Phoenix Film Festival is a festival that celebrates feature films and their creators. Started in 2000, the annual celebration takes place in the city of Phoenix, Arizona. The festival is a showcase for feature and short films from all over the world. History With the idea of starting a festival by filmmakers for filmmakers in Arizona, independent filmmakers Golan Ramras and Chris LaMont started the festival in 2000 with the help of Program Director Greg Hall and World Cinema Director Slobodan Popovic. Jason Carney has been the Festival Director since 2004. The Festival is run under the auspices of the 501(c)3 non-profit Phoenix Film Foundation. The Phoenix Film Festival is now the largest attended festival in Arizona. In 2013 it had 23,000 attendees. The festival has hosted many notable members of the film industry such as Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Laurence Fishburne, Tom Arnold and Danny Trejo, as well as filmmakers Don Roos and Ken Kwapis, and featured the premieres of Happy Endings, Mad Hot Ballroom and Loverboy. Past winners Feature film 2013 Putzel (Best Picture) The Story of Luke (Special Jury Prize) 2012 – Shuffle 2011 A Little Help (Best Picture) As If I Am Not There (Best World Cinema Feature) 2010 – The Rivals 2009 – Lightbulb 2008 – Take 2007 – Little Chenier 2006 – Andrew Jenks, Room 335 2005 – Checking Out 2004 – Break a Leg 2003 – Melvin Goes to Dinner 2002 – Do It for Uncle Manny 2001 – Middlemen References External links Google News Results for Search "Phoenix Film Festival" Phoenix Film Festival at the Internet Movie Database Festivals in Phoenix, Arizona Film festivals in Arizona Film festivals established in 2000 Tourist attractions in Phoenix, Arizona 2000 establishments in Arizona