For folks who live in the Casas Adobes area of town or close to the Tucson Mall, it's quite a drive to see the latest Hollywood flick. Now RoadHouse Cinemas is building their second Tucson location on Oracle Road and River Road.

The new dine-in movie theater will be a joint space with the Rail Yard Gaming and Gastropub and will accompany Red Lobster and First Watch at Fiesta Plaza close to the Tucson Mall.

RoadHouse is known for its ability to provide both dinner and a show at it's full dine-in theaters. Rail Yard will include a gastropub with bowling and grown-up gaming.

“We love Tucson, we live in Tucson and we are excited to bring a second RoadHouse Cinemas to Oracle Road near the Tucson Mall," Josh Snider, president of RoadHouse Cinemas said in a release.

RoadHouse Cinemas is a local Tucson company and has four Cinemas across the Southwest. The new theater will house 10 screens and is set to open in 2020. 

Since she was a child, Martha Sosa has learned life lessons from the films that demonstrated them to her.

“I’ve always been a very keen cinephile, thanks to my dad, whose way of talking to us was through films,” Sosa said. “I got a very deep relationship with the cinema experience through watching films in a very loving way.”

Now, Sosa uses the lessons she has learned through films to create award-winning films of her own.

Sosa, the producer of such popular Mexican films as “Amores Perros” and “Plaza de la Soledad,” is a special guest filmmaker at this year’s Tucson Cine Mexico festival.

The film festival, a partnership between the University of Arizona Hanson FilmTV Institute and the New York-based Cinema Tropical, has become an immense platform for Mexican cinema in the United States, attracting more than 20,000 attendees since its premiere in 2004.

The 16th annual festival, which began Wednesday night and runs through Sunday, is free and open to the public.

On opening night, Sosa participated in a panel about the current boom in cinematic production throughout Mexico.

“Now we have a healthier industry. I cannot say it’s the best it can be; of course it can get better,” she said. “But by now we’re making many films and a few of them are really an international level of quality and with a very original narrative.”

This original narrative exists in “Plaza de la Soledad,” the award-winning documentary Sosa produced in 2016 that will make its Arizona debut at the Center for Creative Photography during the festival on Thursday night.

The film follows the lives of four women in Mexico City caught in the often relentless cycle of prostitution.

“Whenever you listen to that word, prostitute, it’s like you have a relationship with that word,” Sosa said. “You have heard it as an insult, you have an image in your head. When you listen to these women and you get to know them in this very intimate way, all of your prejudice, it gets in front of you.”

In addition to the nuanced issues Mexican cinema brings to light, festival co-director Carlos Gutiérrez emphasizes the importance of Mexican cinema during a time of increased production throughout the country.

“Mexico is going through a sort of second golden era of cinema. The country is producing 170 films per year, more than ever. It’s really become an international film powerhouse,” Gutiérrez said.

Festival co-director Vicky Westover believes the reach of Mexican cinema should span beyond the country itself, especially in the historically Mexican area of Tucson.

“They’re our neighbor, we should be watching and celebrating the work of our neighbor,” Westover said. “I think in the United States, we’re very American-centric and we just watch films that are coming out of Hollywood. There’s really a plethora of wonderful films being made around the world, but people just don’t get to see.”

Local film buff Trayce Peterson, who attended the festival’s opening night, appreciates the opportunity to learn more about a different country.

“I am not Mexican, I’m African-American, but I think it’s really important for me to learn about different cultures and to appreciate the creative expression of different kinds of folks. I love film, and that’s a great way to feel and learn and express,” Peterson said.

The event gives festival-goers the rare opportunity to see works that are otherwise inaccessible in the U.S. “Cinderelo,” a romantic comedy directed by Beto Gómez, will make it’s U.S. premiere as part of the festival on Saturday.

“We have an audience that’s hungry for that kind of cinema, because they’re not getting to see it. In many cases, the films that we show, you’re not going to get a chance to see again,” Westover said.


In addition to the type of movies they screen, the Tucson Cine Mexico festival prides itself on the diverse audience it attracts.

“Anywhere from 60 to 70 percent of our audience every year is self-describing Latino,” Westover said. “They want to see their culture on the screen, and they want to hear people speaking Spanish. We have the most interesting eclectic audience.”

