Phoenix Film Festival Opens Its 26th Year With Paul Rudd's Power Ballad

The Valley's biggest film event is in full swing. The 26th Annual Phoenix Film Festival runs April 9 through 19 at Harkins Scottsdale 101, screening 268 films across features, documentaries, and shorts. Opening night belongs to John Carney's Power Ballad, the Irish writer-director's new rock comedy starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, followed by a ten-day program of parties, panels, industry mixers, and the concurrent International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival.

The festival has become one of the Southwest's most respected regional events, with emerging filmmaker panels, a free Kids' Day, and a reputation for securing guest appearances from the directors and actors whose work it screens. Tickets start at $19, and multi-film passes are the best move for serious festival-goers.

If you're going: the Harkins Scottsdale 101 complex is easily accessible off the 101 Loop. Parking is free. The festival's nightly after-parties at venues along the Scottsdale Waterfront are where the real networking happens.

Sources: Phoenix New Times, Experience Scottsdale