CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — The 501(c)(3) nonprofit Film and Media Alliance of Southern Utah just revealed the opening night and closing night films for the 2024 Desertscape International Film Festival. With this announcement comes a reminder that early bird all-access badges are on sale through March 5.
The 2024 Desertscape International Film Festival will take place in beautiful St. George from Wednesday, March 27, through Saturday, March 30, with the majority of screenings and events taking place at The Electric Theater. It should also be noted that for the first time ever, Desertscape will coincide with the long-running St. George Art Festival this year. This will only add to the magic of the proceedings.
Desertscape’s opening night film will be the charming, adorable and fittingly thrilling Josh Margolin comedy “Thelma” from Magnolia Pictures. Featuring a wonderful June Squibb (“About Schmidt,” “Nebraska”) in the title role, this gem of a movie finds an elderly woman taking matters into her own hands after falling prey to a telephone scammer.
With her adoring grandson (an affable Fred Hechinger) waiting in the wings and her good friend Ben (played by the late, great Richard Roundtree of “Shaft” fame) by her side, Thelma heads off on a Tom Cruise-caliber mission to prove her worth and get back what’s rightfully hers. She also learns a few valuable lessons along the way. “Thelma” also features Parker Posey and Clark Gregg.
This loving tribute to all of the amazing grandmothers of the world made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. It isn’t expected to hit theaters until late summer, but you can see what all the buzz is about at this very special Desertscape screening at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27. The screening will take place at Megaplex’s Stadium 8, located at 1091 N. Bluff Street in St. George.
Desertscape’s closing night film will be Peter Flynn’s affectionate, funny and undeniably insightful documentary “Film is Dead. Long Live Film!” This love letter to cinema delves into the lives of film print collectors, but this is not only an immensely entertaining look at film history and the passionate individuals who set out to preserve that history. In some ways, it’s also an often eye-opening (and honest) cautionary tale about the perils and pitfalls that can sometimes come with loving something too much.
Irish native Flynn currently resides in Boston, but he’ll be making the trip out to Desertscape to take part in what is sure to be an informative post-screening discussion. If you’re a film lover, you certainly won’t want to miss this. This is a movie that beautifully plays right into the film and media alliance’s mission statement.
“Film is Dead. Long Live Film!” will screen at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 30. The screening will take place at The Electric Theater, located at 68 E. Tabernacle Street in St. George.
Official selections and the full lineup for the 2024 Desertscape International Film Festival will be unveiled March 1, but you can get your early bird all-access badges right now for only $99. These VIP passes include all screenings (over 40 films in total), parties and food.
Additionally, your all-access pass comes with an exclusive Desertscape swag bag. Grab yours now, as the early bird sale ends March 5. For early bird passes and all current Desertscape 2024 info, click here.
About Desertscape International Film Festival
Since 2019, Desertscape has served as a platform for filmmakers from all over the world to share their work in a theatrical setting. Additionally, Desertscape prides itself on creating a source of grand entertainment and enlightenment for its many attendees. The goal is to see Desertscape evolve and emerge as a Southern Utah staple for years to come.
About the Film and Media Alliance of Southern Utah
Formed in 2017, the Film and Media Alliance of Southern Utah is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit designed to encourage, inspire, nurture and educate filmmaking talent and to preserve film history and the theatrical experience. The alliance does this by way of several film-related events throughout the year, including the Desertscape International Film Festival, HorrorFest International, the Electric Film Series, A Merry Movie Christmas and the Guerilla Filmmaking Challenges, quick-turnaround filmmaking competitions that take place two times per year.
While the alliance prides itself on its Southern Utah roots, it is equally interested in championing storytellers from all around the world. Of course, the primary goal is to engage everyone through the culturally expansive nature of the world’s greatest art form: cinema! To learn all about the alliance and/or to donate, log on to fmasu.com.
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