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Welcome to the 21st Boulder International Film Festival. It’s a special year because now we’re legal! We are looking forward to celebrating with you, with filmmakers and industry joining us from around the world, with our wonderful sponsors and donors, and with our amazing volunteers.
We are excited to open the festival with the much buzzed-about film, The Friend, starring award-winning actors Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, and Apollo, a 150-pound Great Dane. On Closing Night, Spacewoman tells the inspiring story of Astronaut Eileen Collins, the first female spacecraft commander in history. March is Women’s History Month, so we are especially thrilled Ms. Collins will be joining us for a Q&A after the screening.
World-renowned designer and social activist Kenneth Cole will be joining us for a Q&A after the new film A Man with Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole. We will be honoring him with our first-ever Catalyst Award, in recognition of his incredible career, and for the significant impact he has had on many important causes worldwide for over four decades.
GET THE BIFF APP!
W ELCOME
We are thrilled to also welcome special guests Edwin Moses, one of the most extraordinary athletes in the history of sport, who will be talking about the new film Moses-13 Steps; Mark Mothersbaugh, composer and co-founder and lead singer of the groundbreaking band Devo; and two-time world champion triathlete Siri Lindley, who will join us to discuss the inspiring new film Tri Me: The Siri Lindley Story.
Our famous and delicious fundraiser, CineCHEF celebrates 10 years on Thursday night. Other highlights include BIFF at Home! virtual screenings, films at the Stewart Auditorium in Longmont, our legendary parties, and the Singer-Songwriter Showcase at one of the hottest music venues in town, Velvet Elk Lounge.
Outdoor action, are you getting any?
Join us for the BIFF Adventure Film Program, where we will feature the best of today’s adventure filmmakers and the most exciting new adventure films of the year. From mountain biking and running to skiing and whitewater kayaking, the AFP will get your adrenaline pumping. Get your tickets online, on the BIFF app, or at one of our two box offices this year: 1] the Visitor Information Kiosk on the corner of Pearl and 13th Streets (1303 Pearl St.) or 2] at the Century Boulder (1700 29th Street).
Big thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who help make BIFF “one of the coolest film festivals in the world,” according to MovieMaker Magazine. So, get a room, buy a Festival Pass, and have a worldclass film, food and music vacation right here in Boulder.
See you at the movies!
Kathy Beeck, DIRECTOR
Robin Beeck, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CONTENTS
4 VENUES MAP
5 TICKET INFO / VIRTUAL FILMS 6 -7 PARTIES 9 CINECHEF 11
-47
-57 OUR STAFF 58- 61 SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
SPECIAL THANKS TO...
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
David Harrison, PRESIDENT
Robin Beeck
Kathy Beeck
Annamaria Boehms
Alan O’Hashi
Download the official app for the 2025 Boulder International Film Festival. Use this app to buy and access your tickets, view the film schedule and program, vote for films, and so much more. Available for Android via Google Play and iPhone in the App Store. We guarantee it’ll provide you a whole new way to experience the Festival. WE WANT
— Robin & Kathy Beeck
ADVISORY BOARD
Chuck Hunker
Carolyn Schuham
Sophie Walker
Sandy Younghans
After your fest, please complete the BIFF 2025 Survey and win prizes!
GENEROUS
RICK & KAREN BAKER
PATTI BRUCK & BILL SPENCER
JUDI COGEN & ALAN COGEN
GINNY CORSI & MARY BACKLUND
JUDITH DACK
TAMMY DAVIS & CHUCK WINTRUB
PAT & KEVIN EGGLESTON
KATHLEEN BARNES
BRETT FAMILY FOUNDATION
DR. WILLIAM & JENNY BURTON
SUSAN CAPITELLI
RANDI GRASSGREEN & TIM ROHRER
LOUISE & FERD GRAUER
SCOTT HERRIN
EMILY & MATTHEW BURKS
JAN BURTON
CINDY CARLISLE
SUSAN CONNELLY
GRANTORS
INDIVIDUAL SPONSORS
DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE / $10,000+
IN HONOR OF MICHELLE KEEVAN HALPERN & MICHAEL HALPERN
WELL LOVED
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE / $5,000+
CHUCK HUNKER
ROBIN & KEVIN LUFF
DIANE & JAMES MURPHY
PHILANTHROPIECE
MARTHA PIPER
BENEFACTOR / $2,500+
KAREN HERZ
CONSTANCE HOLDEN & TK SMITH
CHRISTINE KIMURA & PHIL SHULL
LESLIE LISHON
JILL MAZURSKY
KAROLYN MERRILL
FRIEND OF BIFF (FOB) / $1,000+
DEBORAH & RICHARD FOY
PATRICIA & WAYNE GREENBERG
DR. DAVID JACKSON & DANI WOODY
KRIS MOE
ALAN ROSENBERG
SMALL BUSINESS SPONSORS
MELISART IN LOVING MEMORY OF JUDITH ORLOFF THE TWISTED FOUNDATION
CAROLYN SCHUHAM
APRIL & WALT STONE
SOPHIE WALKER
SANDY YOUNGHANS
PAULETTE MIDDLETON & DAVID RENNE
LINDA & ALAN ROGERS
VICKI SCHARNHORST & BRENT JOHNSON
SANDRA SHAFTO & JEFF MCCLURE
PATTY & GARY SHARP
DEBORAH SIMMONS
STAR WARING & DAN JOHNSON
LARRY SOLL
NANCY STEVENS
NANCY WOLMAN & DAVID FULKER
JANE & CHUCK VIELEHR
99 BAR SALOON
ALLEGRA MARKETING PRINT MAIL
BARBARA & COMPANY
BARCHETTA BOSC
DIETZE AND DAVIS
DUCK POND WINE COMPANY
ECO-PRODUCTS
ELDORADO NATURAL SPRING WATER
FIRESTEED CELLARS
JEFE'S TACOS & TEQUILA
LINDSAY’S BOULDER DELI
LONGMONT PUBLIC MEDIA
MILLER & HARRISON
MSTERIOUS MIRACLES
MOXIE BREAD CO NOLS
SANDWICH COMPANY
PHOTO MALONE
RASCAL WINE
REEL ROCK
RIVER AND WOODS
THE ROOST
SWAYLO'S TIKI
TWEEDLE BOTANICALS
VENUS BIKE CLUB
HOP FOR FREE FREE GARAGE PARKING
THANKS TO THE CITY OF BOULDER
Enjoy FREE HOP rides during the Festival. Just flash your BIFF ticket stub or Festival Pass.
$3 FROM 3 TO 3
Monday-Friday: Pay just $3 when you enter after 3pm and leave before 3am. Good at the city’s downtown parking garages with the
Garages are always free Saturday and Sunday.
On Thursday, March 13 and Friday, March 14, park free at any city-owned garage downtown (look for the green P). Download the Metropolis app and add promo code BIFF2025 before entering.
• Click the menu at the top left of the Metropolis app homepage
• Click Promotions
• Enter code BIFF2025
• Select Claim
PEARL ST. HOURS
Feb 28-March 2 ... 12-6pm March 7-12 ......... 12-6pm March 13-15 ....... 9am-8pm March 16 ............ 9am-6pm CENTURY HOURS
March 13 ... 2:30-7:30pm
March 14 ... 9am-6:30pm March 15 ... 9am-7:15pm March 16 ... 9am-6:45pm
BIFF Pass Pick-up
1426 Pearl Street (Citizens National Bank Building) SEE SCHEDULE ON OPPOSITE PAGE
TEEN EVENT
PEARL STREET MALL
FESTIVAL BOX OFFICES
• 1303 Pearl St (Visitor Information Kiosk)
• Century Boulder (1700 29th St.)
BOX OFFICES TICKETS
BOX OFFICES WILL CLOSE EACH NIGHT 15 -20 MINUTES AFTER THE LAST FILM PROGRAM BEGINS.
PEARL ST. HOURS
Feb 28-March 2 ... 12-6pm
March 7-12 ......... 12-6pm
March 13-15 ....... 9am-8pm
March 16 ............ 9am-6pm
CENTURY HOURS
March 13 ... 2:30-7:30pm
March 14 ... 9am-6:30pm
March 15 ... 9am-7:15pm March 16 ... 9am-6:45pm
HOW TO BUY TIX
• ONLINE: biff1.com
Print at home or download to your phone
• BIFF APP : (See p.1)
• BY PHONE : 303.746.7268 (Have Program#)
• SCAN THE QR CODE : (Left)
• AT THE DOOR : (30 minutes early)
For exchanges or other ticket issues, please visit our Festival Box Offices. Film venues will handle ticket purchases only.
Individual Program Tickets
Regular admission
Print or download your mobile ticket and skip the box office lines!
For Longmont tickets and passes, see p.46
Seniors (65+up with valid I.D.) ......................... $18
Opening Night Film + Red Carpet Gala $120 ( BT-02, See p.25)
Closing Night Film + Awards $28 ( BT-11, See p.41)
CineCHEF .......$120 Amuse Bouche............ $170 (See p.9)
BIFF Noir ........................ $20 online /$25 at the door (See p.7)
Singer-Songwriter Showcase ...................... FREE (See p.11)
Youth Programs FREE (See p.12)
Workshops FREE FOR STUDENTS/$25 ALL OTHERS (See p.12)
STANDBY TICKETS
TICKETS SOLD OUT?
Standby tickets are often available for purchase at the program venue just prior to showtime. Head on over to find out!
or call 303.746.7268
This program is subject to change. Films are not rated and may contain mature subject matter. Tickets and passes are nonrefundable.
