The limited series, which is being produced to mark the 30th anniversary of her killing, will star Melissa McCarthy as JonBenét’s mother, Patsy, and Clive Owen as her father, John. They were immediate suspects in the brutal murder of the child beauty queen on Dec. 25, 1996, when she was found dead in the basement of her Boulder home.

A long ransom note, and the still-unsolved nature of the case, continue to inspire lurid fascination in the entertainment world. The crime has inspired documentary and narrative shows such as 2016’s “Getting Away with Murder” and Netflix’s 2017 experiment “Casting JonBenét,” amid many others before that. That last show casts local actors from Boulder to “offer multiple perspectives on her 1996 murder as they vie to play roles in a dramatization of the case,” Netflix wrote.

The Paramount+ series will take the dramatization route.

“(The Series) follows the Ramsey family, before and after the tragedy as they go through the painful loss of a child while facing intense public scrutiny caused by a media frenzy that caused this case to captivate an entire nation,” according to a statement from Paramount+.

“At the heart of the series, it is the story of Patsy and John Ramsey – exploring the unbreakable partnership of these two complex people – as husband and wife, as mother and father – who had committed themselves and their children to building the narrative of a perfect, privileged life only to have it destroyed one Christmas night in 1996.”

The show will be produced by 101 Studios and MTV Entertainment Studios, with production beginning soon in Calgary, Canada, according to the studio.

“JonBenét Ramsey continues to be one of the country’s most fascinating unsolved murders,” said Jeff Grossman, executive vice president of programming at Paramount+. “The incredible talent of Melissa McCarthy, Clive Owen and the creative team led by (showrunner) Richard LaGravenese will illuminate her story with the acuity and nuance it deserves.”

McCarthy is primarily known as a comedian, but has also taken on dramatic roles.

There is no release date for the show.

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That much is clear after watching a 90-minute documentary called “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!,” which follows the co-creator of “South Park” and partner Matt Stone on a journey to reopen the beloved Lakewood restaurant they visited as kids growing up in Colorado.

The film has so far only played at prestigious events like Tribeca Film Festival and Telluride Film Festival, but locals will get to see it first when it comes to the Alamo Drafthouse Sloan’s Lake starting on Sept. 6. It then rolls out to select theaters across the U.S. and will stream on Paramount+ this fall.

“¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” is a must-see for Denver-area fans not only because the landmark is a local one, but also because it’s hard to fathom just how decrepit the building was after decades of neglect.

“Have you ever seen ‘Kitchen Nightmares’? It’s the very, very worst one of those you could possibly ever imagine,” Parker told The Denver Post in 2022.

When viewers see the dirt clogging the air vents and tumbling out of air ducts, metal posts rotting to become structurally unsound, and the layers of grime and fire damage throughout the kitchen, it’s easy to understand why Casa Bonita’s renovation took nearly two years. That’s even before you consider construction woes teams on the ground encountered, such as a 5,000-gallon-per-day leak in the new pool and having to redo a shoddy job on the kitchen floor.

“This is the single most dangerous thing I’ve ever seen,” the construction manager says in one clip, pointing to a narrow hole in the ground flanked by electrical boxes where cliff divers exit the pool.

It cost Stone and Parker an estimated $40 million-plus to, as they prefer to say, “restore” Casa Bonita. No level of business savvy could ever sign off on that type of project. It requires blind passion.

“¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” highlights how Parker was enchanted by and mildly obsessed with the Pink Palace from a young age. His father, Randy Parker, says in the movie that when the family visited Casa Bonita, the younger Parker would run around talking about what he’d change to improve the experience. In one prophetic clip from 2012, the “Book of Mormon” cast visits Casa Bonita and Stone jokes about how Parker may one day own the place.

Director Arthur Bradford and producer Jennifer Ollman aptly capture the Colorado culture surrounding the venue by visiting the annual Casa Bonita-themed art show NEXT Gallery and following the incessant media coverage about its promised reopening. As the deadline to open the doors draws closer, they interview fans who are camped out in the parking lot in hopes of being the first to dine there.

Denver Chef Dana “Loca” Rodriguez plays a starring role as the resolute leader of kitchen operations and it’s a joy to watch her at work, especially when she’s using the colorful language characteristic of a conventional “South Park” episode.

There are other little details in “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” to delight dedicated locals. For example, the documentary follows the restaurant’s construction in the 1970s and sets the record straight about the original color. (It’s “dusty pink,” according to one of its leading designers.) It also offers deep insight into Parker’s creative vision for the new and improved Casa Bonita.

The film is funny, of course, but it’s also heartfelt. As excitement builds for the grand reopening, it becomes clear the owners feel the weight of the public’s expectations. Fear about the concept not working is palpable from everyone involved. (Though as the documentary shows, that was a common sentiment in 1974 when Casa Bonita first opened, too.) Parker and Stone appear terrified to let fans down.

The good news is we know how this story ends. Casa Bonita reopened to much fanfare in 2023 and has since served about half a million guests, most of whom have shared rave reviews. In a post-screening panel at the Telluride Film Festival, Parker said Casa Bonita is not yet profitable, but the fact reservations open to everyone soon should help. The release of “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” may also go a long way, as it inspired excitement to visit among many viewers.

The biggest takeaway from the film, however, should be that anyone will get to visit at all. It underscores the reality that Casa Bonita would have probably remained closed forever – relegated to a distant, cliff-diving, sopapilla-serving memory – without Stone and Parker’s intervention.

“No one would have done it the way we did because it didn’t make any sense and it wasn’t smart,” Stone says in the documentary. “I’m really proud.”

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For the most part, big action movies are giving way to character-driven affairs, lots of scares starting several weeks before Halloween and a highly anticipated adaptation of a beloved work of musical theater.

Here’s a rundown of much of what’s coming to a theater near you, as well as to your living room via streaming service. (As always, dates are subject to change.)

