PRESS RELEASE

ILLUMINATE Film Festival Collaborates on Mental Wellness Film Series

Sedona, Arizona – March 8, 2018 – ILLUMINATE Film Festival is partnering with the Mental Health Coalition Verde Valley and the Sedona International Film Festival to host a Mental Wellness Film Series in 2018. Each film will be followed by a panel and a community conversation. The first film is Almost Sunrise on Monday, March 19, at 7 PM at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre, 2030 West SR 89A in Sedona, AZ.

Almost Sunrise tells the inspiring story of two young men, Tom Voss and Anthony Anderson, who, in an attempt to put their haunting Iraq combat experiences behind them, embark on an extraordinary journey – a 2,700 mile trek on foot across America. Will this epic pilgrimage be enough to release them from their self‐destructive impulses and give them the chance to begin life anew? The film is ultimately a story of hope and potential solutions. Most importantly, the film reveals the promise of holistic practices for healing. Where the stereotypes of "the broken veteran" or "homecoming hero" leave off, the film continues onward, offering an unprecedented portrait of those who return from war; rich, complex, far more hopeful. The film also acts as an urgent call for communities to better understand these deep‐seated psychic wounds, and for the government to acknowledge and finally treat moral pain by using methods other than pills. Almost Sunrise deftly and movingly demonstrates the promise of holistic healing practices is on the horizon in a way that we cannot afford to ignore.

The film will be followed by a panel including Marine Veteran and Author C.M. Halstead, Army Veteran and Candidate for Arizona State Legislature Felicia French, and Veteran and Psychologist Jerry Wesch, PhD.

C.M. Halstead is the product of 40 plus years of travel and exploration; a childhood as an Air Force brat and service in the Marine Corps changed him forever. He managed 84 people, negotiated multi-million dollar contracts, drove Jeeps professionally and is an astute believer in adventure. He is now pursuing his passion and becoming an accomplished author. His novel, Earned Innocence, is receiving rave reviews. Veterans, first responders, active military, and civilians are saying it's exactly the wake-up call they have been waiting for... bring our warriors home and empower them to live the freedom they have earned.

Felicia French is a candidate for Arizona State House Legislative District 6. Third generation Arizonan, Felicia is a combat veteran, medical evacuation helicopter pilot, registered nurse, and a professor, with over 32 years of leadership experience. She obtained her BS in Nursing at ASU, a MS in Systems Management from USC, and a MS in Sustainable Solutions from ASU. In addition, she graduated from The U.S. Air and U.S. Army War Colleges. Her leadership skills were formed through her diverse experiences working up the ranks from a Private to a Colonel in her 32 years serving in the United States Army. Felicia is well-versed in matters of the military, healthcare, and education and is a strong advocate for military and veteran's affairs, affordable healthcare for all and improving our education system.

Jerry Wesch, PhD, has been a Psychologist for 45 years, focused on holistic treatment of trauma, chronic health issues and pain. He started his career with the US Air Force as a Captain and retired from the US Army as a DOD-Civilian, in both cases working with airmen and soldiers with PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury. From 2007 until his retirement in 2015, Dr. Wesch ran the PTSD Clinic at an Army hospital and had the most successful PTSD recovery program in the military. He used a combination of trauma focused therapies, mind/body tools and alternative modalities to reduce he complex symptoms of combat PTSD, showing that PTSD recovery can be possible.

Almost Sunrise will show at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on Monday, March 19 at 7 p.m. followed by the panel and community discussion. Tickets are $12, or $9 for Film Festival members. For tickets and more information, please call 928-282-1177. Both the theatre and film festival office are located at 2030 W. Hwy. 89A, in West Sedona.

The 2018 ILLUMINATE Film Festival is scheduled for May 30 - June 3, 2018 at the Sedona Performing Arts Center and Mary D. Fisher Theater. For more information, visit www.ILLUMINATEFilmFestival.com.

Contact: Betsy Klein (928) 421-1108

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