BIFF at Home! Virtual Cinema
You can watch all Short Films, and a limited selection of Documentary Features, in the 2025 BIFF at Home! program on our Eventive Virtual Cinema platform. Grab some popcorn and go to biff1.com/virtual-cinema to learn more and browse our virtual film offerings (or scan the QR code here to start viewing). All Virtual Cinema screenings are $19 (invite the whole family!) and will be available for pre-order beginning on Feb 21. Most films on BIFF at Home! Virtual Cinema will be available from March 17-28, although some programs may have a limited number of viewings or be limited geographically. Order early and BIFF at Home!
• BIFF FESTIVAL BOX OFFICE #1 1303 Pearl St. Visitor Information Kiosk
• BIFF FESTIVAL BOX OFFICE #2 Century Boulder 1700 29th St. NEW THIS YEAR
SCAN TO BUY TICKETS Visit Our 2 Festival Box Offices!
FILM PASSES
The BIFF Festival Pass
For film lovers who want guaranteed entrance to BIFF and Adventure film programs, parties, and events. (CineCHEF and Longmont screenings are not included.)
The BIFF Adventure Pass
Three days of BIFF Adventure Film screenings plus Friday night Adventure Party. (See p.15)
The BIFF Red Carpet Pass
BIFF Pass good-to-knows
• Passes are nontransferable.
• Photo ID may be required for entry.
• Passholders must arrive for programs at least 25 minutes prior to the start of the film to guarantee entrance.
• Passes available for pickup starting Wednesday, March 12.
BIFF Pass Pick-up
Red Carpet passes available for donors of $2,500 (includes 2 passes) and up. Email chris@biff 1.com for more information.
Wednesday March 12 12–6pm Thursday March 13 8am–8pm Friday March 14 8am–8pm
Saturday March 15 8am–6pm
Sunday March 16 8am–2pm
1426 Pearl St. (Citizens National Bank Building)
Presented by 105.5 The Colorado Sound OPENING NIGHT RED CARPET GALA
FRIDAY, March 14 • 5-6:45pm parties
Film 7:15pm
$120 / FREE for Passholders
OPENING NIGHT FILM
THE FRIEND
AT THE BOULDER THEATER
SEE P.27 FOR ALL THE DETAILS!
Join us as we come together to celebrate, and help welcome our visiting filmmakers to Boulder! Your opening night ticket includes TWO pre-film parties at the Hotel Boulderado and Rembrandt Yard. Attendees will enjoy delicious food from Auguste Escoffier, My Neighbor Felix, and Pasta Jay’s, plus wine, beer, hard seltzer, and specialty cocktails from WhistlePig. Live music by Dechen Hawk and the Riley J Trio.
The tradition continues! Brass band Guerilla Fanfare will lead attendees and revelers “second line” style to the Boulder Theater for the screening of The Friend, starring Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, Ann Dowd, Constance Wu, and Apollo, a 150-lb Great Dane.
SINGER - SONGWRITER SHOWCASE
Thursday, March 13
6pm Lisa Bell
7pm Jackson Cloud
8pm Christopher Morse 9pm Aiden Ellsworth & Sadie Riddell
BIFF Filmmaker Lounge
Katie Mintle
Thursday, March 13 and Saturday, March 15 – 6-9:30pm A fantastic line-up curated by Roots Music Project, whose mission is to foster a vibrant local music scene for artists, fans and venues. rootsmusicproject.org
Abby Brown 8pm Jordan Yewey 9pm Iyanla
Welcome to the center of the action at BIFF. The Filmmaker Lounge is party headquarters for BIFF attendees and anyone who wants to mingle with filmmakers, celebrities, and fellow film fans. Check out our favorite downtown venue for great local music — Velvet Elk Lounge! Velvet Elk Lounge / 2037 13th St. FREE and Open to All 21+ Opens at 5pm daily Saturday, March 15
VIP FILMMAKER RECEPTION
SATURDAY, March 15
3:30-5:30pm
Japango • 1136 Pearl St. PASSHOLDERS ONLY
Join us in one of the most beautiful rooms in town for a taste of modern Japan, featuring delicious food, wine and beer. A menu of specialty cocktails playfully inspired by the BIFF film lineup will be served, as will great conversation with fellow film lovers, filmmakers and special guests — you never know who might show up!
Bring your pass and stop by early — space is limited!
In 2025, BIFF celebrates 10 years of CineCHEF, our much-anticipated culinary extravaganza. Come meet some of the visionary chefs who have solidified Boulder’s reputation as Bon Appétit’s Foodiest Town. Eight of the region’s top talents will create film-inspired dishes for you to try before voting for your favorite. Paired wines, local beers, craft cocktails featuring WhistlePig rye whiskey, mocktails from Tweedle Botanicals, and music round out this not-to-be-missed event.
Live Music by The Harrison Tucker Trio
See p.9 for details.
