This weekend marks the 51st Telluride Film Festival, which channels celebs and Oscar-winning directors from around the globe into the ritzy ski town. It’s one of the most important annual events in the film world, following buzz-building premieres at Sundance, Cannes, and other festivals, and helps usher in the wider Oscars season next month.
Telluride’s Aug. 30-Sept. 2 event, however, is long sold out. Here are more ideas for Colorado film festivals through the rest of the 2024 awards season, with a focus on independent features and documentaries — plus the occasional “Wild Robot.”
San Souci Festival of Dance Cinema
The 21st version of this unique festival mixes in-person and virtual screenings, including titles streaming through the end of the year and in person at the Dairy Arts Center’s Boedecker Theater. The Aug. 30-Sept. 1 opening events on the Museum of Boulder’s rooftop patio include films, live performances and art installations, along with food and drink. Futures events, such as the Sept. 10 short-film screenings at the West Age Well Center, include discussion and a low-mobility-friendly dance class — free to the public age 60 “and better.” sanssoucifestival.org
Aspen Filmfest
Celebrating 45 years, Aspen Film’s feature-length event (they also run the excellent, Oscar-qualifying Shortsfest) retains its modest footprint from last year, hewing close to the Aspen Isis Theatre, Sept. 17-22. It retains the well-balanced programming of last year too, with more than a dozen buzzy indies and Hollywood features. The titles range from the opening film “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” an audience favorite from Sundance, but also the big-budget Dreamworks animated film “The Wild Robot,” and the Jesse Eisenberg family comedy “A Real Pain.” aspenfilm.org/festival/2024-filmfest
Crested Butte Film Festival
This 14-year-old gem has a lightness to it that’s reinforced with the stunning mountain views. A nonprofit event running Sept. 18-22, the Crested Butte Film Festival has documentaries, narrative features, shorts, local entries, and in-person filmmakers. We like the high placement of “Kneecap,” the feature dramedy about an Irish hip-hop group that features real musicians. Also keep an eye out for the all-ages highlights, including a children’s film workshop on Sept. 21. cbfilmfest.org
Breck Film Festival
Breckenridge waves goodbye to summer with its mix of independent and festival-track films screened at The Eclipse Theater, The Riverwalk Center, and the Breck Backstage Theater, Sept. 19-22. Like most high country film confabs, this is a walkable and casual event that last year presented about 100 titles, typically with a genre-agnostic approach. This year’s schedule and film guide are expected to be released Sunday, Sept. 1, at breckfilm.org.
Denver Silent Film Festival
Don’t sleep on the chance to see film’s bedrock works illuminated in new and stunning ways. In addition to nine, lovingly restored silent films programmed from around the world, the Sept. 27-29 screenings at the Sie FilmCenter are presented with live musical accompaniment by local artists like the world-renowned Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. Seriously, this is one of the coolest little fests anywhere. denverfilm.org/denver-silent-film-festival
Telluride Horror Show
The new golden age of horror movies we’re living in draws its lifeblood from fests such as these. This one’s marking 15 years with another round of murderously fun high-country screenings, guests, panels and parties — although the lineup has not yet been announced. Expect that shortly before the fest, which takes place Oct. 11-13. telluridehorrorshow.com
Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival
The 37th festival returns to Colorado College in Colorado Springs with an international celebration of women filmmakers. This year, the event will have in-person screenings at Colorado College Oct. 18-20, followed by a “virtual encore” Oct. 24-27. The full schedule will be available Oct. 1 at rmwfilm.org.
Denver Film Festival
The program and guest list is still firming up, but passes are already on sale to the 47th Denver Film Festival, the city’s largest and most prestigious movie party. Expect to see the lineup the first week of October when single tickets go on sale to subscribers (Oct. 3) and the general public (Oct. 4). The event runs Nov. 1-10 and includes the typically impressive schedule of screenings, parties, panels, themed packages, and awards spread across the Sie FilmCenter, as well as the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Botanic Gardens, MCA at the Holiday Theater and others. denverfilm.org/denverfilmfestival
Ridgway Film Festival
The lineup’s not out yet for this 10th event in the San Juan Mountains, running Nov. 14-17, but last year’s program featured fun options such as skygazing trips (it’s really, really dark there at night), an art show and lots of in-person meet-ups alongside the many screenings. Lost of events are free, too. filmfreeway.com/ridgwayindependentfilmfest
Vail Film Festival
This late-season, competitive event is still taking submissions on its website, so a public lineup hasn’t even begun to take shape. There’s a screenplay competition open now for features, shorts and TV pilots. The schedule for the 21st event, which will again feature dozens of films in the high country ski town, will be announced in the coming weeks. Dec. 7-10. vailfilmfestival.com
