38th Annual Denver Film Festival | Nov. 4-15

The 38th annual Denver Film Festival (DFF) – running November 4 though 15 – features more than 250 films, representing 39 countries. 

Attracting nearly 58,000 filmgoers each year, this festival is widely recognized as the Rocky Mountain Region’s premier film event.

For a complete schedule of films, click here. 

Michael Moore’s latest documentary, Where to Invade Next, will hold Centerpiece on November 6. Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, will be featured as the Red Carpet Matinee. James Sadwith’s first feature, Coming Through the Rye will close out the festival on November 14.

“This year’s Red Carpet Presentations represent four unique voices in cinema,” said Festival Director Britta Erickson. “From the ingenious mind of Charlie Kaufman, to the ever challenging viewpoint of Michael Moore; from the stunning Oscar-worthy performances in Carol, to the cinematic ode to The Catcher in the Rye, the Denver Film Festival’s Red Carpet premieres offer a chance for audiences to truly be swept away by the magic of film.”

DFF Special Presentations include: The Boat Builder, Brooklyn, Hitchcock/Truffaut, I Saw the Light, The Lady in the Van, Mediterranea, Mia Madre, My All American, Son of Saul, Suffragette, and Youth (from 2013 Maria & Tommaso Maglione Italian Filmmaker Award and Academy Award® Winner, Paolo Sorrentino).

Red Carpet Presentations will take place at the Elle Caulkins Opera House. Special Presentations and regular screenings will take place at the Sie FilmCenter and the UA Denver Pavilions Stadium 15.

TICKETS

Individual tickets will go on sale to DFS members on Wednesday, October 21 and to the general public on Friday, October 23. Regular screening tickets will cost $12 DFS member/$15.00 non-member, Special Presentation tickets $14 DFS Member / $17 Non Member.

RED CARPET

Where to Invade Next ­- (DIRECTOR: Michael Moore PRODUCER: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin, Michael Moore) – Academy Award-winning director and consummate provocateur Michael Moore “invades” a host of European countries, observing the ways they deal with their social and economic ills, and brings home a refreshingly optimistic plan for America’s future. This humorous and poignant documentary is sure to get the nation talking.

Fri Nov 6, 8:00pm, Ellie Caulkins Opera House

RED CARPET MATINEE

Carol ­- (DIRECTOR: Todd Haynes PRODUCER: Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley, Christine Vachon WRITER: Phyllis Nagy CAST: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Kyle Chandler, Sarah Paulson, Cory Michael Smith, Carrie Brownstein, Jake Lacy) – Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven, DFF25) directed this adaptation of a Patricia Highsmith novel, filmed in Super 16, about a love that, in the 1950s, dared not speak its name. Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara play two women facing the devastating social consequences of their illicit affair.

Sat Nov 14 at 2:30pm, Ellie Caulkins Opera House 

CLOSING NIGHT

Coming Through the Rye ­- (DIRECTOR: James Sadwith PRODUCER: James Sadwith, Teddy Grennan, Stan Erdreich WRITER: James Sadwith CAST: Alex Wolff, Stefania Owen, Chris Cooper) – Jamie Schwartz is having a bad senior year, but he believes things will turn around if he can get J.D. Salinger’s permission to perform his theatrical adaptation of The Catcher in the Rye at school. So begins his journey of discovery in this smart coming-of-age story set in 1969.

Sat Nov 14, 8:00pm, Ellie Caulkins Opera House 

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

The Boat Builder

A grumpy old sailor (Christopher Lloyd) wants only to finish building his boat so he can set out to sea. But from local officials to a troubled foster kid, the world keeps intervening to test his determination to make something of his golden years in this gentle dramatic comedy.

Fri Nov 13, 6:30pm, UA Pavilions

Sat Nov 14, 11:00am, UA Pavilions

Brooklyn

Ellis Lacey, a young Irish immigrant, sets off for 1950s Brooklyn to chase the American Dream. Struggling to find her place, she meets a young Italian man who renews her zest for love and life. But when family tragedy strikes, she must choose between two homelands in this deep romance.

Thu Nov 5, 6:30pm, Sie FilmCenter

Hitchcock/Truffaut

Film historian Kent Jones brings together top directors-including Scorsese, Linklater, and Fincher-to talk about the groundbreaking series of interviews François Truffaut conducted with Alfred Hitchcock in 1962 for a book project that helped establish the man he considered the world’s best filmmaker as a true auteur.

Sat Nov 14, 7:00pm, Sie FilmCenter

I Saw the Light

Named for one of his signature tunes, this biopic paints a warts-and-all portrait of legendary country-music artist Hank Williams (convincingly played by British actor Tom Hiddleston), whose meteoric rise to fame stood in contrast to the addictions and marital woes that shaped his turbulent and tragically short life.

Fri Nov 13, 9:30pm, Sie FilmCenter

The Lady in the Van

Legendary actress Maggie Smith is delightfully cantankerous as the real-life homeless woman who took up residence in the driveway of British playwright Alan Bennett-for 15 years. Based on Bennett’s memoir and play, it’s a funny, poignant crowd-pleaser about the meeting of eccentric minds.

