Each year, Film Fest Tucson brings industry guests to Tucson to share their films, their knowledge and insights about the world of film and television. Some of our past guests are listed here along with what project they were associated with while with us.
Writer/Director/Producer/Actor
Peter Bogdanovich is an award winning American director, writer, actor, producer, critic and film historian. In the early 1960s, Mr. Bogdanovich worked as a film programmer at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. He presented films that showcased the work of American directors such as Orson Welles, John Ford and Howard Hawks. He began his directing career working for Roger Corman and has directed iconic films such as The Last Picture Show (1971), Paper Moon (1973) and many, many others. Mr. Bogdanovich will be present for a special Q&A and will introduce two films on Friday night.
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Producer / Writer / Actor
International foodie and host of Somebody Feed Phil debuts a new episode and joins us for a post-screening discussion.
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Director / Producer
Director Helmut Dosantos brings his immersive sensory experience Gods of Mexico, for its Arizona premiere with an in-person Q&A.
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Director / Animator
Academy-Award-nominated animator Bill Plympton will share new shorts and
a sneak peek of his upcoming feature.
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actor / Producer / DJ
Actor Efren Ramirez, most loved for his role as “Pedro” in Napoleon Dynamite, will guest DJ at our VIP Wrap Party on Saturday night.
Director
Director and pop culture guru Chris Gore of Film Threat will be present with his documentary Attack of the Doc.
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Composer
Composer and instrumentalist George Sarah will present his score for Joan of Arc in this not-to-be-missed special event.
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Director
Jason is an award winning filmmaker, theatre director, producer, editor and acting teacher based in New York City. His theatre and film credits are extensive and his recent feature film Putzel won multiple awards and appeared in over fifty film festivals around the world.
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Producer
Sheila’s career connects music, comedy, documentary content, live event production, television development and talent management for clients throughout the U.S., China and Europe. A respected pioneer in Reality television, she specializes in contract negotiations, planning, business development, branding and global marketing. Sheila will be a juror for Desert Pitch and participating in the Reality & Live TV panel.
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Producer/Director
Jeannette Loakman is an award-winning producer in the television industry. She was nominated for a Gemini award for Spam: The Documentary, a critical and ratings hit. Jeannette produced Annie Ong: Lost and Found, Hot Shots and also directed Slippery Blisses: What’s in a Kiss?. Jeannette was a producer on the film Beauty & Ruin, and will be present for a post-screening Q&A.
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Director/Producer
Dan has crossed the country with his critically-acclaimed solo show ¡Gaytino! Made in America following the 2006 world premiere in Los Angeles. The long-awaited film version of the storytelling piece of documentary theater is currently hitting the film festival circuit. He is an accomplished producer of many events. Dan accompanies his film ¡Gaytino! to the festival and will be present for a post-screening Q&A.
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Producer
Mike grew up by the beach in Southern California and his career in the entertainment business has spanned close to three decades. For the last 25 years Mike has specialized in Live Event, Award Shows and big multi-camera specials. He has done everything from work on the Oscars to the Comedy Central Roast’s and Hope for Haiti. Mike will participate in the Reality & Live TV panel.
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Director
Lisanne is an award-winning writer/director of scripted, documentary, short form and branded films that have screened at Sundance, South x Southwest and the Venice Film Festival, and aired on PBS, Sundance Channel, and HBO. Her films include the Oscar-shortlisted HBO Documentary Film Brillo Box (3¢ off), A Few Things About Robert Irwin for the LACMA Art + Film Gala, the critically acclaimed dramatic feature Getting To Know You and the South Central LA documentary No Loans Today. Brillo Box (3¢ off), an official selection of the 54th New York Film Festival, debuted on HBO in August 2017 and is now streaming on all HBO platforms in the US as well as around the world.
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Director
Chris is a London based filmmaker and a graduate of the
London Film School. Prior to moving into filmmaking he
spent several years working as an illustrator, contributing
work to several exhibitions at Hero Complex Gallery and
Gallery 1988, including official shows for 20th Century
Fox, Joe Dante, Roger Corman and Joss Whedon. His
career in this field culminated in 2016 with an artist’s
residency at London’s Southbank Centre.
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