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Denver film fest a world tour of cinema
  
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By Peter Jones
The world comes to town for the 31st Starz Denver Film Festival next week — from a controversial new take on the Columbine shootings to a Mile High visit from acclaimed Iranian director Majid Majidi.
The 11-day festival’s title sponsor is again Douglas County-based Starz, one of the nation’s largest distributors of satellite and cable-delivered movie channels.
The so-named festival opens Nov. 13 with “The Brothers Bloom,” an around-the-globe caper comedy directed by Denver’s Rian Johnson, and closes more than a week later with the Colorado premiere of “Last Chance Harvey,” a poignant story of unlikely love starring Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson.
In between are 209 other films and more than 100 filmmakers and other special guests who will make personal appearances at the diverse festival. Among many other programs, the 2008 festival will boast a pre-Christmas family matinee, a spotlight on animation and a tribute to the late Paul Newman.
That’s not to mention the numerous panels, live music events and, of course, the nightly parties that constitute any film festival worth its weight in celluloid and popcorn.
The Denver Film Festival is so purposefully eclectic and chock full of nonstop goings-on that its longtime organizers are prepared to make bold promises, even in the wake of a recent presidential election.
“It’s a diverse 11 days. The festival has a whole lot of films that appeal to whole bunch of different people. Anybody can find something to like,” said Brit Withey, the festival’s artistic director.
For the last year, it has been Withey’s charge to attend film festivals around the world, screen countless DVD submissions and otherwise construct the multifaceted film festival schedule that awaits movie buffs from Castle Rock to Boulder.
In short, Withey sits through the bad movies so you don’t have to — at least theoretically.
Although the festival’s artistic director has a programming staff to help him, Withey has seen virtually every film on the schedule — not to mention the arguably iffy material that did not make the grade.
While Withey cannot promise every movie will be a winner for everyone, he does have some tips for festival-goers to make the most of their experience.
He offers advice to those intimidated by a book-size program of films that invariably conflict with each other, even when multiple screenings are offered and the consumer is willing to accept his second and third choices.
Adding to the equation, of course, is the fact that some movies simply sell out before you can get tickets — though there is the possibility that a few of the more popular titles will get additional screenings, which also are likely sell out.
“I encourage people to dip their toe into a variety of different things,” Withey said. “It’s really easy to get overwhelmed, but pick one international film, a documentary on a topic that’s really interesting to you, an American independent and package of shorts. Try to sample one of everything over several days.”
Withey also advises the festival novice to favor screenings with in-person special guests while mulling any conflicting screenings — and when in doubt to pick the movie that is less likely to appear at the local suburban cineplex in several weeks or months.
In the case of the Newman tribute and other retrospectives, the festival is also an opportunity to view such classic fare as “The Hustler” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” on the big screen again.
To take some of the guess work out of the process, the festival’s souvenir program includes notations when a director, cast member or other guest is slated to attend. The customer-service desk also can tell you which new films are slated for a theatrical release.
The festival endeavors to make the experience as user-friendly as possible, according to Withey. Most movies are screened at the self-contained Starz Film Center in the Tivoli building on the Auraria campus. Parking is free with festival validation.
Gala films and receptions, including opening-night and closing-night events, take place at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
Both festival venues are easily accessible to south metro visitors via light rail. Lines C and E stop at the Pepsi Center, across Auraria Parkway from the Starz Film Center. Lines D, F and H stop at the Auraria campus stop on East Colfax Avenue, a short walk through campus to the Tivoli.
To get to the performing arts center, take the D, F or H lines to the Convention Center-Performing Arts station and walk to the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.
“Parking becomes a bit of a battle on the nights of Pepsi Center events. So we encourage people to take light rail,” Withey said.
For reasons already explained, one should consider himself lucky to eventually see even one-fifth of the movies that he or she initially circles on a film festival program. Here are a few that may be worth circling provisionally:
The festival’s so-called Big Night and its accompanying gala Nov. 14 will feature “Slumdog Millionaire,” which tells the fictional story of a troubled man from India by way of his impressive appearance on that country’s version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”
“It’s pretty incredible,” Withey said of the film. “He gets every question right, and then the movie goes in flashback to how he is able to come up with that answer. Within it is the story of his long lost love.”