Sun Nov 15, 2:00pm, Sie FilmCenter

Mediterranea

Featuring authentic, nuanced performances by nonprofessional actors, Jonas Carpignano’s neo-realist, documentary-style debut feature paints a powerful portrait of Ayiva and Abas-two friends who make a harrowing journey from Burkina Faso to Italy in search of a better life-and puts a human face on the global migrant crisis.

Thu Nov 5, 9:00pm, Sie FilmCenter

Wed Nov 11, 6:45pm, Sie FilmCenter

Mia Madre

Italian master Nanni Moretti returns to semiautobiographical ground in this intimate dramatic comedy about a female director nearing an emotional breakdown as her beloved mother lies dying in a hospital, her relationship falls apart, and the lead actor on her latest film (a terrific John Turturro) proves an over-the-top handful.

Thu Nov 12, 7:00pm, Sie FilmCenter

Fri Nov 13, 4:15pm, Sie FilmCenter

My All American

What Freddie Steinmark (Finn Wittrock) wants most in the world is to play football. Though small, he’s got enough fight in him to catch the eye of none other than legendary University of Texas coach Darrell Royal (Aaron Eckhart), and soon enough, he’s off to Austin with his loving high-school sweetheart Linda (Sarah Bolger, also appearing this year in Emelie) with a scholarship to play for the Longhorns. His grueling practice schedule pays off all season-but just as the team is reveling in a triumph, Freddie suffers an injury that leads to a shocking diagnosis and the biggest challenge he will ever face. From the writer of Hoosiers and Rudy, My All American tells the true story of a boy with the heart of a champion.

Tue Nov 10, 6:45pm, Sie FilmCenter

Son of Saul (Saul fia)

Hungarian newcomer Lázsló Nemes won the Grand Prix at Cannes for this harrowing Holocaust drama. Prisoner Saul Auslander works as a Sonderkommando, forced to participate in post-extermination cleanup rituals. Encountering the body of a boy he believes is his son, he risks everything to give the child a proper burial.

Mon Nov 9, 6:30pm, Sie FilmCenter

Suffragette

A drama that tracks the story of the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement, women who were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal State. These women were not primarily from the genteel educated classes, they were working women who had seen peaceful protest achieve nothing. Radicalized and turning to violence as the only route to change, they were willing to lose everything in their fight for equality – their jobs, their homes, their children and their lives. Maud was one such foot soldier. The story of her fight for dignity is as gripping and visceral as any thriller, it is also heart-breaking and inspirational.

Wed Nov 4, 7:30pm, UA Pavilions

Youth

Celebrated Italian writer/director Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty, DFF36) brings his exquisite Fellini-esque artistry to bear on this poignant comedy about two highly accomplished friends (beautifully played by Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel) who meet at a Swiss spa to talk about how their lives and creative careers are unfolding.

Fri Nov 6, 7:15pm, Sie FilmCenter

Wed Nov 11, 9:15pm, Sie FilmCenter

PANELS

Based on a True Story Panel

This fall, we’ve seen or will see dramas such as Truth, the story of what transpired after CBS aired a 60 Minutes report on President George W. Bush’s military record in 2004; Steve Jobs, a look at the backstage machinations that preceded the launch of three pivotal Apple products; and Spotlight, which examines how The Boston Globe exposed a child-molestation scandal within the Boston Archdiocese. Moderated by film critic Robert Denerstein, this panel will examine the differences between journalistic truth and dramatic truth. We’ll pose the question: can the dramatization of real events and the portrayal of real people in movies ever be truly accurate? And while both types of truth have their place, which has the more powerful influence on a culture besieged by information? Our guests will take on these topics in what promises to be a lively, provocative discussion that analyzes what’s meant by five words familiar to all moviegoers: “Based on a true story.”

Sat Nov 7, 12:00pm, Sie FilmCenter

Creative Conversation: From Beginning to End

In this conversation, moderator Robert Denerstein will talk with writer/directors Josh C. Waller and Joseph Wartnerchaney. Each of these filmmakers was responsible for every stage in the development of their respective projects, both of which are screening in the festival. In Waller’s thriller Camino, a photojournalist documents a horrific act that leads her on the run for her life in the Columbian jungle; Wartnerchaney’s Decay is a ghost story about a young man who forms a most unusual friendship. More will be revealed at our discussion, which will focus on the challenges of writing a genre-based screenplay before shifting to the pressures of the director’s chair.

Thu Nov 12, 6:45pm, Sie FilmCenter

Creative Conversations: A Master of Movie Magic

Special-effects wizard Ed Kramer has worked on such blockbusters as the Star Wars franchise and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006). He has received four Oscar nominations for his efforts on Twister, The Perfect Storm, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Along the way, he has inspired fear, awe, and wonder in moviegoers of all ages; they may not know his name, but they know his brilliance. A clips package will supplement film critic Robert Denerstein’s interview with Kramer, focused on exploring the artistry involved in making us believe in the impossible.

