BEST MICROCINEMA

Much has been said about downtown Phoenix's growing art scene, and film isn't always included in the discussion. But lots of galleries are finding the wall space for screenings, and the granddaddy of them all is No Festival Required. It's become an important presence in the past few years, morphing from an occasional showcase of independent film and video shorts to a regular monthly happening at Modified Arts. Here, both local and national filmmakers show comedy, drama, documentary and experimental works -- everything from the weird to the sublime, with no worries over commercial viability. That's quite a feat in this world of megaplexes. Even folks at the Phoenix Art Museum were impressed -- this past year, they welcomed No Festival Required into Whiteman Hall for special showings, exposing it to a whole new audience.