“Afraid” | Aug. 30 | Theaters >> AI causes big trouble at home for a family in this slice of science-fiction-meets-horror offering from “The Golden Compass” director Chris Weitz. The cast includes John Cho and Katerine Waterston.

“The Deliverance” | Aug. 30 | Netflix >> Already in select theaters, the latest from director Lee Daniels (of “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” fame) is a supernatural thriller inspired by a real case. Andra Day, who started in Daniels’ 2021 biopic/drama, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” is front and center here as the alcoholic mother of children thought to be demonically possessed. Glenn Close is among the film’s supporting cast members.

“1992” | Aug. 30 | Theaters >> Tyrese Gibson stars in this drama set on the night of the 1992 Los Angeles riots following the Rodney King verdict. With “The Iceman” director Ariel Vromen at the helm, the film also features actors Scott Eastwood and the late Ray Liotta.

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” | Sept. 6 | Theaters >> We first met Beetlejuice — Michael Keaton’s pesky demon character, who’s summoned when his name is said three times in a row — more than three and a half decades ago in director Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice.” Well, the guy still looks, um … great? Fellow “Beetlejuice” players Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara also return in this sequel, as Lydia and Delia Deetz, respectively, and Burton is again behind the camera. Front and center on screen this time is Jenna Ortega — who stars as the titular figure in the Burton-produced Netflix series “Wednesday” — as Lydia’s rebellious daughter, Astrid. Also around for the dark fun are fellow newcomers Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe. If this is the hit we expect, can “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” possibly be far behind?

“Rebel Ridge” | Sept. 6 | Netflix >> Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson and AnnaSophia Robb star in this action thriller from writer-director Jeremy Saulnier (“Green Room”) involving a conspiracy in a small town chock full of corrupt cops.

“The Killer’s Game” | Sept. 13 | Theaters >> In this action comedy, Dave Bautista plays a hitman who, after receiving tough medical news, arranges a hit on himself, only to then desperately want out of his would-be assassins’ crosshairs. The cast also includes Ben Kingsley, Sofia Boutella, Terry Crews and Bautista’s buddy from the last two “Guardians of the Galaxy” romps, Pom Klementieff.

“My Old Ass” | Sept. 13 | Theaters >> We’re very much looking forward to this unusual comedy in which the typically delightful Aubrey Plaza plays the older version of a teen girl (Maisy Stella of “Nashville”) who visits said younger version in a vision, warning her about becoming entangled with someone named Chad (Percy Hynes White). This is the second film, following the well-reviewed 2021 film “The Fallout,” from actress-turned-filmmaker Megan Park.

“Speak No Evil” | Sept. 13 | Theaters >> A remake of a 2022 Danish film, this fright fest stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis and Aisling Franciosi. The tale revolves around a couple’s weekend at a country estate of a family the couple befriended on vacation. It “begins as a dream holiday” and “soon warps into a psychological nightmare,” according to press materials. James Watkins (“The Woman in Black”) directs.

“His Three Daughters” | Sept. 20 | Netflix >> In select theaters two weeks before it lands on the streamer, writer-director Azazel Jacobs’ latest stars the appealing trio of Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen and Natasha Lyonne. They portray estranged sisters who must come together to care for their father in the drama.

“Transformers One” | Sept. 20 | Paramount >> Anyone imagine a day, long ago, when bitter enemies Optimus Prime and Megatron may have been buddies? Us neither. At least this animated film, which will explore that era, seems targeted more toward a younger audience and less toward adults who grew up with the toys and for some reason are still interested in the “more than meets the eye” robots. The impressive voice cast includes Chris Hemsworth (Optimus), Brian Tyree Henry (Megatron), Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne and Keegan-Michael Key. Another appealing asset: Josh Cooley, who helmed “Toy Story 4,” directs.

“Wolfs” | Sept. 20 | Theaters >> There’s so much reason for optimism with this action comedy, starting with its pairing of “Ocean’s” series veterans George Clooney and Brad Pitt as fixers who prefer to work alone but who must team up on a job. And then there’s the fact “Wolfs” is directed by Jon Watts, who did an amazing job on the recent trilogy of “Spider-Man” movies. However, we can’t help but wonder that if this romp were as fun as its trailer suggests it will be, would it be getting only a limited theatrical release, followed only a week later by its debut on Apple TV+?

“Never Let Go” | Sept. 27 | Theaters >> Halle Berry portrays a mother of twin sons, all of whom are in danger after an evil sets up shop just beyond their doorstep in the next frightening offering from director Alexandre Aja (“The Hills Have Eyes,” “Crawl.”)

“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” | Sept. 21 and 25 | Theaters >> As we wait for Warner Bros. Pictures to launch the DC Universe next year with the movie “Superman,” the studio will roll out this documentary it acquired about the late actor who starred in the “Superman” movies of the late 1970s and ’80s. Very well-received since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, the film is said to focus largely on the life of Reeve, who also was an activist and author, after the horse-riding accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down.

“Killer Heat” | Sept. 26 | Prime Video >> No, this isn’t a documentary about climate change but instead a mystery-based drama in which Joseph Gordon-Levitt attempts to solve a case on a remote Greek Island.

“Bagman” | Sept. 27 | Theaters >> It’s not even October, month of frights, and we have to deal with this dark horror film’s titular unpleasant-looking and malevolent creature. The Bagman haunted Patrick McKee (Sam Claflin) as a child and returns years later to endanger the lives of his family. Sounds like good times.

“Lee” | Sept. 27 | Theaters >> In the directorial debut of cinematographer Ellen Kuras (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”), Kate Winslet stars as war correspondent and photographer Lee Miller, who made a name for herself covering World War II. (Her famous shots include one of herself in Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s bathtub.) The cast also boasts Alexander Skarsgard, Andy Samberg, Andrea Riseborough and Marion Cotillard.