ADVENTURE FILM PARTY
FRIDAY, March 14, 9pm–midnight
The Filmmaker Lounge at the Velvet Elk 2037 13th St. / 21+
FREE with
•Adventure Film Pass or Ticket Stub
•BIFF Pass or March 14 Ticket Stub
Join us to celebrate the adventurous spirit of Boulder and BIFF’s Adventure Program. Meet the explorers, artists, and creators.
Live music by Rex Peoples & X Factr.
(See p.15 for details).
One free drink and tasty bites from The Post Chicken & Beer. Plus, win great prizes from our Adventure partners!
BIFF NOIR
SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 9PM-MIDNIGHT
Bohemian Biergarten / 2017 13th St. / 21+
FREE for Filmmakers & Passholders
$20 advance purchase online / $25 at the door
Enjoy the fun and flavor of a traditional European gastropub, thanks to our partners and party hosts at the Bohemian Biergarten!
Your Pass or ticket gets you one complimentary glass of beer, wine, or a WhistlePig specialty cocktail, plus tasty late-night pub snacks, including the "best wurst in town." Live music by Halle Tomlinson.
CLOSING NIGHT FILM & AWARDS CELEBRATION
SUNDAY, March 16, Doors open 6:15pm
(Passholders 6:00pm)
Boulder Theater / $28 / Free for Passholders Closing Night film: Spacewoman
Inside the Boulder Theater, enjoy music by Dzirae Gold, followed by the 21st Annual BIFF Awards Ceremony where we’ll honor the best of the fest with their handcrafted Vielehr Award sculptures. Then enjoy a special screening of
Spacewoman, the story of Eileen Collins, the first female spacecraft commander in history. An interview with Eileen Collins and filmmakers Hannah Berryman and Keith Haviland will follow.
See p.42 for more info.
Space is limited, so please get there early!
Big Water Theory
Halle Tomlinson
cine CHEF
THURSDAY, MARCH 13
REMBRANDT YARD • 1301 SPRUCE ST
5:30 –7PM CINECHEF • $120
5PM AMUSE BOUCHE VIP PREVIEW • $170
CHEERS TO 10 YEARS!
IN 2025, BIFF CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF CINECHEF, our much-anticipated culinary extravaganza. Come meet some of the visionary chefs who have solidified Boulder’s reputation as Bon Appétit's Foodiest Town, taste their film-inspired creations, and vote for your favorite to be crowned 2025 top CineCHEF.
Paired wines from IBG, local beers and hard seltzers from Upslope Brewing, craft cocktails featuring WhistlePig rye whiskey, and mocktails from Tweedle Botanicals will complement the chefs’ creations.
Live Music by The Harrison Tucker Trio and a spectacular dessert display from Viennese Hour round out this not-to-be missed event.
AMUSE BOUCHE VIP PREVIEW
For those who want the ultimate CineCHEF experience. A perennial sellout, the VIP preview gets you in 30 minutes early (at 5pm) to enjoy a welcome glass of bubbles and be the first to taste our chefs’ creations. Also includes a very special gift: a complimentary cooking class gift certificate from Boulder’s Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. Limited number available, so get your tickets now at biff1.com/cineCHEF.
CineCHEF is not included with the Festival Pass. Free for Red Carpet Passholders at $5,000+ Director and Leadership Circle Levels only.
CHEFS
Rich Byers, Executive Chef
JILL’S RESTAURANT & BISTRO
Alex DeBernardis, Sous Chef BASTA
Kevin Grossi, Culinary Director RIVER AND WOODS
Linda Hampsten Fox, Executive Chef & Owner THE BINDERY
Hosea Rosenberg, Chef & Owner
BLACKBELLY, SANTO
Bob Sargent, Executive Chef
SAVORY CATERING
Edwin Zoe, Founder & Executive Chef
ZOE MA MA, DRAGONFLY NOODLE
Desserts
VIENNESE HOUR
LIVE MUSIC
FREE Live Music @ Velvet Elk Lounge 2037 13th St. (Opens 5pm)
SINGER-SONGWRITER SHOWCASE
Roots Music Project has put together an amazing lineup of local Colorado musicians who will perform for the BIFF Singer-Songwriter Showcase at our Filmmakers Lounge and music venue, Velvet Elk. All are welcome. (21+)
THURSDAY, MARCH 13
6-9:30PM
SINGER-SONGWRITERS
6pm Lisa Bell
7pm Jackson Cloud
8pm Christopher Morse
9pm The Ellsworth Love Band
SATURDAY, MARCH 15
6-9:30PM
SINGER-SONGWRITERS
6pm Katie Mintle
7pm Abby Brown
8pm Jordan Yewey
9pm Iyanla
Thanks to Roots Music Project for all BIFF music bookings. Go to rootsmusicproject.org for info on this exciting Boulder venue.
