The 21st annual festival, which runs Sunday through March 1 at venues throughout Sedona, is dedicated to Orson Welles. (The film legend once lived in Sedona, and his daughter currently has a home there.)
But there are several films on the schedule that are food-related:
‘Agave is Life’
This 60-minute documentary is the story of mankind’s symbiotic alliance with the marvelous agave plant, from which tequila, Mexico’s iconic distilled spirit is derived. Told through the lens of archaeological and historical investigations, this colorful film with both original and traditional folk music relies upon ethnographic materials, archival footage, and interviews to explore 10,000 years of the human-agave relationship. Screens at noon Sunday, Feb. 22 & 6:20 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24.
‘Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story’
As a society, we devour countless cooking shows, culinary magazines, and food blogs. So how could we possibly be throwing nearly 50% of it in the trash? After catching a glimpse of the billions of dollars of food that is tossed each year in North America, the Canadian filmmakers pledge to quit grocery shopping and survive only on discarded food. What they find in this 75-minute documentary is shocking. 9:20 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24.
‘Pie Lady of Pie Town’
Why did a successful Dallas business woman leave her charmed life to bake pie in a remote dusty town with no gas station, no motel and no grocery store? For Kathy Knapp, pie equals love. She serves peace with each piece to curious tourists and local characters alike in this 33-minute documentary short. Welcome to Pie Town, New Mexico. The name is no joke. 9:20 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24Â & Â 6:15 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27.
‘The Hand That Feeds’
At a popular bakery café, residents of New York’s Upper East Side get bagels and coffee served with a smile 24 hours a day. But behind the scenes, undocumented immigrant workers face sub-legal wages, dangerous machinery, and abusive managers who will fire them for calling in sick. Mild-mannered sandwich maker Mahoma López convinces a small group of his co-workers to fight back in this 75-minute documentary. 9:20 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25 & :20 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28.
‘The Search for General Tso’
This mouthwateringly entertaining 71-minute documentary travels the globe to unravel a captivating culinary mystery. General Tso’s chicken is a staple of Chinese-American cooking and an ubiquitous presence on restaurant menus across the country. But just who was General Tso? And how did his chicken become emblematic of an entire national cuisine? 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24 & 3:15 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27.
All five of these food-related films will screen at the Harkins Sedona 6. They often will be paired with another short film to fill the schedule block.
