Locations adjusted for 2026 Chandler Film Festival

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

Nearly every year, Chandler International Film Festival organizers must make many adjustments leading up to and during its 10-day run.

But this year, there were even more adjustments than usual.

After LOOK Cinema shut down its downtown Chandler theater, organizers had to come up with a new home for CIFF. They ended up with a multi-venue plan.

The 10th annual festival, which runs Jan. 23 to Feb. 1, is spread out, mainly to three theater locations, along with various non-downtown after-party locations.

The festival’s first main event is the 6 p.m. opening night red carpet ceremony, followed by the screening of the feature film “Lo Que Dice El Corazón” on Friday, Jan. 23.

This is one of more than a dozen festival events to be held at Pollack Tempe Cinemas, 1825 E. Elliot Road.

Festival screenings often have the stars of the show in attendance. The screening of “Lo Que Dice El Corazón” is set to include appearances by actors Jaime Aymerich and Verónica Montes.

In addition to the Pollack Cinemas, Regal Theaters Gilbert, 1012 S. Gilbert Road, as well as the theater on the Chandler-Gilbert Community College-Pecos Campus, will also be the sites of festival events.

The final event is the VIP gala dinner and 8 p.m. awards ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 1, at the Chandler Center for the Arts on Arizona Avenue, just north of downtown Chandler.

The festival has often had stars show up who are connected to one or more of the Chandler events. Past attendees have included Tara Reid, Dean Norris of “Breaking Bad,” Rob Schneider, mime Robert Shields, and Taylor Armstrong of both “Real Housewives” TV series and “Smudge the Cat” meme fame. However, no such familiar personalities have been announced yet for this year’s festival.

The festival will include a screening of a new film that prominently features a well-known Hollywood actor who recently passed away.

Michael Madsen plays one of three generations of men all struggling to find meaning and purpose in life in “Mr. Wonderful,” a dramatic feature film set to be shown Saturday, Jan. 24, 4:55 p.m. at the Pollack Cinemas in Tempe.

The festival includes several specially packaged showcases. A Saturday night, Jan. 24 session is devoted to horror short films; a Saturday, Jan. 31 afternoon session is for short films made in Arizona.

Tickets for events range greatly in price from a $28.52 weekday (Monday, Jan. 26 through Friday, Jan. 30) daily pass to $588.73 for an all-access VIP festival pass.

Read more and purchase tickets at chandlerfilmfestival.com.

Jason W. Brooks can be reached at jbrooks@iniusa.org. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as those meet our  Civility Guidelines.

Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.