“Megalopolis” | Sept. 27 | Theaters >> We’ll finally get to see filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola’s long-ago-conceived, self-financed, and much-talked-about science-fiction epic, which, despite its ambitiousness, hasn’t exactly wowed many who’ve already experienced it. Set in a huge decaying city called New Rome, the film stars Adam Driver as an architect who can stop time. The cast also boasts Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza, Jon Voight and, among others, a notable alum of Coppola’s “Godfather” films, Talia Shire. Its distributor, Lionsgate, recently got in some hot water for a trailer, which it has since recalled, reportedly boasting fabricated negative critics’ quotes about previous Coppola films to suggest the director’s work long has been initially misunderstood. Yikes.

“The Wild Robot” | Sept. 27 | Theaters >> We’ve seen this animated adaptation of Peter Brown’s book and can say the visuals are dazzling. Also, this tale of a robot (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) who crash-lands on an island and makes what at first is an uneasy alliance with a fox (Pedro Pascal) to care for a just-hatched gosling (Kit Connor) also has a heart. Director Chris Sanders (“The Croods”) also penned the screenplay.

“Hold Your Breath” | Oct. 3 | Hulu >> Scare-tober begins with this straight-to-streaming offering from Searchlight Pictures about a sinister presence threatening a family amid the dust storms of 1930s Oklahoma. (Geez, aren’t the dust storms stressful enough?) The cast features Sarah Paulson, Annaleigh Ashford and, last but not least, “The Bear” standout Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

“House of Spoils” | Oct. 3 | Prime Video >> As if opening a restaurant isn’t difficult enough under normal circumstances, a chef (Ariana DeBose) working to get a new eatery going must contend with the nefarious spirit of the property’s old owner. This one comes from budget-minded horror masters BlumHouse.

“Joker: Folie a Deux” | Oct. 3 | Theaters >> Expect musical mayhem in this sequel to 2019’s acclaimed “Joker,” which earned Joaquin Phoenix the Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime in the gritty psychological thriller. To help with the whole musical aspect of the film, pop star Lady Gaga has been cast as Harley Quinn, another character from the Batman comics; she traditionally transitions from psychologist Harleen Quinzel into the Joker’s love interest and sidekick. “Joker” director Todd Phillips (“The Hangover”) returns to guide this sure-to-be-dark-and-wild ride, which also boasts returning cast member Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond.

“The Outrun” | Oct. 4 | Theaters >> Saoirse Ronan stars as a woman returning home after undergoing treatment for her alcoholism in this drama, based on the 2016 memoir of Amy Liptrot, who co-wrote the screenplay with director Nora Fingscheidt (“The Unforgivable”).

“White Bird” | Oct. 4 | Theaters >> After multiple delays, we should finally get this half-prequel-half-sequel to 2017’s “Wonder.” Based on the 2019 graphic novel, “White Bird” sees “Wonder” bully Julian Albans (now portrayed by Bryce Gheisar) learning about the experiences of his grandmother (Helen Mirren) as a young girl (Ariella Glaser) in Nazi-occupied France. Marc Forster (“Finding Neverland,” “Christopher Robin” directs from a screenplay by Mark Bomback (“War for the Planet of the Apes”).

“Piece by Piece” | Oct. 11 | Theaters >> The latest animation feature built with Lego pieces and parts, “Piece by Piece” is a … telling of the story of music star Pharrell Williams??? Williams voices himself, with fellow music figures such as Gwen Stefani, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg doing the same. This effort would seem to be in good hands with Morgan Neville, director of the acclaimed documentaries “20 Feet From Stardom” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”

“Saturday Night” | Oct. 11 | Theaters >> Director Jason Reitman (“Ghostbusters: Afterlife”) helms and is the co-writer (with Gil Kenan) of this dramatization of the coming together of the late-night sketch-comedy staple that would come to be known as “Saturday Night Live.” Gabriel LaBelle portrays showrunner Lorne Michaels, while Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, and Dylan O’Brien portray Not Ready for Prime Time Players Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd and Laraine Newman, respectively.

“Brothers” | Oct. 17 | Prime Video >> In select theaters a week before hitting Amazon’s streaming service, this action comedy comes from Max Barbakow, the director of the enjoyable 2020 offering “Palm Springs.” And Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage as the titular siblings? A very sincere “yes, please.”

“Flight Risk” | Oct. 18 | Theaters >> Mel Gibson directs and Mark Wahlberg stars in this up-in-the-air action thriller. The actor plays a pilot who’s more than he seems, while Michelle Dockery portrays an FBI agent and Topher Grace an informant.

“A Real Pain” | Oct. 18 | Theaters >> Jesse Eisenberg is the writer, director and co-star of this dramady, in which he and “Succession” star Kieran Culkin portray mismatched cousins taking a tour of Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. Against the backdrop of their family history, old tensions resurface.

“Smile 2” | Oct. 18 | Theaters >> In this sequel to 2022 creepy-fun flick “Smile,” the supernaturally induced grinning is surrounding Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), a famous pop singer. Parker Finn, the writer-director of “Smile,” returns.

“Canary Black” | Oct. 24 | Prime Video >> Kate Beckinsale stars as a CIA agent whose husband is kidnapped by terrorists in this action thriller from “Taken” director Pierre Morel.

“Venom: The Last Dance” | Oct. 25 | Theaters >> OK, the campy “Venom” movies aren’t our particular cup of Spider-Man-adjacent tea, but 2018’s “Venom” and its 2021 sequel, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” have been successful enough to justify this apparent series conclusion. Tom Hardy is back as Eddie Brock — the antihero joined with a loud-mouthed alien symbiote attached to him — and is supported by appealing newcomers Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years a Slave”) and Juno Temple (“Ted Lasso”). A co-writer on “Venom” and the writer of “Carnage,” Kelly Marcel returns as this film’s writer, and she is making her directorial debut.