Thursday, March 13
CINECHEF
Rembrandt Yard, 1301 Spruce St.
5:30–7pm
The Harrison Tucker Trio
The Harrison Tucker Trio brings a fresh energy to instrumental neo soul, blending jazz, soul, and hip hop into rich, dynamic soundscapes.
Friday, March 14
OPENING NIGHT
RED CARPET GALA
Parties at the Hotel Boulderado and Rembrandt Yard
5–6:45pm
Hotel Boulderado – Riley J Trio
With an infectious R&B sound, Riley J is a must see performer with a band to rival the best.
Rembrandt Yard – Dechen Hawk
Like Stevie Wonder and Jeff Buckley thrown in a blender, indie soul balladeer Dechen Hawk creates music that ranges from beautiful ballads to gritty throwback funk and soul.
Guerrilla Fanfare Brass Band
Dance your way "second line" style to the Boulder Theater with Guerrilla Fanfare. From fiery pop arrangements to traditional jazz, the Guerrilla Fanfare Brass Band is a BIFF Opening Night favorite!
Friday, March 14
OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION
Longmont Stewart Auditorium
5:30–7pm
The Harriman Sisters
The Harriman Sisters play a combination of fresh originals and old standards inspired by countless family jam sessions.
Friday, March 14
ADVENTURE FILM PARTY
Filmmaker Lounge, Velvet Elk 9pm-12am
Rex Peoples & X Factr
Get ready to dance, sing and shout!
Rex Peoples delivers a high-energy R&B, soul, and blues performance that will have you dancing and begging for more.
Saturday, March 15
BIFF NOIR
Bohemian Biergarten 9pm-12am
Halle Tomlinson
Halle Tomlinson first gained national recognition as a contestant on the hit TV show "The Voice," where her beautiful voice and soulful sound captivated audiences across the country.
Sunday, March 16
CLOSING NIGHT FILM AND AWARDS AT THE BOULDER THEATER
Doors open 6:15pm 6:00 for passholders
Awards Ceremony 7:00pm
Film starts at 7:15pm
Dzirae Gold
Dzirae Gold is a multi-disciplined vocalist who combines her technical operatic training with her love for jazz, blues, funk, and disco to create a sound as "smooth as liquid gold" in a style all her own.
at
Be a part of the conversation #2025BIFF
The Ellsworth Love Band Lisa Bell Jackson Cloud Christopher Morse Katie Mintle Jordan Yewey Abby Brown Iyanla
Rex Peoples
Halle Tomlinson
LONGMONT
Dechen Hawk
Bear Hat
Harrison Tucker Trio
Riley J Trio
The Harriman Sisters
Guerrilla Fanfare Brass Band
Dzirae Gold
FREE YOUTH PROGRAMS
BIFF TEEN SHORT FILM COMPETITION & AWARDS CEREMONY
Friday, March 14, 6:30pm
FREE – For kids, teens, and families
Please register at biff1.com/youth
Boulder Public Library, Canyon Theater 1000 Canyon Blvd.
The new generation of teen filmmakers has a cinematic pulse on the modern world. This year’s short films explore different perspectives of teenagers around the globe. Venture into experimental worlds, dramatic scenes, and investigative realms with thrills, chills, laughs, and gaffes. Plus animation! Join us for a fun-filled evening at our Teen Short Film Competition & Awards night to celebrate these youth artists and this year’s short film nominees and winners. Live music / food from Savory Catering
AGES 12+
• All attendees must register in advance at biff1.com/youth. Space is limited.
• Doors open 5:30pm for food and live music performed by local teens
• Program begins 6:30pm
FREE SCREENINGS
Please register at biff1.com/youth
PROGRAM FUMC-
Friday 5pm, First United Methodist Church SPEAK.
US, Feature Documentary, 103 minutes, 2025
Direct to BIFF from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival
Speak. follows five of the nation’s top teenage speech competitors, capturing the euphoria of victory and the devastation of defeat as they craft and perform original oratories over the course of a 9-month season. Their dream is simple: To win the Super Bowl of public speaking, the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) Nationals and $100,000 in college scholarships. See p.21 for more info.
PRODUCED BY PAMELA GRINER
PAMELA GRINER IN PERSON
PROGRAM GC- 05
Friday 7:30pm, Grace Commons Church
CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY
US, Feature Documentary, 81 minutes, 2024 Winner of Grand Prize and Audience Choice Award at the 2024 Banff Mountain Film Festival
In the remote mountain villages of Bamyan, Afghanistan, a newfound passion for skiing attracts young athletes from rival ethnic groups to the slopes, using minimal gear, makeshift wooden skis and a rigged tow rope. After the shocking collapse of their country and the Taliban takeover, many of the skiers are displaced across the globe as refugees. A poignant portrait of a community in profound transition. See p.24 for more info. SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY BEN STURGULEWSKI
PRODUCED BY KATIE STJERNHOLM
BEN STURGULEWSKI AND
KATIE STJERNHOLM IN PERSON
PROGRAM GC- 09
Saturday 5:15pm, Grace Commons Church THE
FLIGHT OF BRYAN
UK, Feature Documentary, 94 minutes, 2024 No engine... no fuel... no money... no problem
The Flight of Bryan is the story of a ragtag team of neuro-diverse outliers. They set out on a death-defying, madcap quest to solve the mystery of human powered flight and, in doing so, win the most coveted prize in aviation. Built
from a remarkable trove of recently discovered 16mm footage from the 70s, along with an arsenal of innovative techniques, this uplifting and humorous story of ingenuity and courage challenges the assumptions we make about society’s outliers. See p.34 for more info.
