Admission is only $5 per person or free with a donation of non-perishable food items for the Sedona Food Bank.

The director and producer of the film, Christoph Baaden, will be in Sedona to host the film and conduct a Q&A session after both screenings.

“Hood to Coast” follows four teams on an epic journey to conquer the world’s largest relay race. A 67-year-old heart attack survivor returns to conquer the race that nearly killed her, a family in mourning runs to honor the memory of their beloved, a group of film animators test the limits of their athleticism (or lack thereof), and a group of aging jocks show they still know how to have a good time.

A celebration of personal determination and the power of family, “Hood to Coast” proves that you’re never too old or too young to attempt the extraordinary.

The Hood To Coast Relay has taken place annually since 1982. The idea was that 12 people would divide themselves into two groups of six, run three legs of 5-to-7 miles each, and cover the nearly 200-mile distance from the mountain to the ocean. It was an adventure designed for hard-core runners — in 1982, only 8 teams ran. But within a decade, the race had grown to the point where they had to cap the number of teams at 1,000 (with 12,000 runners), making it the world’s largest relay race.

“We have always been drawn to character-driven films that reveal the world through the eyes of seemingly everyday people, showing something special about their perspective that is not otherwise apparent,” said Baaden. “The Hood to Coast Race provided a common ground for us to follow four running teams, each at different phases of their lives, and with differing motivations for committing to such a grueling event.”

Each team, however, shares a yearning for something larger—whether it’s healing, personal achievement, extreme play, or a dive into the unknown.

Beyond all of their stories, the filmmakers aimed to illuminate something that we all experience in one form or another: the drive to put oneself into uncharted territory with the potential to expand and inform the rest of one’s life.

“Our goal was to uncover the small triumphs, the subtle absurdities and the personal victories of each of our subjects — illuminating the fundamental human traits that reliably emerge in the context of such unbounded determination and tenacity,” added Baaden.

At its core, the film focuses on the resilience of the human spirit, and like in any good road

movie, the journey is more important than the finish line.

“This film will inspire you to your very core, and meeting Christoph in person will truly make this an evening to remember. You will be filled with the kind of emotions that will make you want to stand up and cheer,” said film festival director Patrick Schweiss. “It is an honor to partner with the Sedona Marathon and bring such a moving, triumphant film to our city to kick off the big marathon weekend.”

Baaden, who will host the film and Q&A discussion, is a film and television professional as well as the Executive Director of Film For Thought, Inc. Born in Germany, he worked in Berlin as a TV Producer until 1999 when he moved to the US to study Film and Television Production. An Emmy winner, he has been hired by Sony, Universal Music Group, the Discovery Channel, the Science Channel and the History Channel as editor, director and producer. Baaden ran the Hood to Coast race for the first time in 2007 and it changed his life.

The title sponsor for the event is the Sedona Marathon. The film screening is also made possible by a grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts, the Sedona Community Foundation and the City of Sedona.

“Hood to Coast” will be shown at Harkins Sedona Six Theatres on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. Admission is only $5 per person or free with a donation of non-perishable food items for the Sedona Food Bank. Seats are limited. Tickets can be reserved in advance at the Sedona International Film Festival office, 2030 W. Hwy. 89A, Suite A3, or by calling (928) 282-1177.

For more information, visit: www.SedonaFilmFestival.com.

Dia de los Muertos at Tlaquepaque

Join us at Tlaquepaque in Patio del Norte and Patio las Campanas on Saturday, October 29th, 2011 to make an offering at the Celebration of Dia de los Muertos .

Ofrenda or Offering, in the traditional Mexican celebration of Día de los Muertos, is created to remember the dead and to honor ancestors. A special spot in the home is customarily selected to put photographs, flowers, decorations, lit candles and the favorite food and drink of those who have passed away. This act of preparing an altar of offerings to the dead helps transform grief into acceptance.

In Arizona, the making of portable Ofrendas to be displayed for exhibition has become a form of contemporary cultural expression. Expand your knowledge of Día de los Muertos through the beauty and creativity of Ofrenda installations by joining us and making any personal offering for those special friends, family members or even special pets that might be missed.