“Here” | Nov. 1 | Theaters >> We have a genuine “Forrest Gump” reunion in the offing, with Tom Hanks and Robin Wright starring in this drama directed by Robert Zemeckis. Co-penned by Zemeckis and Eric Roth — yes, the “Gump” screenwriter — “Here” chronicles one small bit of the planet over many many years, a few of which see it become home to the couple played by Hanks and Wright. The cast also features Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly and Michelle Dockery.

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” | Nov. 8 | Theaters >> Judy Greer and Pete Holmes star in this adaptation of Barbara Robinson’s 1972 children’s book, with Dallas Jenkins (“The Chosen”) in the director’s chair.

“Conclave” | Nov. 8 | Theaters >> That this adaptation of the international bestseller by Robert Harris looks gorgeous in its advanced footage is hardly surprising considering it is the work of Edward Berger, director of 2022’s “All Quiet on the Western Front.” In the thriller, intrigue swirls as a new pope must be chosen as the secrets of the one recently deceased surface. Ralph Fiennes portrays the cardinal tasked with leading the papal conclave, while the cast also boasts Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rosellini. Note this is the wide date, the film being slated to get a limited release a week earlier.

“Back in Action” | Nov. 15 | Netflix >> Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx play former spies pulled back into the world of espionage after their identities are exposed in this action comedy from “Horrible Bosses” director Seth Gordon. Other notable cast members include Glenn Close, Kyle Chandler and Andrew Scott.

“Heretic” | Nov. 15 | Theaters >> The autumnal scares continue into November with this horror film about Mormon missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who get more than they were looking to convert a man played by Hugh Grant. This is the latest from “Haunt” and “65” writing-and-directing duo Scott Beck and Brian Woods.

“Red One” | Nov. 15 | Theaters >> Jake Kasdan (“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”) directs an impressive cast — Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans and J. K. Simmons being among the notable names — in this Christmas-themed action-comedy. Johnson plays the head of North Pole security, who, after Santa Claus (Simmons) is kidnapped, must team with a bounty hunter (Evans) for the rescue. The screenplay is by Chris Morgan, best known for his work on the “Fast and Furious” franchise.

“Gladiator II” | Nov. 22 | Theaters >> In this sequel talked about for decades, Paul Mescal (“Aftersun,” “All of Us Strangers”) portrays the grown Lucius, who years earlier had witnessing the death of the heroic Maximus — Russell Crowe’s character from director Ridley Scott’s 2000 Academy Award winner, “Gladiator,” in case the name somehow doesn’t ring a bell — is now a gladiator himself. Scott returns, directing from a screenplay by David Scarpa (Scott’s “All the Money in the World”), as does “Gladiator” cast member Connie Nielsen, as Lucilla, mother of Lucius. Notable actors new to Scott’s spin on ancient Rome include Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn (“Stranger Things”).

“Spellbound” | Nov. 22 | Netflix >> The latest animated offering from “Shrek” director Vicky Jenson is set in the magical world of Lumbria, where a young girl voiced by Rachel Zegler must break a powerful spell. Others contributing voice work include Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, Nathan Lane and “Shrek” alum John Lithgow.

“Wicked” | Nov. 22 | Theaters >> You sometimes will see this film referred to as “Wicked: Part One,” and we have come to believe, rather strongly, that when you break a piece of source material into two movies, the second will be the stronger of the two because it tells the conclusion of a story. This film may be the exception, as we’ve also come to believe, almost as strongly, that the first act of a piece of musical theater tends to be stronger than the second, as their creators have a habit of packing Act I with more topnotch songs. And knowing that “Part One” is almost sure to end with the banger that is composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz’s “Defying Gravity” has us thinking “Wicked: Part Two” — slated to ride a broom into theaters on Nov. 26, 2025 — will have a tough time topping it. The beloved stage musical is loosely based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” which, of course, wouldn’t exist without L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” and the movie made from it, 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz.” In this screen version of “Wicked,” penned by the book writer of the show, Winnie Holzman, and directed by Jon M. Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians”), Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande lead the cast as witch pals Elphaba Thorpp and Galinda Upland, respectively. The cast also includes Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh.

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On Thursday, the duo announced public screenings of a documentary about the Pink Palace’s reopening. The film – titled “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” – will play at the Alamo Drafthouse Sloan’s Lake (4255 W. Colfax Ave., Denver) on Sept. 6, 7, 8 and 12. It will then show at select theaters around the country starting Sept. 13.

“¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” follows Stone and Parker as they seek to save the beloved landmark they visited as kids. That includes from the time they purchased the iconic eatertainment venue, known for its 30-foot indoor waterfall and cliff divers, to the point that they were finally able to open the doors. It wasn’t easy: Not only did the owners not have prior restaurant experience, the Pink Palace was also in shambles and required a reported $40 million renovation.

“It’s about us getting kicked in the nuts a little bit,” Stone previously told The Denver Post.

“¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” was directed by Arthur Bradford, who also created 2011’s “6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park.” Originally, the idea was to film behind the scenes at the 50-year-old Casa Bonita restaurant as part of a bigger project about Stone and Parker, but the story took on a life of its own.

The documentary debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in June and will play at the Telluride Film Festival on Sunday. It will be available to stream on Paramount+ sometime this fall. Tickets to the local screenings are now on sale at drafthouse.com/denver/show/casa-bonita-mi-amor.

Here are the other cities where fans can catch “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!”:

• New York, NY: Alamo Brooklyn, Alamo Lower Manhattan
• Los Angeles, CA: Alamo Downtown LA
• Austin, TX: Alamo South Lamar
• Boston, MA: Alamo Seaport
• Chicago, IL: Alamo Wrigleyville
• Minneapolis, MN: The Main Cinema
• Nashville, TN: Belcourt Theater
• San Antonio, TX: Alamo Park North
• St. Louis, MO: Alamo City Foundry

Updated 10:50 p.m. Aug. 29, 2024: This story has been updated to include additional locations across the U.S. where the documentary will shown.

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But post-pandemic and after last year’s dual labor strikes — which prevented actors from attending film fests to support their work — something feels different headed into the Labor Day weekend ritual.

