2024 Festival Schedule
Our film festival accepts submissions from filmmakers both in Colorado and around the world. Selected films will be showcased on-site during the festival and compete for awards such as best in their category and the Audience Choice Award. This year, we are thrilled to introduce live music, networking opportunities, engaging discussion panels, local art, and an electrifying after party to the experience.
​
We are looking forward to hosting this year's event and hope you will consider joining us.
Friday, October 18th
6:00 PM-12:00 AM
The program will begin promptly at 6:00 PM. A filmmaker Q&A will take place at the end of each film block. After the completion of all films, stick around for networking and live music from Evan Bingham.
5:00 PM-
Doors Open. VIP Early Seating.
6:00 PM-
Film Block 1.
Making of the Coors Mural
Local Colorado girl's journey painting a monumental 7,000+ square foot mural on the Coors factory in Golden, Colorado.
Director: Broc Hunter, Denver, CO Category: Colorado Documentary
STACKERS
A rock stacking fundamentalist struggles with another rock stacker destroying his artwork
Director: John Williams Category: Mockumentary
GO REST HIGH
Music video starring Matt Boggs.
Director: Nigel Dick , Golden, CO Category: Music Video
I'm Right Here, Mama
"I'm Right Here, Mama" is a profoundly moving documentary that delves into the depths of grief and the relentless pursuit of inner peace. The film offers a raw and intimate look into the life of Cristi Bundukamara, following her through 45 days of her grief journey — a significant and recurring number in her life. Through this emotional narrative, Cristi shares her struggles, a multitude of healing modalities, and her commitment to helping others through her mental health work, emphasizing the importance of never giving up on yourself. This documentary underscores the power of vulnerability and the need for connection in facing life's toughest challenges.
Director: Mari Mosley, Colorado Springs, CO Category: Feature Documentary
8:10 PM-
Intermission.
8:20 PM-
Film Block 2.
Comedy by JJ Alexander.
Jame's Dance Journey
James Solis-Gutierrez struggles to express himself until he was thrown into a dance class with Joseph DeMers in middle school. Over several years, James fell in love with dance, the way it made him feel and the culture woven into the form’s complex fabric. He felt especially drawn to the style of Street Dance, first introduced to him by Larry Southall, assistant teaching professor of dance at the University of Colorado Boulder, who met James at Denver’s High School Day of Dance. James’ Dance Journey documents the story of turning a physical education requirement into a lifelong passion that, despite many struggles and triumphs, eventually transforms into a career.
Director: Ethan Geiger , University of Colorado Category: Student Documentary
Pedicures are for Boys
Teen filmmaker Kareem Hooper explores male identity in a world of hyper masculinity. How do young black and brown men challenge macho stereotypes and build thoughtful and sensitive friendships with other males?
Director: Kareem Hooper Category: Next Generation Filmmaker
Minefield
A visually arresting meditation on anxiety and, ultimately, gender expression through the eyes of young people willing to face their fears.
Director: Nadia Beechwood-LeFae Category: Experimental Documentary
Dominique
This short documentary follows Dominique and her tight-knit family in Spearfish, South Dakota, portraying the simplicity and warmth of their daily life. From bonding over target practice and gardening to Dominique's infectious positivity at the restaurant where she works, the film showcases their resilience and joy amidst everyday life. Through intimate moments and outdoor adventures like hunting, we are drawn into their world and experience Dominique's role in teaching her family valuable lessons about gratitude and embracing challenges. Dominique has Down syndrome.
Director: Christopher Larson & Jordan Layton, Berlin, Germany Category: Short Documentary
147
Five years after Stephanie Hauser's premature baby spent 147 days in the NICU, she undertakes a grueling 147-mile run to honor his fight. As their stories entwine, Steph's run grows increasingly arduous, while Zev's survival hangs by a thread. Amidst dual narratives of insurmountable odds, the Houser family never loses faith. But how far can hope carry them?
Director: Maggie Hartmans & Cam Hartmans Category: Colorado Documentary
10:00 PM-
Networking & Live Music by Evan Bingham.