This year we will be featuring the music of Maestro Drew Diego Bennett in Patio Del Las Campanas and also Eric Miller in Patio Del Norte! Both musicians will be performing from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm on Saturday, October 29th!

Free to the public.

Wednesday, September 21st     7:30 pm     Studio Live Sedona

Discover the magic that keeps people returning to Celtic festivals year after year.  Come and experience the rich traditions that we Celtic folk hold dear to our hearts.  Enjoy “Celtic Ways” featuring workshops on Celtic art; artisans demonstrating their craft; music and dance; food and beverage vendors.  Celtic tradition always includes good food, music and libation.  Enjoy a vast selection of Celtic beers, single malt Scotch, mead and wine.  Make new friends and greet old ones.

Visit the Celtic Harvest Festival at Tequa Festival Marketplace in Sedona on Saturday, September 24th, 2011.

For more information, visit http://www.celticharvestfestival.com/

"Nativity!" is a heart-warming and hilarious tale of the true meaning of Christmas. The feel-good British comedy is great family entertainment that all ages will enjoy. The Sedona Film Festival is presenting the Arizona premiere of the film Friday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. in the new Sedona Performing Arts Center at Red Rock High School. The event is free of charge and open to the public.

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the exclusive Arizona premiere of the award-winning family holiday comedy “Nativity!” on Friday, Dec. 10 at 6:00 p.m. at the Sedona Performing Arts Center. The new, state-of-the-art, 750-seat theater venue is located at Sedona Red Rock High School. The screenings are free and open to the public and are presented by the Sedona International Film Festival in this one-night-only special engagement. Free tickets are available now and can be reserved by calling 282-1177.

The film festival is proud to announce that this is “Community Appreciation Night” where everyone is admitted free of charge as a way of thanking Sedona for its year-round support of the film festival.

“This is our holiday gift to Sedona and our way of saying thank you for the generous support our members and this community has shown us all year long,” said festival director Patrick Schweiss. “It is a fun, family-friendly film, appropriate for all ages, and we are proud to present it in the new, extraordinary Sedona Performing Arts Center.

Attendees are asked to bring non-perishable food or cash donations for the Sedona Community Food Bank for this special event.

Produced by BBC Films and Family-Approved by the Dove Foundation, “Nativity!” is a heart-warming and hilarious tale of the true meaning of Christmas. Starring Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins, in the upcoming film “The Hobbit”, BBC TV´s “The Office” and PBS´ Masterpiece Mystery “Sherlock”) and Ashley Jensen (“Ugly Betty”), the film is great family entertainment that all ages will enjoy.

Receiving tremendous box-office success during its theatrical release in the UK, the film was hailed by Variety as “entertainment that gives family fare a good name . . . will have a long future as a yuletide favorite.” “Nativity!” is a feel-good British comedy that will jingle everyone´s bells!

This holiday season, St. Bernadette’s Elementary School teacher Paul Maddens is charged with producing the school’s musical nativity play. Competing against the fancy rival private school and his arch rival Gordon Shakespeare for the honor of best reviewed show in town, the stakes are raised when Paul idly boasts that his ex-girlfriend Jennifer, a Hollywood producer, is coming to see his show with a view to turning it into a film. The only trouble is, they haven’t spoken in years.

With one “little white lie” escalating events out of control he becomes a local celebrity and at the center of quarreling parents and over-excited children desperate in their bid for fame and fortune. Maddens’ only hope is to get back in touch with Jennifer and lure Hollywood to town so that everybody’s Christmas wishes come true.

Overnight, Maddens finds himself at the centre of a perfect storm comprising the mayor, the media, a posse of pushy parents, and an army of pint-sized potential Marys and Josephs.  All St Bernadette’s is floating on a cloud of stardust and the children are bursting with Christmas spirit.

But can Maddens possibly persuade Jennifer to bring Hollywood to Coventry and make their dreams come true or will his tangle of lies finally catch him out?

“This is the perfect way to ring in the holiday season with a laugh-out-loud, feel-good, joyous celebration of a movie that all ages can enjoy,” added Schweiss. “We promise a few holiday surprises and fun additions to the evening as well. We hope entire families will come and experience this great film in this extraordinary new venue.”