“I feel like the program has an element of exuberance to it,” executive director Julie Huntsinger said in a call. Programming Telluride is an act of mirroring more than molding, she believes, so Huntsinger offered her customary  (if humble) caveat. “We just reflect. All glory goes to filmmakers — but there is a reflection of a hopefulness that everybody not only needs but is also entitled to.”

In a hallowed Telluride tradition, the fest announced the four-day program on the cusp of the gathering. The festival begins Friday and ends Monday evening. This is the first peek at what festivalgoers will line up for, ride the occasional gondola to get to and immerse themselves in. The fest will screen feature films, shorts, revival programs, along with tributes, panels, conversations and student programs. As a festival founded on a love of international cinema, it’s no surprise that 26 countries will be represented among the 60 or so films.

At a festival that has never shied away from the dark and demanding — and doesn’t for this edition, either — signs of the upbeat and exhilarating include “Saturday Night.” Director Jason Reitman’s film unfurls in the 90 minutes before the first airing of a little show called “Saturday Night Live” in 1975. As with so many innovations, creator Lorne Michaels’ idea of a show written by young firebrands and packed with unknowns who would in fairly short order become pop cultural quasars got lots of pushback.

As if to nod to the durability of the show, two of its stars who’ve gone on to first-rate film careers will appear onscreen in different movies. Will Ferrell and his dear friend Harper Steele, who is transgender, hit the road in the documentary “Will & Harper,” about the deep truths of friendship, directed by Jeff Greenbaum. And Bill Murray appears alongside Naomi Watts, Carla Gugino and Bing, a harlequin Great Dane, in directors David Siegel and Scott McGehee’s adaptation of “The Friend,” novelist Sigrid Nunez’s National Book Award-winning novel about an author who adopts the dog of her departed mentor. News has it the giant pup will be on hand. (In the unabashedly dog-friendly town, that won’t give anyone paws.)

Also in the ebullient department, director Morgan Neville’s “Piece by Piece” tells the story of Pharrell Williams, the singer-songwriter-producer responsible for one of the most titularly happy songs ever. To accentuate childlike wonder, the biopic is told using animation with Lego bricks.

The documentary “Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” will introduce those not in the know (i.e., not from the Denver area) to the pink palace of entrancing cliff driving and legendarily so-so (OK, not good) Mexican food, Casa Bonita. Director Arthur Bradford follows “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone on their passionate quest to reopen the iconic restaurant (yes, with a great chef). It screens in the Backlot, the festival’s most accessible venue, which means non-passholders have a shot at seeing the film. (Also of note in the Backlot: the Irish drama “Swallow,” which features Brenda Fricker as a ruminative solitary figure living in a seaside home, who begins writing a letter to an unknown correspondent.)

Films that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to acclaim — either whole-hearted or prickly —  will be well represented with Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or-winning “Anora” and festival honoree Jacque Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez.” Both make the argument that the language of filmmaking is often buoyant and wowing beyond its subject matter. Baker (“Tangerine,” “Red Rocket”) has made the loving centering of sex workers his oeuvre. “Anora” features a Brooklyn call girl who snags the affection of a scion of a Russian oligarch. When the news hits Russia, the fantasy Ani (Mickey Madison) hopes to live out gets complicated. Audiard’s latest features a quartet of lauded performances in a sumptuously shot musical about a transgender drug lord: Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz and Karla Sofía Gascón, as the cartel boss of the title, all took the best actress prize at Cannes earlier this year.

This year’s guests are scheduled to include Angelina Jolie, star of Pablo Larrain’s Maria Callas film, “Maria”; Danielle Deadwyler and John David Washington of “The Piano Lesson,” directed by Malcom Washington, making good on father Denzel’s promise to produce August Wilson’s 10-play cycle for the screen; Martha Stewart, the fascinating, resilient subject of R.J. Cutler’s documentary of the same name; Embeth Davitz, who directed but also acts in the adaptation of Alexandra Fuller’s “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight,” about her childhood in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe); guest director Kenneth Lonergan; and Amanda Zurawski (who, along with husband Josh, made indelible the outrages of the Dobbs decision at the DNC) in the documentary “Zurawski v Texas,” about Texas abortion ban and the women fighting it.

Also attending: Saoirse Ronan, who will receive a tribute and one of the fest’s three silver medallions. Her latest, “The Outrun,” directed by Nora Fingscheidt, is based on Amy Liptrot’s celebrated memoir about her downward spiral into alcoholism.

Telluride is known for its deeply enjoyable and illuminating program notes (hats off to Larry Gross, who authors many of them). The one on Ronan was written by Greta Gerwig, who directed the actor in “Ladybird” and “Little Women.” “The word ‘prodigy’ is thrown around a lot, but in her case, it is fitting,” Gerwig writes of the four-time Oscar nominee, who made such a disquieting impression in “Atonement” at the age of 12. Her work has only deepened in films as varied as “The Lovely Bones,” “Hanna” “Brooklyn” and “Ammonite.”

“Her gift is incredibly rare, but how she’s cared for it and grown it to become the formidable artist she is today is rarer still,” Gerwig continues. “She is a translucent actor — she somehow makes her external life transparent so we can all see her soul. But every character she plays is unique, wildly different from the others, so each soul she shows us is a new revelation.” That should be one helluva tribute reel.

So, too, will be the one for film editor Thelma Schoonmaker, whose work as Martin Scorsese’s longtime collaborator is unparalleled. The Oscar nominations started in 1971 with Michael Wadleigh’s documentary “Woodstock” and continued to last year’s “The Killers of the Flower Moon.” The wins began in 1981 with Scorsese’s “Raging Bull” and include “The Aviator” and “The Departed.” Schoonmaker was married to British film director Michael Powell (who died in 1990). In an elegant gesture both cinematic and familial, Schoonmaker will be interviewed onstage by Powell’s grandson, director Kevin Macdonald (this year’s TFF doc “One to One” John & Yoko”).  She’ll also be in conversation with film editing’s wise practitioner and champion Walter Murch.

