Stars Come Out for Sedona International Film Festival

For nine days, Sedona rolled out the red carpet for filmmakers, actors, producers and writers in the 29th Annual Sedona International Film Festival, Feb. 18-26. During the event each year, the Red Rock Country becomes a mini Hollywood of sorts. So, it’s no surprise that residents and visitors found it commonplace last month to share a moment with “One Day at a Time” actor and local Glenn Scarpelli, wait for a ride next to “Taxi” star Judd Hirsch, catch Tim Daly on the fly [Wings], or get deep with Jacqueline Bisset [The Deep].

Bisset attended the screening of her newest film “Loren & Rose,” directed, produced and written by Russell Brown, and received the festival’s 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award, along with a standing ovation.

“Loren & Rose” is a three-act film framed around meals and conversation in a quaint Topanga Canyon restaurant in the Santa Monica Mountains as a friendship buds and blossoms between a fledgling director, Loren, and a famous actress, Rose, whom he courts for a role in his film. The challenge, said Brown, was keeping the dialogue-heavy scenes visually engaging. He used the reflection and angle of mirrors in the restaurant and on the furniture to bring life and interest to the film.

On a similar note, Bisset said, “I was really worried about the amount of words I had to say. Rose was complex and extremely literate.”

Another Bisset film, “The Sleepy Time Gal,” directed by Christopher Munch and released in 2001, was also shown during the festival. “When a role is right, it is like seeing a painting and committing to it,” said Bisset, noting it was her favorite personal film.

“Films come alive in the hands of gifted actors,” said Munch, who attended Bisset’s films at the event and has known her since the 1990s. “It’s a joy to watch her confidence increase through the years, reinforced by some of the attention she’s received. There’s something about growth that comes with age that has strengthened her confidence as an actor.”

Bisset reminisced about some of the celebrities she had worked with. “Dean Martin was the jokester of the world, always carrying his apple juice and playing that he was drunk. Burt Lancaster was so friendly to everybody. Vanessa Redgrave has such a strong presence.”

When asked what advice she would have given her younger self, she responded, “I would have done more exercises to be mentally and physically stronger. Filmmaking takes lots and lots of energy!”

More than 150 films were screened during the festival. Actress Karen Allen of “Indiana Jones” fame had two films showing: “White Irish Drinkers” and “A Stage of Twilight.”

Actor Judd Hirsch and Actress Amy Smart [Just Friends, The Butterfly Effect and Rat Race] attended the screening of their film “Rally Caps.”

Actor Tim Daly, pictured above, came to Sedona for his short film, “All Through the Night.” Known for his role as Joe Hackett on the NBC sitcom “Wings” and Henry McCord, husband of U.S. Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord, played by Tea Leoni on the CBS drama “Madam Secretary.”

“Filmmaking is the most collaborative art there is,” he said. “Hundreds of people need to do their job well so you can do your job well.” QCBN

By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN

Courtesy Photo: Jacqueline Bisset plays a legendary actress in the new film “Loren & Rose,” whose friendship with a fledgling director evolves through their love of art, grief and personal transformations.