The Center for the Arts at Kayenta is proud to announce the return of its annual CineSizzle! Independent Film Series, taking place over three weeks in July 2024. This curated selection of 12 award-winning and critically-acclaimed independent films offers Southern Utah audiences a rare opportunity to experience compelling cinematic storytelling from some of today’s most visionary filmmakers the way they are meant to be seen- on the big screen!
CineSizzle! ‘24 serves as the kickoff event for the 2024-2025 season and launches July 11th with the drama re: UNITING and runs through July 27th, showcasing a diverse array of films including thought-provoking documentaries, foreign cinema, comedies, and more. Highlights include the French romantic historical drama The Taste of Things, starring Juliette Binoche, the Senegalese odyssey Io Capitano which was nominated for the 2024 Best International Feature Oscar, and the surreal dark comedy Bad Behaviour starring Jennifer Connelly.
“We are thrilled to bring this celebration of independent film back to our intimate, Dark Skies Certified theater in Kayenta” said Miranda Wright, Executive Director of Center for the Arts at Kayenta. “The CineSizzle series allows movie lovers to discover daring, original films from around the world that they likely won’t find at their local multiplex.”
Single film tickets are $12 or a CineSizzle! pass for all 12 films can be purchased for $100, which includes a 2024/2025 Friendship Circle membership to Kayenta Arts Foundation. Tickets can be purchased online at KayentaArts.org or at the door. The Center will be hosting a summery social hour that begins an hour before each film – a fun way to beat the heat in July.
The CineSizzle! Independent Film Series runs Thursday-Saturday, July 11th through July 27, at the Center for the Arts at Kayenta located at 881 Coyote Gulch Court in Ivins, Utah. For more information and a full schedule of films, find links to film trailers and to purchase tickets, visit KayentaArts.org.
About Kayenta Arts Foundation: The Kayenta Arts Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to creating an environment where diverse artistic endeavors can flourish in Southern Utah. The Center For the Arts at Kayenta brings this mission to the community through film screenings, live performances, art exhibits, and educational programming.
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Thursday, July 11, 7:30 p.m.
re: UNITING
Rated PG. re: UNITING follows six best friends from college, now in their 40s, who reconnect for their 25 year reunion weekend.
Friday, July 12, 7:30 p.m.
Transition
Rated PG. Filmmaker Jordan Bryon from Australia is followed as he goes through a transformation while working with Taliban soldiers.
Saturday, July 13, 2 p.m.
Go On, Be Brave
This film is not rated. The story of one woman’s race against time– a diagnosis of ALS and an attempt at the impossible– to be the first person with ALS to complete a marathon in all 50 states.
Saturday, July 13, 7:30 p.m.
Io Capitano
This film is not rated. A “reverse shot” of the immigration experience while unfurling an epic odyssey from West Africa to Italy.
Thursday, July 18, 7:30 p.m.
The Taste of Things
Rated PG-13. This French historical romantic film features the gourmet named Dodin Bouffant, a character based on novelist Marcel Rouff’s protagonist in The Passionate Epicure.
Friday, July 19, 7:30 p.m.
Bad Behaviour
Rated TV-14. A former child actor, seeks enlightenment at a retreat led by spiritual leader while she navigates her close yet turbulent relationship with her stunt-performer daughter.
Saturday, July 20, 2 p.m.
Geoff McFetridge: Drawing a Life
Rated PG. The iconic work of artist Geoff McFetridge is everywhere. But this film is more than a primer on his career- it’s about the choices we confront in trying to lead meaningful lives, and how we use our most precious resources: time.
Saturday, July 20, 7:30 p.m.
The Promised Land
Rated R. Set in 1755 and following Ludvig Kahlen, a veteran soldier, this historical drama is an adaptation of The Captain and Ann Barbara, a book written by Ida Jessen.
Thursday, July 25, 7:30 p.m.
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
Rated PG. A decades-spanning exploration of a woman’s life in Mississippi and an ode to the generations of people, places, and ineffable moments that shape us.
Friday, July 26, 7:30 p.m.
Embodied
Rated TV-14. Embodied is an intimate exploration of an uncomfortable truth: our opportunities and relationships are informed by our body size.
Saturday, July 2h, 2 .pm.
Feeding Tomorrow
Rated G. Up against a broken food system suffering from ecosystem destruction, climate change, health epidemics, and inequality, a brave group of visionary leaders in agriculture, healthcare and education work to build a more just regenerative, and resilient system in their local communities.
Saturday, July 27, 7:30 p.m.
Sometimes I Think About Dying
Rated PG-13. This quirky romantic comedy-drama is an adaptation of the 2013 play Killers written by Kevin Armento. The film follows Fran, an ordinary office worker who’s socially awkward and is okay with it.