If the festival were as tall as one of the nearby mineral-specked peaks, this preview would barely get us to the first steep incline. With films by Errol Morris (“Separated” about families cleaved at the U.S.-Mexico border), Matt Tyrnauer (“Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid”) and Bonnie Cohen (“In Waves and War” with Jon Shenk and “The White House Effect” with Shenk and Pedro Kos) among others, the documentary slate is better than robust, it’s edifyingly timely.

One film sure to arrive with the aura of discovery is “Nickel Boys.” The book it hails from is well known, but its budding director, RaMell Ross, is a cherished secret. His much-anticipated film is based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that focuses on friends Elwood and Turner, who meet at a harsh Florida reformatory in the 1960s. That literary provenance might be reason enough for attendees to queue for the film, but it is Ross, in his narrative feature debut, who holds such great promise.

“It’s a remarkable achievement,” Huntsinger said of the film, which screens in the Herzog venue, an ice rink transformed into an arthouse with impossibly pristine sound. The film also opens the New York Film Festival next month.

“I just want everybody to understand how privileged we are to witness this,” Julie Huntsinger said. “I wish I could be in the screening at the Herzog to watch everybody discover this movie and feel it and go through the things that the characters go through. I’m very happy for everybody involved. May it be as beloved when it’s finally out there in the world.”

And with that benediction, the Show, as it’s dubbed, begins.

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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

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Located at 4150 E. Amherst Ave. in the University Hills neighborhood, the arthouse theater with a trio of modest screens has, for decades, cultivated a crowd that attends nearly every premiere, party and — in the past — celebrity visits during the Denver Film Festival.

Chez Artiste’s final day will be Thursday, Aug. 8, according to a notice on the front door. “It has been our pleasure to serve you!” the sign said, and listed Landmark’s two remaining theaters in the metro area: Denver’s Mayan Theatre and The Landmark Greenwood Village.

Landmark marketing and brand chief Mark Mulcahy told The Denver Post by email that the closure comes in the wake of the company’s regular market evaluations, as well as its individual theater performance.

“We’ve made the decision to close the Chez Artiste location but look forward to servicing our Chez Artiste guests and broader Denver audience at our local Greenwood Village location or The Mayan in downtown Denver,” he wrote. “Our goal is to move some of the specialized content Chez Artiste played to the Greenwood Village [location].”

Despite its small capacity, Chez Artiste boasted things its competitors didn’t: a rotating selection of TCM-era classics from the 1930s-’70s and its status as a cultural destination that was not dependent on its neighborhood or spare, concrete surroundings. Originally opened in 1972, the Chez Artiste has been operated by Landmark since 1992. It was renovated in 2012 to add digital projectors and sound, new seating, wider rows and various design touches.

Fans of the Chez Artiste will throw a party for the theater and its staff on Aug. 8 at the theater, according to people interviewed for this story.

One of the theater’s fans, Stan Ward, wrote a letter to Landmark, criticizing the company for the way it has handled the closure. “The management staff there has provided the best movie-going experience in Denver for 15+ years,” Ward wrote in a note that he shared with The Denver Post. “I believe the Esquire theater was given several months notice of their closing. To give Chez one week’s notice after their long, exemplary service is, in my opinion, almost criminal. The staff there have earned the right to be treated far better than a one week’s notice.”

Mulcahy responded by saying that “key longtime staff” were asked to consider a move to Landmark’s Greenwood Village location. He also talked about the industry as a whole.

“We flourish when large numbers of people patronize the theatre weekly, daily, monthly, purchasing food & beverages,” he added in the response. “We would not close a theatre that is flourishing. We must make tough decisions when a theatre constantly loses money.”

Other supporters posting on Instagram, Facebook and X have suggested that Landmark wait until the end of the calendar year to shutter Chez Artiste.

Landmark, which has been an exhibitor for 50 years, previously shut down Denver’s historic Esquire Theater on July 17. The company had stopped paying rent in April 2020, according to commercial real estate firm Unique Properties — which then tried to sell the building for $3.3 million. It has since been purchased and will be redeveloped for mixed-use tenants.

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The loving brainchild of Keith Garcia, artistic director of the Sie FilmCenter, and Black Pride Colorado founder Tara Jae, BLQ (Black Lives Queerly) centers on the experiences of black LGBTQ+ people. The organizations have done programming together before but the two see in this new program an opportunity to build on that relationship.

“Keith has been in my corner for a few years, and we often have talked about the importance and lack of space for Black queer creatives in Colorado,” Jae said in an email. “As we continued our dialogue and observed what was happening nationally, the opportunity to have space during CinemaQ opened up. This partnership with Denver Film and Black Pride Colorado is an opening for us to continue to curate spaces and build a platform out for our Black queer creatives in the community.”

“We asked ourselves, ‘What does that organization need? What can we do to help to bring everyone together?,’ ” said Garcia. It turned out to be a very simple answer, he said. “Queer Black voices need more amplification than most, especially within the LGBTQIA community.” Garcia sees the first day of films, a panel and a gathering on Saturday, Aug. 10, as a celebratory debut of the relationship.

Why should you attend? Consider:

Reason 1: A strong start.

Sometimes how you start a new undertaking says everything about how it will flourish. Saturday, BLQ gets the kind of day of programming that should launch the Denver Film-Black Pride Colorado collaboration in style.

“The ability to express oneself is deeply rooted in our mental health,” said Jae, who uses the pronoun “they.” The social worker knows how central the arts are to the mental health of individuals, to community health and, by extension, the robustness of our city. “Our Black queer community is rich and vibrant and resilient, which fuels the culture of Denver,” they said. “It’s much more than representation. It’s exposure, it’s experience. I often tell people who come in from out of town to experience any of our events, ‘Don’t sleep on Denver — there is so much more to come, and we are just getting started.’ ” (Saturday, Aug. 10)

Reason 2: Because there is always a gem.

