5 must-see movies at the Peoria Film Festival. Plus ticket prices and how to attend

The Peoria Film Festival is celebrating its fifth year.

The festival, which runs from Thursday, Oct. 19, through Sunday, Oct. 22, takes place at the Harkins Arrowhead Fountains Theatre.

“This year, in addition to some great indie films, we’ve also added the elements of $5 classic sports films and free family programming to engage more with the community of Peoria,” Jason Carney, the executive director of the festival, said.

“And the variety of our other films includes comedy, dramatic, documentary, action and short films. The idea is that movies are for everyone, and I believe our programming reflects that.”

If you don't live in the area, you may be surprised to learn that Peoria actually has a film festival, much less that it's had one for five years.

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The festival fills a need in the West Valley

The festival fills a need in the West Valley, Carney said, one he was aware of firsthand.

“Living in the northwest Valley for 20 years, I saw a need for more arts events, particularly independent films in the area,” he said.

“Outside of selfish needs, it gives the Phoenix Film Festival an opportunity to expand our reach to a new audience. Fortunately, we found willing partners in the City of Peoria and of course, Harkins Theatres. The previous Peoria mayor was very welcoming, and I think the current mayor sees the economic impact events like this can have on the community.”

5 films not to miss at the Peoria Film Festival

Of all the options, Carney recommends these five films as the ones not to miss — and added an extra.

“Gold Run”

Synopsis: In April 1940, German soldiers descended upon Oslo with three targets: the king, the government and Norway’s gold reserves. Within only a few hours, parliamentary secretary Fredrik Haslund brings together an unlikely team, including his sister, a veteran of the Spanish Civil War, bankers, truck drivers, and a famous poet.

Their mission is to move 40 tons of gold across the country to reach an Allied shipping convoy, outsmarting and evading the approaching Nazi forces.

“Peak Season”

Synopsis: New York yuppies Amy and Max arrive in the wealthy resort town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for a summer vacation. Amy wants to enjoy a romantic getaway with her fiance. But Max neglects Amy to spend the week working, leaving her to wander town alone. Amy finds a friend in Loren, a local wilderness guide, who takes her fly fishing. She’s immediately drawn to this magnetic, free-spirited stranger. Both lonely and lost in their own lives, Amy and Loren share an instant connection. When Max is called away on business, Amy and Loren spend the week together exploring the Tetons. As her bond with Loren grows into something more than friendship, Amy questions whether she’ll return to NYC with Max after all.

“Hey, Viktor!”

Synopsis: Twenty years removed from childhood fame as Little Viktor in 1998’s "Smoke Signals," Cody Lightning has been forced to move home to his reserve in northern Alberta. He still believes himself to be famous — even though the only parts he gets these days are adult films and fracking commercials.

But when Cody learns his wife and kids are leaving him for a younger, more successful actor, he decides it’s time to quit screwing around and make his masterpiece — writing, directing and starring in "Smoke Signals 2: Still Smoking."

“Mister Organ”

Synopsis: Intrepid journalist and filmmaker David Farrier, whose previous film "Tickled" became a global sensation for exposing the dark underbelly of competitive endurance tickling, faces off against his greatest foe yet in "Mister Organ," an enthralling and bizarre tale that finds Farrier in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a mysterious con man who is wreaking havoc on his New Zealand town.

“The Last Movie Ever Made”

Synopsis: With the world about to end, Marshall convinces a group of friends and strangers to help finish the sci-fi movie he abandoned in high school.

And for good measure, “Hoosiers.”

“Because I love it and it’s going to be amazing to hear that score in a theater.”

Synopsis: Failed college coach Norman Dale gets a chance at redemption when he is hired to direct the basketball program at a high school in a tiny Indiana town. After a teacher persuades star player Jimmy Chitwood to quit and focus on his long-neglected studies, Dale struggles to develop a winning team in the face of community criticism for his temper and his unconventional choice of assistant coach: Shooter, a notorious alcoholic.

Peoria Film Festival

When: Thursday, Oct. 19, through Sunday, Oct. 22.

Where: Harkins Arrowhead Fountains Theatre, 6046 N. Arrowhead Fountains Center Drive, Peoria.

Admission: $40 for festival pass, $5-$10 for individual tickets.

Details: 480-513-3195, peoriafilmfest.com.

Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. X, formerly known as Twitter: @goodyk.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Peoria Film Festival 2023: 'Hoosiers' and 5 other movies not to miss