Special screening kicks off Living with Purpose: Why Are We Here? series
The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the ‘Living with Purpose: Why Are We Here?’ film series at the Mary Fisher Theatre — every Thursday in August.
Every human wonders why they are here. There are those who believe we are born with a plan, and that our lives, challenges, and relationships are meant to teach us lessons of compassion, perseverance, and patience. Others believe that life is a random occurrence without meaning. This series explores the meaning of life, and our purpose here on earth.
“A Serious Man” is the first film in the series on Thursday, Aug. 6 at 4:00 p.m.
The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay and stars Richard Kind and Michael Stuhlbarg.
“A Serious Man” (2009) is a dark comedy by the Coen Brothers. Set in 1967, it follows a mild-mannered Jewish physics professor. As his life inexplicably unravels — his wife demands a divorce, an anonymous caller tries to sabotage his academic tenure, and a student attempts blackmail — he desperately seeks answers from his faith, only to find the universe remains utterly indifferent.
“A Serious Man” will be shown at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on Thursday, Aug. 6 at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $12 general admission, or $9 for Film Festival members. For tickets and more information, please call 928-282-1177. Both the theatre and film festival office are located at 2030 W. Hwy. 89A, in West Sedona. For more information, visit: www.SedonaFilmFestival.org.
REMAINING FILMS IN THE SERIES:
Thursday, Aug. 13: Living – From the producers of The Crying Game, this Academy Award nominated film features Bill Nighy as a bureaucrat in the 1950s London public works department who learns he has a fatal illness. The screenplay was adapted from the critically acclaimed Japanese film ‘Ikuru,’ and offers a profound meditation on mortality and purpose.
Thursday, Aug. 20: I Am – A thought-provoking documentary by Tom Shadyac, director of Ace Ventura, and the Nutty Professor. Following a life-changing accident, Shadyac set out on a journey to explore the biggest questions of life. Featuring interviews and archival footage with Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, Barack Obama, John F. Kennedy, Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela and many other celebrated leaders, teachers and thinkers. Forget what you know, and wake up to the miracle of who we really are!
Thursday Aug. 27: The Tree of Life – Written and directed by Terrence Malick, and starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain. This film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Motion Picture. The coming of age drama is set in 1956 Waco Texas. A beautiful blend of fantasy, and psychological drama, the film follows the eldest son of a family, as he struggles to find his way in life, and resolve the conflicting teachings and lessons taught by his parents