With its superb use of animation, archival and fresh footage, the documentary “Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story” may be this year’s jewel. Denver jazz station KUVO’s All Blues show is dynamite, so there’s a chance you already know about the late-1950s and ’60s R&B artist Jackie Shane, who all but vanished in 1971. If you don’t, this loving exploration by Canadian filmmakers Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee will open your eyes — and ears — to the mesmerizing performer who was friends with Little Richard, sang in a voice with hints of Tina Turner and Jackie Wilson, and who was transgender. The film is buoyed by readings of the Nashville-born singer’s autobiography found by nieces who didn’t even know about their aunt until her death. It’s anchored by interviews that Mabbott conducted with the reclusive star in the last year of her life. (Saturday, Aug. 10, 1 p.m.)

Reason 3: Because justice sought hurts but inspires, too.

The tensions over who gets to tell a subculture’s story may be one of the more complicated legacies of the iconic 1990 documentary “Paris Is Burning,” about the ball scene in New York City, by director Jennie Livingston. (See this year’s CinemaQ short about appropriation, “So You Wanna Vogue, Huh?”) But one of the most wrenching legacies is that the supernova of the powerful film, Venus Extravaganza, was murdered before its release. In her critically lauded documentary, “I’m Your Venus,” which premiered in June at the Tribeca Film Festival, Kimberly Reed follows Venus’ biological and ballroom families as they unexpectedly unite to reopen the unsolved case. (Saturday, Aug. 10,  7 p.m.)

Reason 4: Because it’s cool to laugh … and to sigh

Coming of age gets its close-ups in two films that have been garnering raves on the festival circuit. The first is on Thursday night, with “My Old Ass.” Megan Park’s clever twist on the genre finds Elliott (Maisy Stella) meeting up with her older self, played by the always ace Aubrey Plaza, for some insightful advice. Next up: If the beautiful Belgian drama from 2022, “Close,” broke your hearts in 1,001 pieces with its story of a friendship that might be more between its two young protagonists, “Young Hearts,” the debut by

Belgian director Anthony Schatteman, might glue it back. Lou Goossens’ turn as 14-year-old Ellias, who is figuring out what he’s feeling about new kid Alexander (Marius De Saeger), has been heralded as one of this year’s breakout performances. (Sunday, Aug. 11, noon) Finally, being of age rocks in “Teaches of Peaches,” an award-winning documentary that follows the Canadian electropunk rocker on her 20th-anniversary tour in 2022.  (Friday, Aug. 9, 6:45 p.m.)

Reason 5: Because it’s good to be scared.

It’s never fair but always sort of fun to ask a programmer about which movie is their favorite of the festival. This year, the spin on that question, directed at CinemaQ’s impresario Keith Garcia, was “Which film would you sneak into, if you had the time?” Of course, he had two. One was the documentary on Jackie Shane. The second won’t come as a shocker to fans of Garcia: “Carnage for Christmas,” by Alice Maio Mackay.

“It’s a sweet little 78-minute package,” he said of the late-night offering. “It’s very fun. And I really love watching talent kind of blossom over the years.” This story finds a trans true-crime podcaster’s returning to her hometown years after her transition but just in time for a Santa suit-clad slayer on the loose.

“It’s just been great watching her work evolve at such a young age and very quickly,” Garcia noted. The slasher is the 19-year-old’s sixth feature. “Once someone really pays her attention and gives her a budget, I think we’re going to see some really exciting stuff come out. “Carnage” is probably her best movie to date. Hopefully, audiences really take to it.” (Saturday, Aug. 10, 10 p.m.)

Lisa Kennedy is a Denver area freelance writer who specializes in film and theater.

IF YOU GO

Cinema Q Festival: Denver Film’s annual celebration of LGBTQ+ film with narrative features, documentaries, shorts packages, panels and other  happenings at the Sie Film Center, 2510 E. Colfax Ave,. Aug. 8-11. Denverfilm.org.

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“Chris came to me with three ideas for this year, and he left Winona Ryder for last,” said Andrew Novick, who along with Chris Getzan programs and runs the annual fundraiser for Denver Film. “I was like, ‘Wait, what? That’s not a theme. I love it, but I have no idea what it means.”

What Getzan meant is what attendees will see at the Thursday, Aug. 22 party, which as usual includes adult drinks, unlimited rides on the classic theme park’s attractions (the open ones, anyway), and lots of interactive programming. In the past, that has centered on ’90s pop culture as well as a historical, carnival boardwalk-style dive into Lakeside’s 116-year history.

Last year, Summer Scream sold 3,500 tickets, although actual attendance was closer to 3,300, Getzan said. That’s still a record and another consecutive sell-out for the nonprofit Denver Film’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Summer Scream’s budget is up this year after being flat for the last two events (Novick declined to provide numbers), so they will be able to pay performers a bit more, Novick said.

“What we care about just as much as the attendees is, ‘Did Lakeside like it?’ We’re out to impress them and Denver Film folks. Lakeside, for example, was skeptical about the pro wrestling (event) last year, but everybody loved it. I had no doubt people would be entertained, but they were worried about insurance.”

“Denver Film also really liked our Blockbuster video store last year, which was a surprise because we didn’t say anything about it ahead of time,” said Getzan, who likes to plan scavenger hunts for attendees. “People took an hour out of the time of the party to go solve all these clues last year.”

Roving character actors, the open bar, relevant trivia and (likely) some posters and/or film clips of Ryder’s work will be in effect. They’ll have plenty of visual fodder from her roles as Tim Burton’s muse (“Beetlejuice,” “Edward Scissorhands”); disillusioned popular girl (“Heathers”); Gen X dream-woman (“Reality Bites”); dramatic go-to (“Little Women”); and indie stalwart (“Night on Earth,” “A Scanner Darkly”)..