DIRECTED BY JAMES ERSKINE
JAMES ERSKINE IN PERSON
WORKSHOPS
Saturday, March 15
FREE – For students 21 & under Please register at biff1.com/youth
All others $25 per workshop – biff1.com/youth
Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art 1750 13th St.
BIFF’s three workshops from the following award-winning filmmakers offer a complete look at filmmaking — from developing an impactful story, to how to produce it, and finally how to watch the final product. Take all three 90-minute workshops and learn filmmaking from start to finish!
11am | HOW TO SHAPE A STORY
Michael Brown has been to the summit of Mount Everest five times, each time with cameras rolling. His lens has captured everything from the South Pole for National Geographic to ice caves in Greenland for NOVA. Michael will discuss how to shape your stories, enhance characters, and approach writing to have the most memorable impact for adventure or other films.
1pm | A PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES: An Intro to Documentary Producing
Olivia Ahnemann and Daniel Wright are Oscarwinning producers who have a combined 38 years of documentary producing experience. This interactive workshop takes you from development to distribution, through production and postproduction, by showing film clips and breaking down how their films made it onto the big screen and streaming platforms.
3pm | NOW PLAYING: How to Watch a Movie
Back by popular demand, this highly acclaimed workshop is presented by Boulder-based film critic, filmmaker and podcaster Jack Hanley. Jack will help you get literate in the language of cinema. You like a movie, you don’t. But do you really know why? Want a real film buff’s eye? This workshop will change how you watch movies forever.
You’ve been moved?
Now get moving!
Have you left a film fired up and wondered what you can do? Engage with filmmakers, presenters and fellow film lovers to enjoy the afterglow of the film experience. Learn what motivated the filmmakers and how that intertwines with the co-presenters’ missions. Learn about actions you can take to make a difference.
TalkBacks will be held at or near the film venues
Visit biff1.com/call2action for more info and real ways to get involved and make a difference. See the 5 actions you can take for each film.
TALKBACKS
THURSDAY, MARCH 13
PROGRAM CEN1 - 01
ALL GOD'S CHILDREN
Century Boulder Thursday, 3:30pm
Co-presented by Together Colorado togethercolorado.org
Synopsis p.17
FRIDAY, MARCH 14
PROGRAM GC - 01
MONGOLIA, VALLEY OF THE BEARS
Grace Commons Church Friday, 10am
Co-presented by Boulder Open Space Conservancy bosc.org
Synopsis p.22
PROGRAM GC - 02
CHASING TIME
Grace Commons Church Friday, 12:15pm
IN PERSON: James Balog, Jeff Orlowski-Yang, and Sarah Keo Synopsis p.22
PROGRAM CEN1 - 06
ZURAWSKI V TEXAS
Century Boulder Friday, 6pm
Co-presented by Boulder Valley Health Center bouldervalleyhealth.org Synopsis p.26
PROGRAM GC - 05
CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY
Grace Commons Church Friday, 7:30pm
Co-presented by International Rescue Committee – Denver rescue.org
Synopsis p.24
SATURDAY, MARCH 15
PROGRAM FUMC - 09 IN WAVES AND WAR
First United Methodist Church Saturday, 12:15pm
Co-presented by Students and Veterans of Naropa naropastudents.vet Synopsis p.30
PROGRAM CEN2 - 09
UNEARTH
Century Boulder Saturday, 4pm
IN PERSON: KC Becker, former EPA Regional 8 Director, and environmental groups
Synopsis p.37
SUNDAY, MARCH 16
PROGRAM CEN2 - 12
THE WHITE HOUSE EFFECT
Century Boulder Sunday, 1:15pm
Co-presented by 350 Colorado 350colorado.org
Synopsis p.39
PROGRAM GC - 11
TRI ME: THE SIRI LINDLEY STORY
Grace Commons Church Sunday, 1:30pm
Co-presented by Believe Ranch and Rescue believeranchandrescue.org
Synopsis p.40
PROGRAM BT - 10
A MAN WITH SOLE: THE IMPACT OF KENNETH COLE
Boulder Theater Sunday, 3:15pm
Co-presented by The Mental Health Coalition thementalhealthcoalition.org
Synopsis p.38
PROGRAM FUMC - 14 CITIZEN RUTH
First United Methodist Church Sunday, 4:30pm
Co-presented by PLAN–Boulder County planboulder.org
Synopsis p.42
Our thanks to Call2Action founders and supporters Sandy Younghans and Joellen Raderstorf, and these donors for helping change the world!
