Prescott News – It was once just a dream of local film buffs in America’s Hometown. But fifteen years of local showmanship and volunteer elbow-grease have fashioned The Prescott Film Festival into a thriving, multi-faceted celebration of independent films, classic films, cutting-edge cinematic trends, Hollywood history and unique interactive events. And the PFF has a loaded slate to mark the occasion. Passes are already on sale for the Fifteenth Prescott Film Festival, celebrating the miracle of motion pictures, July 16 – 20, at venues across the Prescott area.
“The Prescott Film Festival has been a labor of love for its founders and hundreds of dedicated volunteers since our beginning in 2009,” PFF Co-Founder & Director Helen Stephenson said. “We are excited to present our 15th annual collection of fantastic independent films from around the world and introduce audiences to the genius of independent films and the imaginative individuals bringing them to the big screen.”
This year’s 15th Anniversary festival will celebrate Creativity, Culture and Community while harking back to PFF’s formative years. The PFF will hold a variety of events from various theatrical venues around the community – and the PFF’s themed parties, food, and VIP experiences will return in full force.
The 2025 Prescott Film Festival will also offer its traditionally diverse mélange of independent films, international themes and educational workshops, topped by a rousing interactive Sing-Along to the Wizard of Oz, and a grand finale: The Silent Symphony, starring Prescott’s very own Tom Mix.
The specific lineup will be available in May, but the general PFF schedule is as follows:
- Independent Films – July 16 – 19, Yavapai College J&LLPAC (1100 E. Sheldon St.)
- Free Workshops – July 16, The Hazeltine (208 Marina St.)
- Free Workshops – July 17 & 18, Yavapai College Community Room
- Short Films Program – July 19, Hendrix Theatre (300 S. Granite St.)
- Wizard of OZ Sing-Along – July 19, Hendrix Theatre
- Silent Symphony –1922’s Sky High starring Tom Mix, July 20, Elks Theatre (117 E. Gurley St.)
The Wizard of Oz Sing-Along will be led by Prescott musical theater artist Nanette Hofer, YC’s Ginney Bilbray, and a cadre of energetic volunteers cuing the audience with audio and visual mimicry, capturing the essence of the classic film.
The Silent Symphony will be performed by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, of Boulder, Colo., to the 1922 silent Western, Sky High, starring Tom Mix. The five-piece chamber ensemble compiles and performs of original silent film orchestras.
“Our Silent Symphony is always an opportunity to introduce new audiences to the history and nostalgia of the early days of film,” Stephenson said. “Tom Mix was an extraordinary talent in both acting and directing during the silent film era. Although Sky High was shot in the Grand Canyon, Mix imaged many of his more than 100 films in the Granite Dells and his Bar Circle A Ranch, now the site of Yavapai Hills.”
Tickets for PFF special events – The Wizard of Oz Singalong ($12 general admission; $7 for students) and The Silent Symphony ($25 per ticket) – are already on sale. Festival passes, including Early Bird and Platinum passes, are on sale as well at the PFF website. Individual screening tickets, $12 general admission and $7 for students, go on sale May 20 at the Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center Ticket Office, (928) 776.2000.
The full PFF schedule will be announced May 13. For continuing updates, please visit the Prescott Film Festival website. www.prescottfilmfestival.com.