In the heart of the Southwest resides a dusty old pueblo full of musicians, filmmakers and bars. For the past 100 years, Tucson, Arizona has long been the backdrop for the likes of John Dillinger, Lalo Guerrero, Pete Martinez, Linda Ronstadt , the Dusty Chaps, Ettore “Ted“ DeGrazia, Green On Red, R. Carlos Nakai, Al Perry, Max Cannon, Howe Gelb, Calexico to name a few. To celebrate the artistic talent that has emerged from Tucson, Upstairs Film hosts a festival that celebrates the great independent film and music in the Southwest.

The Tucson Film Festival launched in 2005, with a premiere screening of the Tucson music scene documentary High and Dry, and the 20th anniversary of the Club Congress, the longest running nightclub west of the Mississippi. 40+ local bands, many of whom were reuniting for the first time in years played the Labor Day weekend festivities and a new festival was born.

And so it began – a weekend in sunny downtown Tucson, Arizona. Now filmmakers have the opportunity to connect to an diverse southwest Arizona audience in the old Pueblo of Tucson.