Saturday, October 19th
10:00 AM-11:00 PM
The program will begin promptly at 6:00 PM. A filmmaker Q&A will take place at the end of each film block. After the completion of all films, stick around for the Award Ceremony and After Party with a live DJ.
9:00 AM-
Doors Open. VIP Early Seating.
10:00 AM-
Film Block 3.
From Earth to Earth: The Lost Art of Dying in America
“From Earth to Earth” takes a critical look at the rituals dictated by America’s death-denying culture and asks, “how can people trying to cope with the death of a loved one be better served?” Our documentary takes the viewer deep into the woods of Vermont and the meadows of central New York where deathwork pioneers are inspiring a new way of thinking about life, death, and our enduring connection to nature. Along the way, we explore the systematic problems of the death industry and provide insight into alternative paths for returning our bodies to the embrace of the Earth. You will meet traditional morticians, advocates of natural burial, people dealing with the death of loved ones, and Vermont's very own “tiny death witch.” Along the way, you will discover a whole new approach to burial, funerals, and life itself.
Director: Maxwell Schweik, Alyssa Beebe, Chess Cabrera, Reed Freedman, Mikayla Hall
Ithaca College Category: Colorado Documentary
Y Is For Yellow
The son of first generation immigrants from Vietnam, filmmaker Danny Truong explores the unique challenges facing his family, including bullying he and his brother experience in school.
Director: Danny Truong Category: Next Generation Filmmaker
Never Too Old
At one time Libby James held more running records than Flo-Jo and Usain Bold combined, yet most likely you have never heard of her. She is considered the grandmother of women’s competitive running despite not having started running until she was 35. Currently, she holds six American records and in 2012 was the highest point graded runner in the world.
Director: Stash Wislocki & Patty J Arndt, Telluride, CO Category: Short Documentary
Holy Girl
Music video for "Holy Girl" by Boy-Jo (Joseph Mbah)
Director: Amber Mbah, Phoenix, AZ Category: Music Video
Spy Capital: Vienna
It is a commonly accepted fact among professionals that Vienna, Austria, is and has long been the world capital of espionage. A team of documentary filmmakers asked internationally renowned experts to prove or disprove this claim. The results exceeded all expectations.
The experts: Dr Boris B. Volodarsky, Intelligence Historian and writer, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, London; Gert Rene Polli, former head of the BVT, the Austrian equivalent of MI5; Professor Gerhard Mangott specializing in International Relations and Security in the post-Soviet region; General Oleg Kalugin (ret.), former head of foreign counterintelligence of the KGB’s foreign intelligence arm; Christo Grozev, leading investigative journalist, 2023 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature ‘Navalny’, and others. Filmed in a modern style with many computer effects and meticulous re-enactment of spy episodes in real places based on original documents and footing, the documentary traces the 150-year-long history of international espionage between 1873 and the present using Vienna as a hub. The original musical theme ‘Undercover’ composed by Peter Sax was written especially for this film.
Director: Boris Volodarsky, Vienna, Austria Category: Feature Documentary
12:10 PM-
Intermission.
​
12:20 PM-
Film Block 4.
Storytelling by Laine Michelle.
Island of Gems with Adolf Peretti
World-renowned geologist Dr. Adolf Peretti visits the mines and markets of the Sri Lankan gem industry, and finds himself at the center of an important social issue.
Director: Rob Himebaugh & Adolf Peretti, West Hollywood, CA Category: Short Documentary
Just a Hangout
A nervous wreck throws a “house party” for his friend’s birthday at his grandma's expensive cabin. Will he be able to handle this party of his or will it spiral out of control?
Director: Creig Dunn, Parker, CO Category: Mockumentary
Fierro
Richard Fierro, the Army veteran credited with stopping the Club Q mass shooter, recounts the life experiences that led up to his heroic actions. Fierro’s bold insights on diversity, courage, and unity remind us what it takes to make America a beacon of hope for all.