This free community appreciation film premiere is made possible from grants by the Arizona Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the City of Sedona, and the Sedona Community Foundation.

“Nativity!” will be shown at the Sedona Performing Arts Center on Friday, Dec. 10 at 6:00 p.m. Admission is free. Free tickets are available now and can be reserved by calling 928.282.1177 or by visiting the Sedona Film Festival office at 1785 W. Hwy. 89A, Suite 2B, in West Sedona.  The lobby box office will open at 5 p.m. the night of the show. For more information, visit: www.SedonaFilmFestival.com.

Featuring ceramics, mixed media, fiber art, glass, photography, drawing, sculpture, jewelry, wood, metal, and painting.

Location: Sedona Red Rock High School, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Road in West Sedona

Admission: $10

For more information, visit sedonaartsfestival.org

The entry fee of $12.00 will include an 18-ounce commemorative Winefest glass and 6 tasting tickets

The weekend of September 25 and 26 will be a busy one at the Sedona Airport. Sedona Fair, Inc, the non-profit, which produced the Sedona Community Fair in 2008 and 2009, will produce the 2010 Sedona Winefest on the last weekend of September, from 11am to 6pm on Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sunday. The event will be located on airport
mesa, taking advantage of the substantial parking available at the airport, as well as spectacular views. The airport’s traditional airport open house and fly in, and the classic car show will join the Winefest but will only be held on Saturday, the 25th. The full scale Community Fair will return in September 2011 after the new airport restaurant has been
built and is open to the public.

The two-day wine festival, which celebrates the wine growing industry of Arizona, particularly the wineries in the Verde Valley, is being sponsored by Sedona Airport as a community service. The Sedona Winefest will feature great wines from 13 Arizona wineries. The entry fee of $12.00 will include an 18-ounce commemorative Winefest glass and 6 tasting tickets. Additional tasting tickets will also be available, and attendees will have the opportunity to purchase wine by the case, bottle and by the glass from participating wineries.

Patrons will delight in tasting wines from Freitas Vineyard, Javelina Leap, Caduceus Cellars, Merkin Vineyards, Jerome Winery, Bitter Creek Winery, Page Springs Cellars, Arizona Stronghold, Alcantara, Pillsbury Wine Co., Oak Creek Vineyards, Juniper Well Ranch Vineyards, & Carlson Creek Vineyard. The popular wine lovers magazine, Arizona Vines & Wines, will be on hand as well as an olive oil tasting booth and several vendors to enhance your wine experience. There will be a raffle both days, including prizes from participating wineries and local restaurants.

The Sedona Arts Center will be also host an adjacent pavilion with their “Artists in Action” program – where over a dozen artists who are also instructors at the art center demonstrate their artistic skills, Visitors will be able to join in and get on the pottery wheel to see if they can create a masterpiece.

The Sedona Winefest pavilion will include a food court with a variety of menu items and snacks throughout the day. Food providers for 2010 are Dahl and DiLuca and the Grille at ShadowRock at the Hilton Sedona Resort and Spa. There will be an area for patrons to sit, sip wine and enjoy food and live music. Scheduled on Saturday is Steve Douglas’ gypsy jazz trio, ZAZU, and on Sunday, patrons will enjoy the popular trio Soundscape Sedona, featuring Susannah Martin.

Families take note: On Saturday, September 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. the airport will also host the annual airport open house and fly-in and the classic car show. Included in this wonderful family event will be the 1929 Ford Tri-Motor aircraft which is only one of 5 such aircraft still flying in the world. Rides on the Tri-Motor will be offered for $60 a person. Other aircraft, including 4 brand new, state of the art airplanes representing the best of American aircraft manufacturers will be on display. The Sedona Car Club will once again host their competitive 100+ car show with car buffs from around the state
completing for prizes for best of show. This event ends on Saturday, Sept 25 at 2 p.m. The Sedona Winefest is both days, Saturday September 25 from 11 AM to 6 PM and Sunday September 26 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, contact Sandy at sandy@sedonawinefest.com or visit www.sedonawinefest.com