In order to focus on emerging filmmakers, the festival gives a Jaguar Award for the most impressive directoral film debut. This year’s recipient is “La Camarista/The Chambermaid,” which will make its Arizona premiere at the festival on Saturday.

Gutiérrez said “La Camarista” is the only film in the Tucson Cine Mexico lineup that has secured U.S. distribution, with a June opening.

As a drama addressing issues of the working class in Mexico, “La Camarista” brings attention to the talent of director Lila Avilés. This year, over half the films in the festival’s lineup are directed by women.

“I would highly recommend ‘The Chambermaid.’ That’s making the waves in international film. It’s been winning prizes at different film festivals around the world,” Gutiérrez said. “I think it’s a good example of the excellence and artistry of Mexican cinema.”

By displaying stories through film on the big screen, Tucson Cine Mexico aims to create a collective experience for its audience.

“I hope that people understand that there’s shared stories, we’re all kind of living a shared experience,” Hanson FilmTV Institute Intern Mattheo Sawyer said. “The stories across the board, if done interestingly, can help us relate more. I think that’s one thing this festival is doing.”

Gutiérrez also believes Tucson Cine Mexico has been successful in providing enlightening Mexican films for an audience hungry for international cinema.

“The festival has become one of the most important platforms in the U.S. for Mexican cinema,” Gutiérrez said. “The work of 16 years has really paid off, and we’ve built a very dedicated audience locally. I urge local audiences to really go and look for all these shows.”

Jeff Tremaine, director of the Jackass films, tries to deliver an actual narrative movie and bombs miserably with this lame biopic of Motley Crue.

Based on the book written by members of the band, the film covers the band from formation through their career, and makes a mess of the whole thing.

For starters, Tommy Lee lookalike Machine Gun Kelly delivers a bad performance as the iconic drummer, making him into more of a cartoon than he already is. Daniel Webber is an annoying prick as lead singer Vince Neil, who actually is an annoying prick in real life, too, so I guess he gets a pass. Douglas Booth renders bassist Nikki Six boring, while Iwan Rheon is the closest thing to any fun as the old, grumpy guitarist Mick Mars.

I confess, I’ve never liked the band and I find their music amateurish and shitty, so me liking a movie about them might be a stretch. Still, we are talking some bad wig acting here, and nothing revelatory whatsoever about the group. (They had groupies, they did drugs, blah, blah, blah.)

I never thought I’d see a rock biopic that annoyed me more than Bohemian Rhapsody, but here you go. (Streaming on Netflix).

Magda Havas, associate professor at Trent University, will attend multiple film screenings across Tucson documenting the phenomenon of electrical hypersensitivity, a purported sensitivity to electrical and electromagnetic fields, which may cause numerous negative symptoms.

The first screening, Generation Zapped, takes place at The Loft Cinema and investigates "the potential dangers of prolonged exposure to Radio Frequencies from wireless technology". A panel discussion will follow the screening, featuring a presentation by Havas, and a Q&A session. This free screening is co-sponsored by the Electromagnetic Safety Alliance and the Pima County 5G Awareness Coalition.

Screening and presentation dates:

Sunday, March 24, 2 p.m.
The Loft Cinema
3233 E. Speedway Blvd.
Screening of the film Generation Zapped, with a panel discussion to follow
Free and open to the public

Monday, March 25, 6:30 p.m.
Old Fort Lowell Neighborhood Association Town Hall
5230 E. Ft. Lowell Rd.
5th Generation Wireless: How Do Changes in Federal and State Policies Impact Our Neighborhood?
Free and open to the public

Wednesday, March 27, 4 p.m.
University of Arizona College of Public Health
Drachman Hall, Room A120, UA North Campus
Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity
Free and open to the public

Thursday, March 28, 7 p.m.
Tucson Jewish Community Center
3800 E. River Road
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - Our Love Affair with Wireless Technology”
$5 in advance, $7 at the door, students free with student ID

Tucson Cine Mexico, a partnership between the UA's Hanson Film/TV Institute and Cinema Tropical, has exhibited emerging and independent Mexican cinema to Tucsonans since 2004. Since forming, Tucson Cine Mexico has attracted more than 20,000 festival-goers and hosted more than 40 filmmakers. Its 16th anniversary lineup was just released.