Director: Edward Tyndall, Denver, CO Category: Colorado Documentary
The Nice Dojo
After his karate dojo shuts down, filmmaker Caleb Worrath explores how important the space was for him growing up and how to process grief after a pandemic.
Director: Caleb Worrath Category: Next Generation Filmmaker
Underdawgs
'Underdawgs' shares the true story of Austin Underwood, an inspirational figure with Down syndrome, and his mother, Jan, as they challenge stereotypes and empower individuals with learning differences to set expectations, not limitations.
Director: Brie Electra & Charity Robinson, Texas Christian University Category: Student Documentary
Just Like the Circus
A young woman realizes her worth while experiencing heartbreak under the big top. From country singer and "The Voice" winner Chevel Shepherd.
Director: David Dibble Category: Music Video
Now & Then: Notes on a Fragmented Life
“Now & Then: Notes from a Fragmented Life" is a picaresque compendium of autobiographical video poems, and a follow up sequel to "The Cost of Living" (2016, 21:53), our award winning first film together after thirty years apart, also based on a heartbreaking collection of Jack's short poems, each of which takes flight from a different Polaroid still. Our new film proves that there is more to the story, which once again tackles life, love, tragedy, redemption, family, bizarre twists of fate, aging ... and the mundane absurdities of life in the 21st century. Found footage, animation, special effects, and a collage of audio sources combine once again with live action footage in ways perhaps not possible before the ubiquity of the internet and the affordability of high quality HD video equipment and (this time) cell phone cameras. While having something in common with the personal documentary, the experimental collage, the biographical narrative, and the essay film, "Now & Then" is even more comfortable as an outlier, a freewheeling tour-de-force poetic melange whose quirky visual style resists any single genre or category.
Director: Pamela Falkenberg & Jack Cochran, Austin, TX Category: Experimental Documentary
Setting Crescent
"Setting Crescent" tells the story of Dean Coombs, the writer, editor, and publisher of the world's last hot metal newspaper, the Saguache Crescent. Through patient filmmaking, viewers will discover what drives Dean to carry on the the family legacy of his century-old newspaper. It's a unique look at a bygone era of printing, a love letter to all things analog, and an intimate story of familial legacy.
Director: Bryan Wendland, Denver, CO Category: Colorado Documentary
Sonder
A young musician explores life's biggest questions -- including her own mortality -- in this poetic homage to the term "sonder." Through interpretive imagery and evocative storytelling, the film explores what it means to be alive and human.
Director: Logan Richardson Category: Next Generation Filmmaker
Frozen Dead Guy Days
In the quirky mountains of Colorado, people from all over the world gather to throw a party for a frozen dead guy. “Grandpa” died in 1989 and was frozen by his Norwegian grandson who hid him away in a tiny shed along with one other body. The uncovering of the bodies, as well as the controversy that followed, led to an annual celebration of costumed weirdos looking to drink, dance, race coffins, and dive into a frozen lake.
Director: Mike Scalisi & Bruce Borowsky, Boulder, CO Category: Colorado Documentary
3:30 PM-
Intermission.
3:40 PM-
Film Block 5.
A Death Worth Living For
Due to a traumatic series of events, Steve Musick goes to Heaven but is not allowed to stay. This film explores how he and his beloved have learned that Heaven is closer than we think. This is an invitation to experience Heaven here. While the fullness of Heaven is not here yet everyone can encounter moments of Heaven that Steve would say are very much like the hereafter. It changes lives.
Director: Jonathan Cipiti, Englewood, CO Category: Short Documentary
War Paint
Music Video for the song War Paint by Los Indios.
Director: Damian Becerra, Tucson, AZ Category: Music Video
I Choose You
A film about international and transracial adoption and how one young adoptee, after surviving a life-threatening congenital condition, is redefining what family means in America.
Director: Dulcinea Genevieve Ruth Harrison Category: Next Generation Filmmaker
Our Public Lands
Our public lands represent the collective "us". As the shifting seasons reveal the beauty of nature, we, too, can hope to discover the beauty within ourselves.
