PRESS RELEASE

ILLUMINATE FILM FESTIVAL OPENS CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR 2016 SEASON

Sedona, Arizona – October 6, 2015 – Following a wildly successful 2015 installment, the ILLUMINATE Film Festival is accepting official entries for its 3rd edition, to be held June 1-5, 2016.

Considered the nation’s premier film festival for conscious cinema, the Festival seeks narrative features, documentaries and shorts addressing themes related to wellness, consciousness, the human journey, body-mind science, yoga, meditation, spiritual practice, organic and plant-based nutrition and sustainable living.

“It is an exciting time for the conscious cinema movement,” Wolpert continues, “With the global mainstreaming of mind-body-spirit teachings, the explosion of audiences interested in this niche and the dramatic increase in production value of films in this genre, the possibilities of connecting conscious films to broader audiences are now expansive. We look forward to seeing the new work this season and sharing the best of it with our local, national and international audiences.”

During the Festival’s second run in May 2015, attendance reached over 4,000, attracting filmgoers from 23 states and 8 international cities. The Festival screened 22 films, and featured 44 visiting directors, producers, talent and industry guests, 33 musicians, artists and performers, and 19 mind-body-spirit practitioners.

The early submission deadline is November 30, 2015, the regular deadline is January 10, 2016 and the late submission deadline is February 22, 2016. Read more about ILLUMINATE’s submission requirements and submit a film via FilmFreeway, the world's new online submissions platform, at www.illuminatefilmfestival.com/submit.

ILLUMINATE 2016’s film program sections include its signature REEL HEALING series, which offers a unique" View and Do" experience for the audience that includes a film followed by an immersive healing workshop, activity or performance for a deeper integration of the movie's message; the SPOTLIGHT section, which features conscious red carpet premieres accompanied by engaging onstage conversations with notable filmmakers, talent or leaders in the mind-body-spirit community; CONTEMPORARY CONSCIOUS CINEMA; ENCORES; and a RETROSPECTIVE section. The 2016

ILLUMINATE Film Festival is scheduled for June 1-5, 2016 at the Sedona Performing Arts Center and Mary D. Fisher Theater. For more information, visit www.ILLUMINATEFilmFestival.com.

# # #