Friday, March 14 - Sunday, March 16
• 23 shorts and features
• Over 25 filmmakers & film subjects in attendance
• 4 Call2Action TalkBacks
Grace Commons Church, 1820 15th St., Boulder
Price: $19/ticket (purchase at biff1.com/adventure)
THE 2025 BOULDER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
ADVENTURE FILM PROGRAM features a suite of the world’s greatest new adventure fi lms, with shorts, features, discussions with world-class adventurers and adventure fi lmmakers, as well as non-profi t groups working on the important issues in the adventure community.
FILM SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, MARCH 14
10am - MONGOLIA, VALLEY OF THE BEARS (Synopsis p. 22)
12:15pm – THE LAST OBSERVERS/ CHASING TIME
(Synopsis p. 22)
5pm – 76 DAYS ADRIFT (Synopsis p. 23)
2:30pm – ADVENTURE SHORTS 1 (Synopsis p. 23)
SATURDAY, MARCH 15
10am – BETWEEN THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SKY (Synopsis p. 33)
12:15pm – BIG WATER THEORY (Synopsis p. 33)
2:30pm – MOSES – 13 STEPS (Synopsis p. 34)
5:15pm – THE FLIGHT OF BRYAN (Synopsis p. 34)
7:45pm – ADVENTURE SHORTS 2 (Synopsis p. 35)
SUNDAY, MARCH 16
1:30pm – TRI ME: THE SIRI LINDLEY STORY (Synopsis p. 40)
4pm – ADVENTURE SHORTS 3 (Synopsis p. 40)
7:30pm – CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY (Synopsis p. 24)
adventure racing rock climbing river running conservation skiing mountain biking highlining triathalons
ADVENTURE FILM PARTY
FRIDAY, March 14, 9pm–Midnight Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St. / 21+
FREE with • Adventure Film Program Pass or Ticket Stub •BIFF Pass or March 14 Ticket Stub
Join us to celebrate the adventurous spirit of Boulder and BIFF Adventure Film. Meet and mingle with explorers, artists, and creators.
Live music by Rex Peoples & X Factr. One free drink and appetizers courtesy of Velvet Elk Lounge and The Post Chicken & Beer. Win great prizes from our sponsors! Space is limited, so please get
Serving Boulder County and beyond for over 15 years.
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You’re a creative person. You understand the value of artistic expression. Alpine Bank is passionate about the arts. That’s why we support a wide variety of artistic and cultural initiatives across Colorado.
PROGRAM CEN1 - 01
Thursday 3:30pm, Century Boulder
ALL GOD’S CHILDREN
US, Feature Documentary, 102 minutes, 2024
In an unprecedented attempt to combat rising racial and ethnic tension in their NYC communities, activist Rabbi Rachel Timoner teams up with black Baptist Reverend Robert Waterman to unite their congregations. With peace and equality as the goal, they set in motion a plan — to trade pulpits, worship together, break bread monthly, start a joint choir, and hopefully become family. But the road is bumpy. As their faith is shaken, both congregations struggle to not let their differences drive them apart. All God’s Children follows their journey, offering a powerful blueprint for how other communities might bridge divides and foster true unity.
DIRECTED BY ONDI TIMONER
PRODUCED BY DAVID TURNER
CONTRIBUTING PRODUCER SUSAN CAPITELLI
« COLORADO PREMIERE
TalkBack following the film at the venue. See page 13
Thursday
THE TEACHER WHO PROMISED THE SEA
Spain, Feature Film, 105 minutes, 2024
ALSO SCREENING SATURDAY 1:15PM AT CENTURY BOULDER
Based on the incredible true story of Catalan teacher Antoni Benaiges
In 1935, Antoni Benaiges is hired as a teacher in a small, isolated village in Burgos, Spain. There, he establishes a close relationship with his students, a group of young boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 12, to whom he makes a promise: to take them to see the sea for the first time in their lives. 75 years later, Ari, the granddaughter of one of those students, discovers the truth about his incredible story, and Antoni’s destiny is revealed — from his arrival as a fresh-faced teacher until the takeover of the town by fascists, who burn all the books in the town square and murder a hundred “dissidents” in the village. This inspiring story highlights the impact of a teacher whose students, more than seven decades later, never forgot him. SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY PATRICIA FONT
PRODUCED BY FRANCESCA ESCRIBANO, TONO FOLGUERA, CARLOS FERNÁNDEZ, LAURA FERNÁNDEZ BRITES
« COLORADO PREMIERE
PROGRAM CEN1 - 02
Thursday 6:30pm, Century Boulder
BLUE ROAD: THE EDNA O’BRIEN STORY
Ireland/UK, Feature Documentary, 99 minutes, 2024
ALSO SCREENING SATURDAY 10:30AM AT CENTURY BOULDER
“F**k, the plot. That is for precocious schoolboys. What matters is the imaginative truth.” —EDNA O’BRIEN
In 1960, a young Irish woman named Edna O’Brien wrote a racy debut novel, The Country Girls. She became a literary sensation, writing for The New Yorker and producing hugely successful books for 50 years. But her early success enraged her writerhusband, Ernest Gébler, who kept all her money and gave Edna a small allowance. What’s more, her success made her a pariah in her native Ireland, where her books were banned and burned. She would divorce, get her money back, and make her home in a mansion in London with her children. Free at last, she conducted scandalous love affairs, hosted star-studded parties, and made and lost fortunes. This film features interviews with renowned writers, and spicy testimony from Edna herself, aged 93, as she reflects upon her extraordinary life.
