The Sedona International Film Festival was founded in 1995 as a 3-day exhibition of independent film and introduced the festival workshops as a way of teaching and inspiring filmmakers of tomorrow. Today, it is a 9-day, world-renowned event and is the jewel in the crown of Sedona's cultural life and the largest single annual event in the community.

The organization seeks to broaden the understanding of the human condition, raise social consciousness, present thought-provoking film and dialogue as we entertain and inspire residents of our local community and the world. Our goal is to expand culture in Sedona and Northern Arizona by offering the opportunity for people to see award-winning films from around the world.

We are committed to the educational process of taking our audiences behind the scenes to the other side of the camera through Q&A discussions with filmmakers following a showing and through free workshops and seminars.

The Mary D. Fisher Theatre — which opened in 2012 — was joined by the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre in 2022. The addition of theatre space has allowed the organization to expand its programmatic offerings throughout the year, in addition to during the Festival week.