The documentary “Another Planet” is another of Withey’s favorites. It contrasts the natural beauty of such locales as Ecuador and the Democratic Republic of Congo with the brutal humanitarian crises faced by the children who live there.
Street urchins and prostitutes, child laborers and child soldiers create a disturbing narrative as director Ferenc Moldoványi paints a picture of the eternal coexistence of beauty and horror.
“It’s a really amazing film,” Withey said.
Another documentary confronting issues of troubled youth hits closer to home — the South Metro area to be precise — and is no less harrowing in its subject matter.
In “Playing Columbine,” video game designer Danny Ledonne recounts the controversy that erupted over his unusual interactive game based on the 1999 Columbine High School massacre.
In the film, college professors, game developers and shooting survivors offer sometimes surprising insights into the “educational” game that Ledonne says he created to make a point and to help those who play it learn something about themselves.
“You really start to understand not only what happened, but you learn about the kids through the game and you learn why it happened,” Withey said.
Ledonne also will participate in a panel on the relationship between video games and violence.
Following are a few more circle-worthy events on the festival roster:
In recognition of the recent Democratic National Convention — during which the Starz Film Center was part of the secured perimeter — the festival presents “Cinemocracy,” a series of 11 short films on democracy by “citizen filmmakers.”
The festival will welcome two evenings, Nov. 15-16, with Bruce Bickford, an acclaimed animator who achieved cult status by virtue of his work with Frank Zappa. Denver band Bad Luck City will perform a live original soundtrack to his latest silent work titled “CAS’L.” Bickford will be on hand to answer audience questions.
“His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th” is a new documentary that takes a stab at explaining among the lowest brows in American cinema, the slasher film as exemplified since 1980 by the “Friday the 13th” franchise of gore fests.
Truth is stranger than fiction. “Song, Sung Blue” is the often hilarious, yet heartbreaking love story and true-life tragedy of Lightning, a Neil Diamond impersonator, and his wife and soul mate Thunder, a Patsy Cline-type singer who lost one of her legs in a freak accident when a car crashed into their Wisconsin home. The documentary is perhaps a textbook case in how a movie synopsis cannot do a justice to a remarkable story.
If you go
The 11-day festival’s title sponsor is again Douglas County-based Starz, one of the nation’s largest distributors of satellite and cable-delivered movie channels.
The so-named festival opens Nov. 13 with “The Brothers Bloom,” an around-the-globe caper comedy directed by Denver’s Rian Johnson, and closes more than a week later with the Colorado premiere of “Last Chance Harvey,” a poignant story of unlikely love starring Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson.
In between are 209 other films and more than 100 filmmakers and other special guests who will make personal appearances at the diverse festival. Among many other programs, the 2008 festival will boast a pre-Christmas family matinee, a spotlight on animation and a tribute to the late Paul Newman.
That’s not to mention the numerous panels, live music events and, of course, the nightly parties that constitute any film festival worth its weight in celluloid and popcorn.
The Denver Film Festival is so purposefully eclectic and chock full of nonstop goings-on that its longtime organizers are prepared to make bold promises, even in the wake of a recent presidential election.
“It’s a diverse 11 days. The festival has a whole lot of films that appeal to whole bunch of different people. Anybody can find something to like,” said Brit Withey, the festival’s artistic director.
For the last year, it has been Withey’s charge to attend film festivals around the world, screen countless DVD submissions and otherwise construct the multifaceted film festival schedule that awaits movie buffs from Castle Rock to Boulder.
In short, Withey sits through the bad movies so you don’t have to — at least theoretically.
Although the festival’s artistic director has a programming staff to help him, Withey has seen virtually every film on the schedule — not to mention the arguably iffy material that did not make the grade.
While Withey cannot promise every movie will be a winner for everyone, he does have some tips for festival-goers to make the most of their experience.
He offers advice to those intimidated by a book-size program of films that invariably conflict with each other, even when multiple screenings are offered and the consumer is willing to accept his second and third choices.
Adding to the equation, of course, is the fact that some movies simply sell out before you can get tickets — though there is the possibility that a few of the more popular titles will get additional screenings, which also are likely sell out.
