PHOENIX -- This year's Phoenix Film Festival had a little bit for everyone; with short films, documentaries, and full-length films, the festival had a lot to cover in the short weekend.
The festival lasted from Thursday to Sunday.
When not watching one of the many films offered at the festival, there were plenty of booths and activities like karaoke set up.
Saturday's after-party offered live bands, including The Bacon Brothers band, and a chance to meet and speak with the actors and directors of the films.
The experience was an opportunity to pay tribute to independent films and documentaries many people have never heard of or seen.
One of the main features of the festival was the opening night premiere of "Happy Endings."
With a cast including Tom Arnold and Lisa Kudrow, "Happy Endings" tells 10 stories about different characters and intertwines the characters into each story. One of the film's stories is about a father and son who happen to be in a relationship with the same woman. From there, "Happy Endings" goes into a story of a woman who gave up her child for adoption and found out what the child's life was like afterward.
Another one of the feature films was "Loverboy," directed by Kevin Bacon. The film starred Bacon and wife Kyra Sedgwick, along with Marisa Tomei and Sandra Bullock.
Based on a novel, "Loverboy" tells the story of a woman who grew up admiring her neighbor rather than her own parents, who were too caught up with each other to give her the proper attention.
Growing up in this type of household brings her to the realization that she does not want her child to have the same experience.
Instead of settling down and starting a family with one man, she decides to research and sleep with men with qualities she finds suitable. After she fails to have a baby with a plethora of men, she sleeps with a man out of passion and becomes pregnant.
After the child is born, she can't stand to be without the child for any amount of time. She spends her time with the boy, educating him and sharing many adventures with him.
The one film I was very excited to see was "Never Been Thawed." With a local cast, "Never Been Thawed" features a group of very different people brought together by their love for frozen food entrees. It shows the lives a small group of Mesa Frozen Food Entree Enthusiasts and the activities of their everyday lives' that seem to focus on their frozen food club.
Shawn is the leader of the club, as well as the lead singer of a punk band gone Christian. Although his band is focused toward the Christian audience, the lyrics of the songs still reflect his punk lifestyle with a lot of swearing.
Another member of the club and member of Shawn's band, The Christers, is Al.
In the film, Al is in love with Shelly, a shy, virgin member of the club who is in love with Shawn and works at an intercourse-prevention hotline. They all seem to be brought together by their love for collecting frozen food entrees. "Never Been Thawed" will be in select theatres starting Friday.
Besides the films featured at the festival, there was a silent auction of movie memorabilia, tributes to Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick and after-parties every night featuring live bands. After every film there was a question-and-answer segment with the directors and actors who were at the festival.
Reach the reporter at brian.kirshman@asu.edu.