Director: Andrew Hanson Category: Experimental Documentary
Beloved
Project Beloved is a non-profit organization in Fort Worth, Texas, that is changing the conversation about sexual assault and empowering survivors. Beloved tells the story of the organization's founder, Tracy Matheson, and the tragic events surrounding the murder of her daughter Molly Jane. Out of the ashes, Tracy is working to honor her daughter's memory and support survivors of sexual assault through her non-profit organization, Project Beloved.
Director: Emily Dearman & Charity Robinson, Texas Christian University
Category: Student Documentary
Formerly Anchorman
Director: Florence Anderson Category: Mockumentary
Dreama Team
Dreama Walton is a mother, full-time employee, and an ultramarathon runner. Dreama Team follows this amateur athlete on her road to compete in American's biggest ultramarathon: The Western States 100. As she draws inspiration from painful experiences in her youth, she finds herself getting fueled by a community she never expected. We explore the "dark place" of an ultra marathon - which is often a battle of the mind, and what comes up emotionally while running. Dreama didn't have the best role models in her childhood as she experienced neglect and abuse, but discovered the running community as a positive influence. She talks about her sister who had Spina Bifida and could never walk... and how she now "carries" her while she runs. Dreama Team isn't just a story about Ultramarathon running. It's a story about a relatable person, and how she takes struggle head-on, to face life's challenges.
Director: Chad Weber & Steve Vanderheide, Longmont, CO Category: Feature Documentary
6:10 PM-
Intermission.
6:20 PM-
Film Block 6.
Aerial Artist of Urban Cirque.
Pop's Flies
We all have questions about our past. Why are we the way we are? What happens when a family relic shows up out of nowhere and turns into a guiding light for a possible answer to that question?
Ray Cameron has been fishing his entire life, but over the past few years he has learned so much more than he ever expected. About fishing. About his family. About himself. Two years ago after starting to tie flies for the first time, his dad gifted him a notebook that was his great grandfather’s. In the notebook, there were close to 100 hand-drawn fly patterns and detailed instructions on how to tie them. This notebook turned out to be the tip of the iceberg and has led Ray down a path of discovery that involves generations of his family. This film follows Ray’s journey alongside his father, Bill, as they use fishing and Pop’s notebook as a platform to discover threads of story that connect them to generations past.
Director: Clay Hervey Category: Short Documentary
Don't Let Go
Don't Let Go is a short film about a profound loss suffered by the band Little Us. The pianist reminisces and honors his friend through powerful solo performances.
Director: Laine Michelle, Colorado Springs, CO Category: Music Video
MIRASOL, Looking at the Sun
Water is a finite resource — and an essential one. For farmers, it’s everything. In this poignant new film, award-winning director Ben Knight explores a national issue around water through an intimate portrait of a small community in Pueblo, Colorado, that’s fighting to protect their water, land, and livelihood. Mirasol, Looking at the Sun, follows a multi-generational Italian and Hispanic immigrant farming community, from the 92-year-old farmer who has worked the land for generations to the young people who are ready and willing to take the reins. Through their voices, the film offers a story of a deep connection to place, the land, and the famed Pueblo Chile. Right now, their way of life is threatened by rapid development and population growth. There’s an assumption that our food will always be there. It will, but only if we fight to protect it. In this film we hear from the people who grow our food about what’s at stake, and what it would mean to lose it. “This land should be like our only child,” says one farmer. “We should be protecting it with everything we have.” Mirasol is a quiet, but powerful rallying cry that asks us all a question: If you had the chance to do something about it, would you? The water leases to the farmers will expire, and without action, the farms will be lost forever. We have an opportunity to protect this community, and stand up for all of the hardworking families and thriving fields on the fringes of cities across the country that are so often overlooked, or taken for granted. This film illuminates the intrinsic connection and universal needs of food, family, love, and the land. As a community, and as a nation, we have important choices to make.
Director: Ben Knight​, Colorado Springs, CO Category: Colorado Documentary
7:30 PM-
Intermission.
8:00 PM-
Yellow Carpet & Awards Ceremony.
9:00 PM-
After Party with a live DJ.