America’s war on books is more than a war on words. As an unprecedented wave of book banning is sparked in Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders fighting for intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy.

Award-winning director Agnieszka Holland is embarking on her most ambitious project to date, a biopic of the iconic 20th-century Czech writer Franz Kafka. Conceived as a kaleidoscopic mosaic, the film follows the imprint Kafka left on the world from his birth in 19th-century Prague to his death in post-WW1 Vienna.

A film director calls all his favorite actresses to film a movie set in Rome in the 70s that tells the vicissitudes revolving around a prestigious tailoring. He wants to make a film about women but he doesn’t reveal much: he observes them, takes cue.

Written and directed by Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life” stars Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain. This film was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The coming-of-age drama is set in 1956 Waco Texas.

“Planes, Trains & Automobiles” is a 1987 road trip comedy directed by John Hughes. Easily excitable Neal Page (Steve Martin) is somewhat of a control freak. Trying to get home to Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with his wife (Laila Robins) and kids, his flight is rerouted to a distant city in Kansas because of a freak snowstorm, and his sanity begins to fray.

Storm chaser Reed Timmer and his crew pursue the world’s most powerful tornadoes, confronting danger, friendship, and the personal cost of a life driven by the relentless pursuit of storms in the immersive documentary "Never Stop Chasing".

Ángela, a deaf woman, is expecting a child with her hearing partner, Héctor. Ángela's deafness raises concerns during her pregnancy regarding connecting with her daughter. Post-delivery, Héctor supports her as she learns to mother in a society lacking adequate accommodations for the hearing-impaired.

Deep within the backwoods of rural Oklahoma, charismatic and musically gifted Amziah King (McConaughey) herds a bluegrass-playing band of misfits while overseeing the premier honey-making operation in town. When Amziah’s estranged foster daughter unexpectedly returns, Amziah leaps at the possibility to renew connection and create a family business.

Grammy Award-winning artist Darlene Koldenhoven will present Live in Sedona, an intimate live event blending memoir, music, storytelling, and conversation, on Sunday, Aug. 30, at 4:00 p.m. at the Mary D. Fisher Theater, presented by the Sedona International Film Festival.

“The Sting” (1973) — an iconic 1930s-era caper film — was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Following the murder of a mutual friend, aspiring con man Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) teams up with old pro Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) to take revenge on the ruthless crime boss responsible, Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw).

Academy Award-winner Jeff Bridges narrates this stunning journey, following wolves and other animals as co-travelers through American history — from the shores of England to the birth of the New Republic, and ultimately the colonization of the vast, contested landscapes of the modern American West.

After nearly two years of honing their craft, The Third Ear Musical Improv Troupe takes the stage for their first full-length performance on Wednesday, September 2 at 7:00 p.m. at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre in Sedona.