Denver Film Festival
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The Denver Film Festival is held in November, primarily in the Tivoli Union on the Auraria Campus in Denver, Colorado. Premiere events are held in the Buell Theatre at the Denver Performing Arts Complex.
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[edit] Info
The festival features a diverse selection of films, ranging from independent to commercial from all over the world and is well attended by filmmakers. The festival is currently managed by the Denver Film Society and sponsored by Starz.
[edit] History
The first festival was held on May 4, 1978 and featured such films as Annie Hall, The Furty, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Hills Have Eyes and Pretty Baby. The festival kicked off with a 90-minute clip compilation from Warner Bros. titled ‘The Movies That Made Us.’
Festival founder and current artistic director, Ron Henderson recalls "There were no red carpets and no television cameras out front. We did a ribbon cutting with Dick Lamm (then governor). When we got inside it was a full house at the Old Centre theater, which was demolished before the next year's festival. (The Centre sat 1,200.).
"Most notably, the weather was ominous - cloudy and cool. The opening-night party was at a private house and it was an invitational affair. When we got there, a cold rain was falling. We woke up the next morning, and there was a foot of wet snow on the ground, but it was springtime and by the end of the day, it was beautiful.
"The first festival obviously was very successful, so we decided to take it to a second year. It was really three years before we finally said, 'OK, this is a real thing, let's hire staff and incorporate as a nonprofit.' " Denerstein, Robert. "Making up a mind-set", Rocky Mountain News, 2007-04-28. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
[edit] 30th Denver Film Festival
The 30th Starz Denver Film Festival will be held November 8-18, 2007. The official line-up will be announced October 22.
[edit] 29th Denver Film Festival
The 29th Starz Denver Film Festival was held November 9-19, 2006 and featured 194 titles from 29 countries. 15 films were premiered. The festival was attended by 38,881 film goers and more than 180 filmmakers. The opening night film was 'Breaking and Entering' and the closing night film was Rescue Dawn. Denver Film Society (2006-11-20). "29th Starz Denver Film Festival Jury and Audience Award Winners". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| People's Choice for Best Feature | The Lives of Others |
| People's Choice for Best Documentary | 'The Trials of Darryl Hunt' |
| People's Choice for Best Short | tie: 'Painful Glimpse Into My Writing Process (In Less Than 60 Seconds)' & 'Big Girl' |
| Emerging Filmmaker Award | 'The Last Romantic' |
| The Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary | Kurt Cobain About A Son |
| Krzysztof Kieslowski Award for Best Feature Film | 'Beauty in Trouble' |
| John Cassavetes Award | Tim Robbins |
| Mayor's Career Achievement Award | Anthony Minghella |
| Stan Brakhage Vision Award | George Kuchar |
Special tributes were given to Vilmos Zsigmond, Wu Tian Ming, Scott Wilson and Allan King. The festival also included a focus on Canadian Cinema.
[edit] 28th Denver Film Festival
The 28th Starz Denver Film Festival was held November 10-20, 2005.
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| John Cassavetes Award | Philip Baker Hall |
| Mayor's Career Achievement Award | Ang Lee |
| Stan Brakhage Vision Award | Robert Breer |
Special tributes were given to Claude Lelouch and Ryuichi Hiroki. The festival also included a focus on Japanese Cinema.