It’s no wonder the poster depicts six different eras of Ryder as six people packed into a roller coaster car, designed by Denver artist Cori Redford. Denver Film’s Sie FilmCenter is also screening a selection of Ryder’s best roles beginning Aug. 2, and leading up to the Aug. 22 event. On tap, according to Denver Film: “Edward Scissorhands,” “Mermaids,” “Reality Bites,” “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” and “Heathers.”

“This is a love letter and homage to (Ryder’s films),” Getzan said. “And with ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ coming out the month after our event, and a new ‘Stranger Things’ season coming on Netflix, we hope we can get the attention of film companies and get some Winona-related stuff.”

Ryder is set to reprise her role as the black lace-clad Lydia Deetz in the “Beetlejuice” sequel, which will be released on Sept. 6, and will return as Joyce Byers — mother to intrepid, dimension-busting kids — in “Stranger Things” Season 5 on Netflix, which is set for 2025.

Getzan and Novick were typically cagey about exactly how the theme will be rendered. They like to surprise attendees with quirky, creative and memorable in-person offerings — things you’ll never again experience, they said. Coupled with the rides on the historic carousel, Ferris wheel, or Tilt-A-Whirl, the event is set up to be another dreamlike experience, Getzan said.

“We’re very, very strongly encouraging people to come in costume,” he said. “If I see, in the waning days of summer at a 100-year-old plus amusement park, a bunch of people dressed as Winona Ryder, I might just walk into the lake after that and go join my ancestors, because it doesn’t get better than that.”

“This party’s going to be so Winona that she might even show up,” Novick joked, however aspirationally. “We’ve got professional cosplayers from Colorado Cosplay Academy making costumes. They’re sewing dresses and making original outfits. They’re looking so great that if the real Winona was there, you might not even recognize her.”

If you go

Summer Scream 2024. Denver Film fundraiser. 6-11 p.m. at Lakeside Amusement Park, 4601 Sheridan Blvd. in Denver. 21-and-up. Tickets: $65 for Denver Film members, $75 for non-members, plus fees. denverfilm.org

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Far from city lights, the Frontier Drive-Inn in Center is a cinematic sanctuary, a testament to a bygone era.

Originally called the Frontier Drive-In, the theater opened in 1955 and was one of the few places showing Spanish-language films in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, the venue screens everything from cult classics to kids’ movies and the occasional art film.

“We don’t share our movie titles until you’re actually on site,” Frontier owner Luke Falcone said. “We want people to come for the full experience. We’ve shown horror films on Halloween and had a weekend of just baseball films.”

While the popcorn is always free, the Frontier wants to expand its food and beverage offerings. Guests can use the shared kitchen and rent cooking equipment to prepare meals.

Before Falcone took over, the last movie shown at the drive-in was in the mid-to-late 1980s. Falcone cleaned up some of the original Arch projectors, speaker system, and popcorn machine to display on site.

Lodging on site

The Frontier offers guests accommodations, including two pods, each with five yurts clustered around gas firepits and spa-like bathhouses. Each yurt is equipped with a queen bed, sitting area, and pellet stoves designed to provide a low-maintenance in-unit fire to provide heat.  Or choose one of a pair of Steelmaster sheds, retro-fitted with custom wood-paneled interiors, private bathrooms, and in-floor heat.

But the Frontier isn’t the only drive-in movie theater in the valley. The Star Drive-In in Monte Vista screens movies nightly from mid-May through mid-September.

Like the Frontier, the Star offers lodging at the Best Western Movie Manor, where guests can watch movies on the big screen from the comfort of their rooms.

“We didn’t want to step on their toes, so we thought about how do we turn this into a business that has enough interest,” Falcone said.

“We realized we had to import the customer for that. We’re all in the built-environment space, and this was a unique opportunity to test out different construction methodologies.”

Respecting Dark Skies

Parts of the San Luis Valley, like Crestone, are designated Dark Sky communities, and the Great Sand Dunes National Park is a Dark Sky Park.

“People give us a hard time about our lighting, so we keep it low,” Falcone said. “We don’t want to interfere with your movie experience, but it’s also a Dark Sky-designated place.”

Falcone’s investment hasn’t stopped with the Frontier Drive Inn. He also purchased the old movie theater in downtown Center, which will open this summer and show movies during the day and in inclement weather.

“Our plan is not to run that like a blockbuster movie theater where we’re showing the big summer films,” he said. “We plan to program that as a service to the Frontier. We’re in early talks about hosting smaller film festivals.”

In addition to restoring the theater, Falcone plans to renovate the building to include four apartments and install three Airstream trailers on its side.

Falcone purchased the theater from Steve Huey, an engineer from the Kansas City area who purchased five buildings in downtown Center. In addition to selling the movie theater to Falcone, Huey sold a building to a friend from Lawrence, Kan.

Since discovering Center, Huey and his friends have hosted four Summer Solstice events, which aim to attract a community of artists to the sleepy town. Huey is importing bands from Lawrence and has lined up artists for performances and installations, including Amy Kligman, Misha Kligman, Marie Bannerot McInerney, Cory Imig and Caleb Taylor.

Hyeyoung Shin will conduct a two-day hands-on workshop teaching traditional Korean paper casting.

“It’s going to be a lot bigger this year and more art oriented,” Huey said. “When we move out there and live out there, we’ll do more of this in our space.”

Get to know Center

Center’s history dates back to the mid-19th century when settlers, drawn by the fertile soil and promise of a new life in the American West, began establishing homesteads in the valley.

With the arrival of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in the late 19th century, Center emerged as a hub for agricultural activity, particularly potato farming.

Center experienced growth and development with the expansion of irrigation systems and the establishment of agricultural cooperatives in the early 20th century.

Huey said Center appeals because it’s still untouched, unlike other towns in the valley along the highway.

“All have had some sort of revitalization,” he said. “None of that has ever happened in Center. Very little has changed in 30 years. It’s a blank slate — you’re not fighting something that was already there.”

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