“I encourage people to dip their toe into a variety of different things,” Withey said. “It’s really easy to get overwhelmed, but pick one international film, a documentary on a topic that’s really interesting to you, an American independent and package of shorts. Try to sample one of everything over several days.”
Withey also advises the festival novice to favor screenings with in-person special guests while mulling any conflicting screenings — and when in doubt to pick the movie that is less likely to appear at the local suburban cineplex in several weeks or months.
In the case of the Newman tribute and other retrospectives, the festival is also an opportunity to view such classic fare as “The Hustler” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” on the big screen again.
To take some of the guess work out of the process, the festival’s souvenir program includes notations when a director, cast member or other guest is slated to attend. The customer-service desk also can tell you which new films are slated for a theatrical release.
The festival endeavors to make the experience as user-friendly as possible, according to Withey. Most movies are screened at the self-contained Starz Film Center in the Tivoli building on the Auraria campus. Parking is free with festival validation.
Gala films and receptions, including opening-night and closing-night events, take place at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
Both festival venues are easily accessible to south metro visitors via light rail. Lines C and E stop at the Pepsi Center, across Auraria Parkway from the Starz Film Center. Lines D, F and H stop at the Auraria campus stop on East Colfax Avenue, a short walk through campus to the Tivoli.
To get to the performing arts center, take the D, F or H lines to the Convention Center-Performing Arts station and walk to the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.
“Parking becomes a bit of a battle on the nights of Pepsi Center events. So we encourage people to take light rail,” Withey said.
For reasons already explained, one should consider himself lucky to eventually see even one-fifth of the movies that he or she initially circles on a film festival program. Here are a few that may be worth circling provisionally:
The festival’s so-called Big Night and its accompanying gala Nov. 14 will feature “Slumdog Millionaire,” which tells the fictional story of a troubled man from India by way of his impressive appearance on that country’s version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”
“It’s pretty incredible,” Withey said of the film. “He gets every question right, and then the movie goes in flashback to how he is able to come up with that answer. Within it is the story of his long lost love.”
The documentary “Another Planet” is another of Withey’s favorites. It contrasts the natural beauty of such locales as Ecuador and the Democratic Republic of Congo with the brutal humanitarian crises faced by the children who live there.
Street urchins and prostitutes, child laborers and child soldiers create a disturbing narrative as director Ferenc Moldoványi paints a picture of the eternal coexistence of beauty and horror.
“It’s a really amazing film,” Withey said.
Another documentary confronting issues of troubled youth hits closer to home — the South Metro area to be precise — and is no less harrowing in its subject matter.
In “Playing Columbine,” video game designer Danny Ledonne recounts the controversy that erupted over his unusual interactive game based on the 1999 Columbine High School massacre.
In the film, college professors, game developers and shooting survivors offer sometimes surprising insights into the “educational” game that Ledonne says he created to make a point and to help those who play it learn something about themselves.
“You really start to understand not only what happened, but you learn about the kids through the game and you learn why it happened,” Withey said.
Ledonne also will participate in a panel on the relationship between video games and violence.
Following are a few more circle-worthy events on the festival roster:
In recognition of the recent Democratic National Convention — during which the Starz Film Center was part of the secured perimeter — the festival presents “Cinemocracy,” a series of 11 short films on democracy by “citizen filmmakers.”
The festival will welcome two evenings, Nov. 15-16, with Bruce Bickford, an acclaimed animator who achieved cult status by virtue of his work with Frank Zappa. Denver band Bad Luck City will perform a live original soundtrack to his latest silent work titled “CAS’L.” Bickford will be on hand to answer audience questions.
“His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th” is a new documentary that takes a stab at explaining among the lowest brows in American cinema, the slasher film as exemplified since 1980 by the “Friday the 13th” franchise of gore fests.
Truth is stranger than fiction. “Song, Sung Blue” is the often hilarious, yet heartbreaking love story and true-life tragedy of Lightning, a Neil Diamond impersonator, and his wife and soul mate Thunder, a Patsy Cline-type singer who lost one of her legs in a freak accident when a car crashed into their Wisconsin home. The documentary is perhaps a textbook case in how a movie synopsis cannot do a justice to a remarkable story.
If you go
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