Wed Nov 11, 7:00pm, Sie FilmCenter

Discovering the Master Panel

Taking his cue from Francois Truffaut’s 1966 landmark book, Cinema According to Alfred Hitchcock, director Kent Jones has made a documentary in which various directors-Wes Anderson, David Fincher, Olivier Assayas, Martin Scorsese, and Kiyoshi Kurosawa among them-talk about the work of the auteur known affectionately as Hitch. While Hitchcock/Truffaut screens at this year’s festival, our panelists will join moderator Robert Denerstein for a penetrating discussion about how Hitchcock came to be recognized as the Master of Suspense and why films such as The Birds and Vertigo continue to resonate in pop culture and the art world alike.

Sun Nov 15, 11:30am, Sie FilmCenter

One on One with Zoë Bell

Join Robert Denerstein for a one-on-one conversation with actress Zoë Bell. The recipient of a Rising Star Award at DFF35, Ms. Bell stars in Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming The Hateful Eight as well as this year’s festival selection Camino; this discussion will center on her transition from stuntwoman to leading lady as well as her experience working in both the studio system and the world of independent filmmaking.

Sat Nov 14, 9:30pm, Sie FilmCenter

These Things Matter Podcast

These Things Matter is the brainchild of stand-up comedian Kevin O’Brien and former theatrical director- and future DJ to the stars-Taylor Gonda. Their popular podcast is built on the concept of High Fidelityism, which holds that pop culture can change your life. Join us for an aural journey of discovery into the hearts and minds of the creative community: no reference is too obscure, no genre too high-falutin,’ as Kevin and Taylor lead guest filmmakers in a lively and hilarious conversation about what makes them tick.

Sun Nov 8, 9:00pm, Sie FilmCenter

Women+Film Panel: Photojournalism

A picture can speak a thousand words-and when that picture is taken by a professional photographer to capture a subject ripped from the headlines, it can change the world. FRAME BY FRAME, a new documentary by Mo Scarpelli and Alexandria Bombach, ventures into the war-torn country of Afghanistan to tell the stories of the photojournalists leading the media renaissance that’s been taking place in the country since the Taliban-imposed ban on taking pictures was lifted. Along with local experts, Ms. Bombach will be on hand for a wide-ranging discussion that touches on both the power of the image and the way newfound freedom for the press in a historically oppressive society empowers women.

Sat Nov 14, 11:45am, Sie FilmCenter

COLORADO FILMS

Feature Films:

The Boat Builder, Directed by Arnold Grossman

Decay, Directed by Joseph Wartnerchaney

The Rider & The Wolf, Directed by Nathan Ward

Short Films:

Actual Case History, Directed by Tony Gault

Blue Streets, Directed by Vincent Jaramillo

Copper , Directed by AJ Oscarson

Eddie, Directed by Andrew Arkis

From Australia With Lov3, Directed by Daniel Gibb

Molten, Directed by Calvin Snead

Mt. Molehill, Directed by Jesse Stewart

The Neighbours Project, Directed by Dylan Burr

One & One is Twelve, Directed by Ryan Ferlic

The One You’re With, Directed by Tony Shawcross

Overcoming Dyslexia, Directed by Luke Austin, Kelly Spencer

Pattern for Survival, Directed by Kelly Sears

Phase Me Up, Directed by Adrian Bishop

SIDESHOW OF THE ABSURD, Directed by Tina DiFeliciantonio, Jane C. Wagner

Spinsters, Directed by Stranger Studios

Music Videos:

The Blue Rider – Year of the Horse, Directed by Rett Rogers

Dani Cichon – Brother Death, Directed by Christopher Dodge

Force Publique – Excess, Directed by Cassie Graves, James Wayne

Ian Cooke – Epilogue, Directed by Rusty Corbit

Ivory Drive – In Dark, Directed by Van Wampler, Parker Rice

Munk – Kitchen Call (Daniel Avery Remix), Directed by Shannon W. Kelly, Christine Buchsbaum

My Body Sings Electric – Oceancrest, Directed by Kyle Woodiel

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – S.O.B., Directed by Greg Barnes

Pink Hawks – Taste Your Medicine, Directed by Leighton Peterson

Poli High, Directed by Rich Weimer

Shady Elders – The Night Air, Directed by Lindsay Lindenbaum

Snake Rattle Rattle Snake – The Breath and the Glow, Directed by Matthew Brown

Stay – The Morning Light Fades, Directed by Dillon Novak

The Survivors, Directed by Eric Nichols

The River is Moving, Directed by Gio Toninelo

Trout Steak Revival – Brighter Every Day, Directed by Laura Goldhamer

Valley Maker – Only Friend, Directed by Joseph Kolean

Wheelchair Sports Camp – Mary Had a Little Band, Directed by Greg Carr

REEL SOCIAL CLUB

Creative Control

While testing out a Google Glass-like reality-augmenting device, an ad exec develops a fixation on someone else’s girlfriend-or rather her simulacrum. David’s increasing preference for technology over human interaction portends irreversible damage to his relationships and his grasp on reality in this postmodern fable.

Fri Nov 13, 6:45pm, Sie FilmCenter

Followed by Reel Social Club Party 9:30pm, Galvanize

Sat Nov 14, 4:30pm