CATHOLIC FILM FESTIVAL IN PHOENIX

[I got an email asking me to help get the word out about this event. I don’t know any of the folks connected with it, but better to be obliging.]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Christ the King Catholic Church is proud to present the first AZ
Catholic Film Festival May 20th – 21st, 2005. The church is located at
1551 E Dana Ave in Mesa.

Organized by Fr. Chris Carpenter, Pastor of Christ the King and film
critic for “The Catholic Sun,” the festival will feature films made by
Catholic filmmakers and/or featuring Catholic subjects.

On Friday, May 20th, the festival will kick-off with a 6:30 PM opening
night reception, followed at 7:30 by the premiere of Tony, Tony Stick
Around, a heart-warming family drama by Scottsdale writer-director
Joanne Caroselli. A discussion with Ms. Caroselli and cast members will
follow the screening.

Saturday, May 21st, at 10:00 AM, the festival continues with a double
feature of pro-life documentary shorts: The Witness, by New York-based
filmmakers Jenny Stein and James LaVeck, and Hope Floats, by local
filmmaker Derek Natzke. Discussion with the filmmakers and others will
follow the screenings.

Lunch will be available for purchase from 12:00 noon to 1:00 PM

Saturday, May 21st, at 1:00 PM, the festival will feature the Arizona
premiere of the Oscar-nominated documentary Twist of Faith, detailing
one man’s recovery from sexual abuse by a priest. Discussion will
follow the screening.

*Parents, please be advised that The Witness and Twist of Faith are
not suitable for pre-teens due to some disturbing images and/or subject
matter.

Festival participants are invited to celebrate 4:00 PM Mass at Christ
the King

Saturday, May 21st, at 6:00 PM, the festival closes with three new,
30-minute films featuring contemporary stories of young adults based on
Jesus’ teachings or the Mysteries of the Rosary. They are produced by
Family Theater Productions, a Catholic media outlet founded in 1947 in
Hollywood by Servant of God Fr. Patrick Peyton, CSC, a Catholic media
pioneer and now sainthood candidate.

Tickets for the Friday evening reception and screening only can be
purchased for $5. Festival Passes for the opening night reception and
all screenings can be purchased for $10. Seating is limited, so please
pre-order tickets and passes by calling (480) 964-1719.

Fr. Carpenter indicated he has been thinking of starting a Catholic
Film Festival for a couple of years since Catholics are numerous in
Arizona. We hope to provide enough variety to appeal to all audiences
for entertainment, as well as some spiritual thought and positive
messages. Our goal is to continue and grow the festival in future years
to bring Catholic entertainment in the Phoenix area and throughout
Arizona to a new level.

For further information, please call Fr. Chris Carpenter at (480)
964-1719 or Joanne Caroselli at (480) 941-4045