Narrative Shorts Program 1

A wild mix of comedy and dramatic short films!

• A Wedding Day (Arizona Premiere) Written & Directed by Brendan Beachman

• Ice Cream. Sladoled (Arizona Premiere) Written & Directed by Steve Spremo

• Larry McMurtry’s All My Friends Are Going To Be Strangers (World Premiere) Written and Directed by Stephen Purvis

• Moon Blood (Arizona Premiere) Directed by Mark A. Burley

• The Cookie (Tucson Premiere) Directed by Christopher Scott

• Wake Up (Tucson Premiere) Directed by Josh Kasselman

Q&A with filmmakers Mark A. Burley, Stephen Purvis, Christopher Scott and Josh Kasselman.

3:00 PM

Join Or Die (2023) (Tucson Premiere) Documentary Spotlight

Directed by Rebecca Davis & Pete Davis

A film about why you should join a club—and why the fate of America depends on it. Follow the half-century story of America's civic unraveling through the journey of legendary social scientist Robert Putnam.

5:00 PM

Tucson Film Festival 2023 Documentary Shorts

An eclectic mix of documentary short films!

• Bears Ears: Echoes of Time (West Coast Premiere) Directed by Daniel Richardson

• BENKYODO: The Last Manju Shop in J-Town (Arizona Premiere) Directed by Tadashi Nakamura, Akira Boch

• Night Ride from LA. Directed by Martin Gerigk

• Paatuwaqatsi Water is Life (Tucson Premiere) Directed by David Wallace

• Please Ask for It (Arizona Premiere) Directed by Allison Waid & Stephen Sutton

• Steve Roach: Life in the Soundcurrent (Tucson Premiere) Directed by Kurt Lancaster

Q&A with filmmakers Kurt Lancaster, Steve Roach, Allison Waid, and Daniel Richardson.

7:30 PM

Only The Good Survive (Arizona Premiere) Centerpiece Film Thriller

Written & Directed by Dutch Southern

The film starts with a seemingly familiar scenario…a woman runs screaming to the police; something terrible has just happened and she must tell the detective. The usual suspects: a haunted house, a murderous cult, and… a rogue baby?

Starring Sidney Flanigan(Never Rarely Sometimes Always), Frederick Teller (Causeway, BlackKkKlansman) + D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs).

Sunday, November 5

12:30 PM

The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress Street. Tickets $10.

Tucson Film Festival 2023 Narrative Shorts Program 2

• Blue Hour (Arizona Premiere) Written & Directed by J.D Shields

• Kismet (Arizona Premiere) Written & Directed by Danni DeLuca

• Lexa Raquel “So Cool” (Arizona Premiere) Produced & Directed by Dorota Zglobicka

• Penance (Arizona Premiere) Directed by Robert Julian Tuttle

• Slow Burn (World Premiere) Directed by Dan Crowley

• The Old Young Crow (Arizona Premiere) Written & Directed by Liam LoPinto

Q&A with filmmakers Danni DeLuca, Robert Julian Tuttle, and Dan Crowley.

2:30 PM

Ask The Sand (US Premiere) Documentary Spotlight

Directed by Vittorio Bongiorno

Explores the visionary experiment known as Arcosanti, nestled in the heart of the Arizona desert, founded in the early 1970s by architect Paolo Soleri.

Features music by Calexico, Naim Amor & John Convertino and Joachim Cooder!

Q&A with filmmaker Vittorio Bongiorno.

5:00 PM

Documentary Double Feature!

Howdy Pardner: Tales of the Cowboy Hat (World Premiere)

Directed by David Wild

A social, historical and personal journey of the cowboy hat from the American West to England, Germany and Japan.

Cactus Hotel

Directed by Yann Sochaczewski

In the desert of Arizona, the luxurious “Cactus Hotel” is like a precious oasis for many wild guests.

Q&A with filmmaker David Wild.

7:30 PM

Louder Than You Think (Arizona Premiere) Closing Night Film Documentary

Directed by Jed I. Rosenberg

An intimate portrait of Gary Young, drummer for indie rock icons Pavement, injected a wild card unpredictability into the band’s breakthrough, lo-fi sound. But those same gonzo impulses derailed his rock star dream.