The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “The Optimist: The Bravest Act is Truth” showing March 27-April 2 at the Alice Gill-Sheldon and Mary D. Fisher Theatres.

Based on a remarkable true story, “The Optimist: The Bravest Act is Truth” traces the life of Herbert Heller and the unlikely friendship that transforms both him and a young woman searching for her own sense of direction.

As a boy, Herbert survived the Holocaust and carried the weight of an unspoken secret for six decades, choosing silence as a way to move through the world. When he meets Abby, a perceptive and intuitive teenager quietly grappling with her own emotional burdens, something shifts. Abby’s curiosity, compassion, and steady presence begin to open a door Herbert long believed was sealed.

As Herbert slowly shares the truth of his past, an unexpected bond takes root—one that bridges generations and reveals how connection can illuminate even the darkest corners of memory. Through each other, they discover understanding, healing, and the courage to finally voice what has been held inside.

Starring Stephen Lang (Avatar) as Herbert, Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade) as Abby, and Luke David Blumm (Where the Crawdads Sing) as young Herbert, “The Optimist: The Bravest Act is Truth” is a profoundly moving film about resilience, remembrance, and the life-changing impact of being truly heard. It is a testament to the power of storytelling — and to the hope found in human connection.

“The Optimist: The Bravest Act is Truth” will be shown at the Alice Gill-Sheldon and Mary D. Fisher Theatres March 27-April 2. Showtimes will be Friday and Saturday, March 27 and 28 at 6:30 p.m.; Sunday and Monday, March 29 and 30 at 7:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, March 31, April 1 and 2 at 4:00 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. For more information, visit: www.SedonaFilmFestival.org.