The festival lasts from March 27 to 31 at the Tucson Museum of Art, UA Center For Creative Photography and Harkins Tucson Spectrum 18. 
OPENING NIGHT PARTY
In person: Producer Martha Sosa Elizondo

The 16th edition of Tucson Cine Mexico, the United States’ longest-running festival of Mexican film, kicks off at 6 p.m. at the Tucson Museum of Art with fiesta food and drinks. At 6:45 p.m. in the lobby area, Festival co-director Carlos Gutiérrez moderates “Nurturing New Film Talent,” a conversation with guest filmmaker Martha Sosa Elizondo. Martha, an Emmy-winning producer of such trailblazing films as Alejandro González Iñarritu’s Amores Perros and the multiple award- winning documentary Presumed Guilty, recently produced Plaza de la Soledad – screening for the first time in Arizona at Tucson Cine Mexico on March 28. After the Conversation, head to the patio for music by guest DJ Humblelianess and dance the night away. While there, attendees also have the option to view the cosmic works of contemporary Cuban artist Carlos Estévez, the Museum’s feature exhibition.

Wednesday, March 27, 6 to 9 p.m. Tucson Museum of Art.

MAMACITA
(Arizona Premiere)

Director José Pablo Estrada Torrescano unearths family secrets in his debut feature Mamacita. When the aspiring director went to study film abroad, his grandmother made him promise to return to Mexico one day to make a film about her life. Little did he know that his film would unearth secrets, lies and deceptions affecting five generations of a high society Mexican family. Mamacita, José Pablo’s grandmother, is an extravagant Mexican beauty queen living in her own kingdom with her loyal servants: gardener, chauffeur, chef, housekeeper and nurses. The 95-year-old lady has turned her house into a castle, hiding the open wounds of a prominent Mexican upper class family behind its stone walls. José Pablo conquers his granny’s empire like a Trojan horse, discovering the haunted spirits of his own past and the reason for the lack of love that his entire clan has suffered from for generations.

Thursday, March 28, 5:30p.m. at the Center for Creative Photography. Documentary. Mexico/Germany. 2018. 75 min.


PLAZA DE LA SOLEDAD
(Arizona Premiere)
In person: Producer Martha Sosa Elizondo

Internationally acclaimed photographer Maya Goded makes a promising film debut with Plaza de la Soledad, a moving continuation of her photography work in La Merced neighborhood in Mexico City, where prostitution has been present since the days of the Aztecs. “Beautiful, respectful, and celebratory” (Film Comment) and winner of the Cinema Tropical Award for Best Latin American Documentary, the film follows four strong women—middle-aged and older—who want to break a vicious circle that began with abuse and abandonment suffered from an early age. Carmen, Lety, Raquel and Esther aspire for a better life, and Goded’s poignant lens follows their quest to find true love, their capacity to transform themselves, and above all, their resilience and solidarity.

Thursday, March 28, 7:30p.m. at the Center for Creative Photography. Documentary. Mexico, 2016, 84 min.

XQUIPI’ GUIE’DANI / GUIE’DANI’S NAVEL
(Arizona Premiere)
In person: Director Xavi Sala

Directed by Catalan-born filmmaker Xavi Sala, this incisive portrait of racism and classism follows young Zapotec Guie’dani, who moves from her Oaxacan village to Mexico City when her mother takes a job as a live-in maid for a wealthy family. Defiant and morose, Guie’dani abhors their new roles in service. Everything changes when she meets Claudia, a rebellious girl with whom she becomes close friends. Newcomer Sótera Cruz brings razor-sharp intensity to her portrayal of a girl determined to fight for her dignity.

Friday, March 29, 6:00p.m. Harkins Tucson Spectrum 18. Drama. Mexico, 2018, 119 min.

LAS NIÑAS BIEN / THE GOOD GIRLS
(Arizona Premiere)

Based on Guadalupe Loaeza’s satiric and iconic 1985 bestseller of the same name, Alejandra Márquez Abella’s second film is a portrait of the always charming, perfect and spoiled Sofia, the queen bee of her group of friends, who faces the unimaginable - her social decay. It’s 1982 and a big economic crisis is hitting Mexico. Sofia will have to maintain appearances but her fall is not only inevitable, it will acknowledge what is lost when the money is gone. Starring an impressive ensemble cast including Ilse Salas (Güeros, Museo), Cassandra Ciangherotti (Time Share, Cantinflas), and Paulina Gaitán (Sin Nombre), The Good Girls is a poignant snapshot of the decadent Mexican bourgeoisie of the early eighties.

