The Next Chapter: Psychedelics, Healing, and the Second Half of Life

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “The Next Chapter: Psychedelics, Healing, and the Second Half of Life” showing Aug. 7-9 at the Mary D. Fisher and Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatres.

Please join us for a special screening event of “The Next Chapter: Psychedelics, Healing, and the Second Half of Life”, an intimate and deeply personal documentary by filmmaker and producer Scott Paul Wright that explores the growing role of psychedelic-assisted therapy in the second half of life.

Following adults over the age of 55 as they navigate depression, anxiety, grief, and long-unresolved emotional pain, “The Next Chapter” offers a compassionate look at what it means to seek healing, meaning, and renewal later in life. More than a film about treatment, it is a story about courage, vulnerability, and the possibility of beginning again.

Scott’s own personal journey with psilocybin at age 68 inspired the creation of the film, and he also appears as part of the story he set out to tell.

“This is not a film about a drug. It is a film about people who refused to give up on themselves, people who carried pain for years and finally found a way through it.” — Scott Paul Wright, director.

There will be a special opening night discussion and audience Q&A on Friday, Aug. 7 featuring filmmaker Scott Paul Wright (via Zoom) and moderated by Dr. Heidi J. Dalzell, PsyD, founder of Sedona Integrative Therapy. Dr. Dalzell is a licensed psychologist specializing in trauma, grief, eating disorders, psychospiritual growth, and the unique challenges and opportunities of midlife and later-life development.

This interactive discussion will invite audience members to ask questions about the making of the film, Scott’s personal experience that inspired the project, and the emerging role of psychedelic medicines as an adjunct to psychotherapy. Together, Scott and Heidi will explore themes of healing, aging, meaning-making, and the growing interest in psychedelic-assisted approaches for individuals seeking transformation in the second half of life.

Whether you are curious about psychedelics, interested in mental health and aging, or simply drawn to stories of resilience and human possibility, we invite you to join us for an evening of film, conversation, and community.

“The Next Chapter: Psychedelics, Healing, and the Second Half of Life” will be shown at the Mary D. Fisher and Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatres Aug. 7-9. Showtimes will be Friday, Aug. 7 at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 8 at 6:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 9 at 3:30 p.m.

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.