In the Company of Wolves: An American Journey

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “In the Company of Wolves: An American Journey” showing Aug. 7-13 at the Mary D. Fisher and Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatres.

Join us for a special opening day Q&A discussion with special guests on Friday, Aug. 7 at 4:00 p.m. Matt Barnes from the Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative and Courtney Vail from the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project and Emily Renn from the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project will be in Sedona to introduce the film and host a post-film Q&A discussion.

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.

A place where the ensemble doesn’t merely walk through history; they trot, lope, stampede, and migrate across it — reminding us that the wild and the domesticated alike have always reflected a deeper story of who we are as a nation, and who we might yet become.

“With surprising and little-known histories that stretch back to England before unfolding across the landscapes of the American West, I never intended to make a film only about wolves, although they figure prominently throughout,” said director Susan Kucera.

“It is through wolves, bison, horses, sheep, cattle, and other animals that the film explores the strange contradictions, myths, unexpected connections, competing ideas of freedom, and the invention of the American frontier. And of course, Jeff Bridges carries the story with curiosity, humanity, and gravitas.”

“In the Company of Wolves: An American Journey” will be shown at the Mary D. Fisher and Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatres Aug. 7-13. Showtimes will be Friday and Tuesday, Aug. 7 and 11 at 4:00 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 9 at 6:30 p.m.; Monday, Aug. 10 at 3:00 p.m.; and Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 12 and 13 at 7:00 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.

OPENING DAY SPEAKER BIOS:

Matt Barnes, a research associate with the Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative, is a range scientist, wildlife conservationist, and former ranch manager, who works on Reintegrating Wildness in working landscapes. He works with land managers to improve rangeland stewardship and has worked with ranchers to prevent conflicts with large carnivores such as grizzly bears and wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains of Montana and Wyoming. He is a board member of the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project.

Courtney Vail is a wildlife biologist and social scientist who has worked within the conservation and animal welfare field for over 30 years. With a deep background in environmental policy and psychology, she has provided leadership for the design and implementation of diverse domestic and international programs, campaigns, and initiatives for marine and terrestrial wildlife across the private, non-profit, and government sectors, seeking to align science and ethics. She is board chair of the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project.

Emily Renn is a Ph.D. student in the School of Earth and Sustainability at Northern Arizona University, seeking innovative, inclusive, and interdisciplinary approaches to human-Mexican gray wolf coexistence to ensure that wolves can thrive in self-sustaining and ecologically effective populations across the U.S. Southwest. She previously served as executive director of the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project.