Friday, March 29, 9:15pm Harkins Tucson Spectrum 18. Drama. Mexico, 2018, 94 min.

LA CAMARISTA / THE CHAMBERMAID
(Arizona Premiere ahead of U.S. theatrical release)

A poignant and delicate class portrait, The Chambermaid follows Eve—played by the wonderful Gabriela Cartol (I Dream in Another Language)—a young chambermaid working in one of the most luxurious hotels in Mexico City, who confronts the monotony of long workdays with quiet examinations of forgotten belongings and budding friendships that nourish her newfound and determined dream for a better life. Inspired by the filmmaker's own theater play of the same name—in turn inspired by Sophie Calle’s 1980 artistic project “The Hotel,” in which the French artist worked as a chambermaid in a Venice hotel—The Chambermaid is a standout among a thriving new generation of Mexican and Latin American women filmmakers. With impeccable cinematography, a near-documentary eye, and a humanistic gaze, the film signals director Lila Avilés as a talent to watch.

Saturday, March 30, 6:00pm Harkins Tucson Spectrum 18. Mexico, 2018, 98 min.

CINDERELO
(U.S. Premiere)
In person: Director Beto Gomez

Beto Gómez’ humorous screwball comedy Cinderelo follows Marlon Flores (the wonderful Miguel Rodarte), a talented photographer with an amazing ability to highlight anyone's inner beauty, but not his own. His ugliness attracts the rejection and ridicule of all women, except his assistant Maria, who can see him for what he really is. Tired of constant contempt, he unexpectedly encounters his fairy godfather (Joaquín Cosío, Narcos: Mexico, Me gusta pero me asusta, The Thin Yellow Line), a mysterious man who casts a spell on him, transforming him into an irresistible hunk named Brando (played by popular actor William Levy). The catch? It’s only in effect at night. With the help of his best friend Felix, Marlon turns the handsome Brando into the most coveted man in the city. But can you find true love with a double identity?

Saturday, March 30, 9:00pm Harkins Tucson Spectrum 18. Romantic Comedy. Mexico/Dominican Republic, 2019, 91 min.

TESOROS / TREASURES
(Arizona Premiere)

Written and directed by veteran filmmaker María Novaro (Danzón, Leaving No Trace) and set in a palm-fringed fishing village on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, this tale follows young siblings Dylan and Andrea as they embark on a search for lost pirate treasure left centuries ago by Francis Drake. Guided by their own intelligence and curiosity, the children chart the limestone islands off the coast, and find something much more valuable than a treasure chest. A sweet and optimistic film from Mexico’s best-known female director.

Sunday, March 31, 2:00pm Harkins Tucson Spectrum 18. Family. Mexico, 2017, 95 min.

Mexican Cinema Under Neoliberalism: A Conversation with Filmmaker Carlos Rossini on the Intersection of Film and Politics in the 21st Century

Mexico is currently going through a profound political transformation. Last year's crushing electoral win of Andrés Manuel López Obrador as the new president of Mexico signaled the end of an era marked by neoliberalism policies that were implanted in Mexico since the eighties. Join us for a conversation with director-producer Carlos Rossini (The Chambermaid, The Mayor) on the intersection of Mexican cinema and politics in the new century, how neoliberalist policies shaped the narratives and modes of production south of the border, and what is currently at stake in Mexican cinema with the change in the federal government.

Sunday, March 31, 11:00 a.m. Tucson Museum of Art. 


All film descriptions courtesy of Tucson Cine Mexico.

For more information and tickets, visit tucsoncinemexico.org

Red carpets are rolled out, designer dresses and suits are flaunted, awards season is in full swing. But when watching the awards ceremonies do you realize, oh, I haven't actually seen many of these films?

Harkins Theatres is hosting a Best Picture Film Fest so you can be in the know for the big show! The Oscars are scheduled for Feb. 24 this year, so from Feb. 15 to 24 the Tucson Spectrum theatre (on i-19 and Irvington) will be featuring five nominated films per day for each day of the festival.

