Phoenix film makers Marcus A. Stricklin and Sandy Kim, of Future Legends Production, have been invited to the Cannes Short Film Corner for the production of their film, “The Last Dance,” working with children actors from Ahwatukee.

The Cannes Film Festival in France will be getting a taste of the Valley next month.

Summit School of Ahwatukee middle school teachers, Andrea Yocum, Christy Menard and Amy Lecky, are recipients of this year’s Xavier College Preparatory Golden Gator Award for Excellence in Teaching. Xavier High School recognizes junior high teachers who have been inspirational to Xavier freshmen students. This is the third Golden Gator for Lecky, who teaches middle school language arts and literature, and the second for both science teacher Andrea Yocum, and math teacher Christy Menard. In previous years Summit teacher Melissa France has also received this award.

Those 19 or older who have a disability and live in the Phoenix area or one of Phoenix’s nine sister cities are eligible for the fourth annual Phoenix Sister Cities International Competition for Writers with Disabilities. The deadline for submitting entries is May 3.

Now that the Chicago Cubs have secured a spring-training home in Mesa well into the future, the East Valley will soon welcome to the area the first of possibly many in a long line of Windy City favorites: Portillo’s Hot Dogs.

Mention the name Leonardo da Vinci and what comes to mind? The “Mona Lisa” or “The Last Supper” most likely. While it is for these works the Renaissance artist and inventor is best known, his portfolio of brilliance is much broader, as the Arizona Science Center portrays in its new exhibit “Da Vinci — The Genius.”

Few recent documentaries have stirred audiences quite like “How to Survive a Plague,” with its harrowing yet inspiring look into an oft-forgotten period of American history: the early years of the AIDS epidemic that rocked the nation in the 1980s and '90s. In his powerful filmmaking debut, journalist David France explores the ACT UP and TAG movements as they fought for change against an indifferent government and health care system, primarily told through activist-shot footage from those years.

The Phoenix Police Department has made some changes to officer assignments recently in order to do more with a continually shrinking department. In Ahwatukee Foothills about a third of the officers are new to the area.

Around 25 years ago, I was racing bicycles in Southern California. It was mostly local club races and I enjoyed training rides with teammates. We began hearing stories of a talented junior (under 18) in Texas. He had gifts, but tended to be so relentlessly competitive that he wanted to lead a race from start to finish, which often is not the best strategy. That young Texan turned out to be Lance Armstrong.

“Promised Land” offers an experience that’s alternately amusing and frustrating, full of impassioned earnestness as well as saggy sections.

Red may be the color of the season — what with Santa’s suit and Rudolph’s shiny nose — but what if you’re dreaming of a white wine Christmas?

Seeking gift ideas for that music lover this holiday season, check out the following box set reviews from The Associated Press:

A one-time Salt Lake City resident sought in the fatal shooting of an armored truck courier in Ahwatukee Foothills could be taking advantage of philanthropic Mormon church members, the FBI’s lead agent on the case said.

Travel for humans during holidays is tough enough: Long lines, crowds everywhere, extra bags full of presents. Throw a pet in the mix, and it’s a recipe for disaster.

Singing across the country and around the world is hard enough, which is why boys of the Phoenix Boys Choir are asked to leave all distractions at home, including their families.

Phoenix’s award-winning Sister Cities program is looking to expand and create more economic opportunities for the city.

Phoenix International Raceway has waived the green flag for fans to purchase tickets to the Nov. 8-11 NASCAR event weekend at PIR by visiting PhoenixRaceway.com/Tickets or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223).

Q: I trust you guys, so I have to ask: Is it true that your private Facebook inbox messages are now visible for all to see, from 2010 and earlier? I keep seeing people posting this on Facebook. — Robyn

Autumn’s a great time to fall for apple appeal, with cooler temperatures setting the stage for the fruit to star in gently steaming pies and alongside fragrant roasts.

CARLTON, Ore. — Driving southwest from Portland an hour or so through the suburbs, you hit the heart of Oregon’s wine country rather suddenly. Here the mountainous Coast Range slopes to the Willamette Valley floor, which is smothered with vineyards that produce some of the best pinot noir on earth.

Divorce can be ugly, but with a Divorce Asset Search at least the financial part will be honest.