The Tombstone Film Festival is returning for its fourth annual celebration starting Jan. 29, bringing Western films to the famous Wild West town.
This year’s festival features 10 short films and two full-length feature films, including a 50th anniversary screening of John Wayne’s final film, “The Shootist.” The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Wayne’s daughter, Marisa Wayne.
The 2026 festival also introduces a new segment called the pitch competition, where aspiring filmmakers pitch a film for a chance to receive $20,000 to bring it to life.
The festival is being held at Schieffelin Hall in Tombstone throughout the weekend, wrapping up with an award ceremony on the evening of Feb. 1.
The Tombstone Film Festival starts Jan. 29, bringing Western films to the Wild West town.
The festival was created by Western filmmakers Travis Mills and John Marrs after they visited several festivals over the course of a year. Using what they learned, the pair decided to start a festival specifically for the Western genre.
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“And what better place for a Western film festival than the most iconic town from the Old West, Tombstone, Arizona,” Marrs said. “This is our fourth year and the interest in the festival and the quality of films keeps getting better.”
The festival offers an opportunity for lesser-known creatives to showcase their talents and meet people they look up to.
“We encourage networking for the filmmakers and have evening events planned for that purpose,” Marrs said. “Fans of the Western genre will be able to see numerous films and speak to the filmmakers about them.”
The festival also offers an environment for filmmakers in a streaming era to showcase their work.
Attendees will get to see "The Shootist" on a big screen, hear Marisa Wayne talk about her experience on the film, and see "Frontier Crucible" on a big screen; otherwise, it's only available on streaming platforms, Marrs said.
The Tombstone Film Festival will host a 50th anniversary screening of John Wayne’s final film, “The Shootist.”
Tickets for the festival start at $30 for a “Deputy’s badge” available to Cochise County residents and $50 for the non-resident “Marshal’s badge.” These tickets include access to film screenings, panels and parties during the festival.
The $70 “Sheriff’s badge” grants the same access and adds a whiskey and cigar tasting on the evening of Jan. 29.
Individual screenings and panels are $15 per person.
For more information, see filmfreeway.com/thetombstonefilmfestival or @12westerns on Instagram.
Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
