TOMBSTONE, Ariz. (KGUN) — The second annual Tombstone Film Festival is taking place this weekend at the historic Schieffelin Hall. Founders Travis Mills and John Marrs selected 14 films out of 34 submissions to showcase during the festival.
“We were able to be very selective," Marrs said. "Everything we’re showing is a very well made film and they are all very different. We have a couple modern westerns, we have some that have a Sci-Fi element to them and we have some more traditional western.”
This year more than half the selected films were made outside the United States. Kjell Nilsen is a producer from Sweden. His team's movie, "Hear Me Scream," is one of the films playing this weekend.
“It was very proud, it being Tombstone and we made a Western. And you show it in Tombstone. That was unbelievable,” Nilsen said.
He said it took the team a week to shoot their movie in Sweden. The 14-hour flight to Arizona was worth it, he said, to be able to see the showing in Tombstone.
"I think [the festival] is keeping the tradition [and] the history of the wild west," Nilsen said.
Marrs expects each viewing and panel discussion to have 150 people—and to sell out—this weekend, similar to last year's inaugural festival.
“It’s just the Western genre. People love it. People came from all over to see it," Marrs said. "We’re doing it here at historic Schieffelin Hall. It’s very rich in history, this town is.”
He did say there may be opportunities for people who didn't already purchase tickets to still participate in the weekend's events.
“Even if the tickets sell out, just like we did last year, once the theater is full, if some of the ticket holders don’t show up we will sell individual block tickets — if you just want to watch one or two movies,” Marrs said.
One of the reasons Marrs and Mills wanted to bring a festival here is to help the local economy, because by bringing people to town the hope is that people will spend money at local restaurants, shops and hotel. But they also couldn't think a better place to have a western film festival than in Tombstone.
The films will be shown throughout the weekend. For the full schedule visit The Tombstone Film Festival on Facebook.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