All films will be showing on a rotating schedule. The nominated films on the lineup are:

• BlackkKlansman - 135 mins. Rated R
  
• Black Panther - 134 mins.  Rated PG-13
  
• Bohemian Rhapsody - 134 mins. Rated pg-13
  
• The Favourite - 119 mins. Rated R
  
• Green Book - 130 mins. Rated PG-13
  
• A Star is Born - 136 mins. Rated R
  
• Vice - 132 mins. Rated R
  

Tickets to each film can be purchased individually or you can see all the movies you want with the all-access pass to the entire festival for 35 dollars. For the full film schedule, read more here.

The University of Arizona’s Hanson Film/TV Institute is presenting the premiere screening of Waaki, the new documentary from Hopi photographer and filmmaker Victor Masayesva.

The documentary, partially funded by the Hanson Film/TV Institute, celebrates the connection several indigenous peoples, including the Hopi in the U.S. and the Nahuatl, Maya and Otomi communities in Mexico, have with corn. This relationship and mutual-dependence comes through in songs, displays and ritual practices.

click to enlarge

A still from Waaki

“Interdependencies are a vital part of our known history and future existence on this green planet.” Masayesva said. “The seen and unseen together. Recognizing these interdependencies, identifying and accepting our neighbors, this is our future.”

The documentary is also partly animated, and contains illustrations by Masayesva, Carl Onsae, Ronyk and Marcial Ayala.

click to enlarge

Victor Masayesva

A Q&A of Waaki (meaning “Sanctuary”) with Masayesva and co-producer Mariano Estrada Aguilar, a Tzeltal filmmaker and indigenous rights activist will follow the screening.

The screening, presented in partnership with the UA School of Anthropology, will take place at 6:00pm on Jan. 31 at the Center for Creative Photography. Admission is free.

Congratulations to Maggie and Brian Smith for their win at the 2018 Culver City Film Festival!

Their entry, a documentary on five stories from Brian’s award-winning Tucson Weekly column “Tucson Salvage” won the grand prize for Best Documentary Short.

Maggie directed the Tucson Salvage documentary in conjunction with the release of Tucson Salvage: Tales and Recollections from La Frontera, a new book of collected articles from Brian’s column.

"I always loved Brain's really strong sense of place and his portrayal of characters, and those are also two crucial aspects in filmmaking," Maggie said. "I think there's something very powerful about having these marginalized voices tell their own stories."

View the trailer for the Tucson Salvage documentary here:

Tucson Salvage: The Trailer from Tucson Salvage on Vimeo.

As much of the country gets slammed with winter storms this week, we can rest easy here in Tucson and enjoy the snow on the big screen.

Legendary ski and snowboarding film maker, Warren Miller's new film Face of Winter is coming to The Loft for one day only and we have your chance to go for free!

Enter for your chance to win a Warren Miller bundle! This includes two tickets to the show, a poster to decorate your walls, a DVD of last year's film, Line of Descent and a Helly Hansen Ski Jacket! The jacket alone is valued up to $225, so this is one giveaway you don't want to miss! 

Everyone attending the show (giveaway winners and paid tickets) will receive a free lift ticket to Arizona Snowbowl, Purgatory or Taos, plus 2-for-1 tickets from Jackson Hole and Angel Fire.

The show will be held at The Loft Cinema at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 6. Winner must be able to come to the Tucson Weekly office to pick up their tickets and Ski Jacket coupon.

Find out more about the event here.

On Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. Michael Mulcahy, associate professor in the School of Theatre, Film and Television will introduce Day for Night, a 1973 film directed by Francois Truffaut. This French film is a melodrama about a film director watching the actors in his film drama while trying to get his movie made. Try to keep up with all that!

This film shows that sometimes the drama behind the camera is more interesting than the drama in front of it. This film is considered by many to be Truffaut’s masterpiece and one of the greatest foreign films of all time.

The film won the 1974 BAFTA Award for Best Film, the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Valentine Cortese from the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics. The film was also screened out of competition at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival.


“Widescreen Wednesday” is a series of screened movies about film and television from the School of Theatre, Film and Television. At each screening, a faculty member introduces a favorite film of their choice and talks about the film’s history and its importance to the entertainment industry. A Bachelor of Fine Art film student will enhance select screenings with a presentation of a short film.

The film will be shown at the UA Center for Creative Photography. Find more details about the event here.