Page 12 - the Noise February 2017

from left: John Davis, Cindy tolle, and ed George atop Grand teton; Cloris leachman; Bruce Hornsby at the piano. pHotos Courtesy rewilDinG instistute & seDona international film festival
Born to Rewild follows ultra trekker John Davis as he meanders, human powered, from the bottom of Mexico to the top of Canada, from the Sonora desert to British Colombia. Mr. Davis traversed the mega wildlife corridor along “the spine of North America” to follow, examine and research the way animals get from one habitat to another in modern times. Ed George was with Mr. Davis, at 70, for more than half the trip documenting it for this film. And this is what Ed’s film cohort found so amazing. “Ed had shot almost all the footage and they just needed me to get a few shots. But Ed’s energy was legendary and he had many stories about this film as many in the environmental community worked to get this issue out there, front and center.”
In December 2016, the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act brought this idea of open corridors for animals such as deer, elk, bears, mountain lions and wolves to the ears of Con- gress. Harvard’s internationally-renowned scientist, E. O. Wilson helped create the act, urging legislators to act now to protect our fragile future. The bill states the corridors are necessary “to help conserve the interconnectedness of habitats of thousands of our nation’s native species, boosting their resilience to climate change and maintaining the health of our country’s diverse natural heritage.”
This is Ed George’s final film, making it all the more important to his Flagstaff friends and film community around Northern Arizona to see it. Mr. Reinhardt considered it “a great honor to have known and worked with Ed over the years.” Ed was at Woodstock in 1969, under the stage, loading cameras with 16mm film for the filmmakers of that timeless docu- mentary. And 44 years later, he’s following John Davis on his massive trek, as a human animal, to save the corridors for his brother and sister animals.
The timing of Born to Rewild’s release, originally begun in 2013, couldn’t be more perfect. The film screens in Flagstaff on Sunday February 19 at 7PM at the Orpheum Theater during the Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival, but the night before, it shows in Sedona at SPAC on Saturday February 18 for the Sedona International Film Festival. So don’t miss it!
Another film to try and catch at SIFF during the festival is Halfway to Zen, about a banged- up family who raise a collective middle finger to the world. Ben Farma Jr., a Sedona film- maker, has another intense film that questions the systems we live under. And the word is JFK’s Last Interview ... kills!? Don’t miss these and many others when the final list of films is revealed.
Get your Platinum All-Access Pass, Gold Priority Pass, or buy 20 or 10 ticket packages for films shown around Sedona. The central location for the film festival is the Harkins 6 Theater, across the street from the Mary D. Fisher Theater and the big venue remains the Sedona Performing Arts Center at Sedona Red Rock High School up the hill.
Check: SedonaFilmFestival.org for more information. See you at the movies!
Welcome to Sedona International Film Festival (SIFF) “the best fest in the South- rd
west.” Now celebrating it 23 birthday, come and see why it’s become a full adult and a life changing affair. International films from around the world grace the screen with diverse stories of joy and woe, engaging and challenging curious audiences everywhere. Over 1200 films were submitted this year and 160+ films will be presented over nine days. Endearing documentaries and captivating feature narratives play alongside the best shorts screened in Arizona. Parties each night at the best clubs, hotels and restaurants in Sedona gives VIP pass-holders a first class experience. It’s almost as if the local hot-spots in Sedona compete with each other to throw down the biggest and best shrimp. Films play from 9AM to 11PM daily, and you will be transported beyond your wildest dreams to far away lands. So, buckle up for an adventure, but beware, once you get hooked on film festivals, it’s a hard addiction to shake.
Some of the unfolding highlights just announced: the opening weekend delivers three- time Grammy Award winning Bruce Hornsby on Saturday, February 18, at the Sedona Per- forming Arts Center (SPAC) and the festival ends with five-time Grammy Award nominee Michael Feinstein, who brings his Ira Gershwin program and his Great American Story- book to Sedona. During the mid-week there’s a salute to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broad- way tunes by Emmy winner Peter Marshall, who spent over a decade hosting Hollywood Squares. These wonderful musical interludes bookend and accentuate a top notch film fes- tival, rounding out the cinematic festivities.
Cloris Leachman is set to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to stage, screen and television. At 90 years of age, she’s still going strong, even showing up on shows like Celebrity Wife Swap recently. She’s best known for her Academy Award, in a supporting role, for The Last Picture Show in 1971 and her long career on television shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Phyllis. Still a firecracker and not afraid to say what’s on her mind, Ms. Leachman’s interviews in the Media Room will be fun to watch. So, stay tuned for more!
One suggested film not to miss is Born to Rewild, shot by Ed George, who died during the Sedona film festival last year. He had just shot the opening night musical event by Chicago and a few days later passed away quietly in his car. Ed was one of the legends of the North- ern Arizona film community, who hailed from Flagstaff. Bryan Reinhart, a local legend in Sedona, was called in by ML Lincoln to help finish shooting the film. Mr. Reinhart said, “I picked up where Ed left off. I was going to edit and do color correction on the film anyway, and I had heard loads of stories about the shoot from Ed, but with Ed’s sudden passing and having worked together before, it seemed like a natural fit for me to finish up the project. Ed hiked almost half of the 5000 miles covered by the subject of the film, John Davis.”
12 • {online at thenoise.us} FEBRuARy 2017 | the Noise