DIRECTED BY SINÉAD O’SHEA
PRODUCED BY CLAIRE MCCABE, ELEANOR EMPTAGE, SINÉAD O’SHEA
Starring Oscar–nominated actor Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, Rob Roy)
Poison is a story about a couple who meets again years after tragedy drove them apart. Once married, Lucas (Tim Roth) and Edith (Trine Dyerholm) have been estranged for 10 years, ever since Lucas left. At Edith’s request, they meet at the cemetery where their only child is buried. During a long wait, their conversation progresses, revisiting their shared past. Their brief but intense meeting will bring simmering pain and resentments to the surface, but will be a reminder, too, of cherished intimacies, the love they once shared, and the importance of forgiveness. Poison will resonate deeply with anyone familiar with loss, betrayal, or the struggle of moving past old grievances.
STARRING TIM ROTH, TRINE DYERHOLM
DIRECTED BY DÉSIRÉE NOSBUSCH
PRODUCED BY ALEXANDRA HOESDORFF, DÉSIRÉE NOSBUSCH
« COLORADO PREMIERE
PROGRAM FUMC- 01
Thursday 4:45pm, First United Methodist Church SHORT FILMS 1
ALSO SCREENING FRIDAY 10:30AM AT CENTURY BOULDER, AND IN LONGMONT, SEE PAGE 46
OUT FOR DELIVERY
US, Short Film, 17 minutes, 2025 Out for Delivery follows Joanna’s funny and sometimes undignified journey to seek a peaceful end of life through “death with dignity” medication.
DIRECTED BY CHELSEA CHRISTER
PRODUCED BY CLINTON TRUCKS, ALEXA ROCERO
« COLORADO PREMIERE
CHELSEA CHRISTER IN PERSON
FATHER’S LETTERS
France/Russia, Short Animation, 12 minutes, 2024
In 1934, Professor Vangengheim is condemned to a gulag on a Russian archipelago. To protect his daughter Elya from the reality of his situation, he decides to let her believe, through his imaginative letters, that he has gone on an amazing expedition. SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY ALEXEY EVSTIGNEEV
PRODUCED BY MODERATO AND MIMESIS
« BOULDER PREMIERE
ROOM TAKEN
Ireland, Short Film, 19 minutes, 2023
THE ICE CREAM MAN
US, Short Film, 35 minutes, 2024
Shortlisted for Best Live Action Short Film at the 2025 Academy Awards
Based on actual events. Shortly after the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands, a popular ice cream shop owner, Ernst Cahn, finds himself targeted by the infamous “Butcher of Lyon,” Klaus Barbie. As his world crumbles, “The Ice Cream Man” must choose between resistance and death, a choice that will reverberate throughout the country.
DIRECTED BY ROBERT MONIOT
PRODUCED BY GREG MALONE, ROBERT MONIOT
STARRING NOAH EMMERICH
« COLORADO PREMIERE
TERMINALLY ILL
US, Short Film, 8 minutes, 2023
Winner of Best Comedy Award and Audience Award at Aspen Shortsfest
When a struggling rapper is summoned to his grandmother’s deathbed, he engages in a madcap freestyle in an attempt to prevent her from dying.
DIRECTED BY CHRIS COLE
PRODUCED BY CAROLINE KAPLAN, TOPHER LIN, GEORGE RUSH, DEVIN TUSA
« BOULDER PREMIERE
DIRECTOR CHRIS COLE IN PERSON
Shortlisted for Best Live Action Short Film at the 2025 Academy Awards
Executive produced by Colin Farrell Isaac, newly arrived from Ireland, is homeless and uncertain of where he can spend the night. After helping an elderly blind woman home with her packages, he secretly stays. Knowing she can’t see him — they form a unique bond.
In the 1890s, Guiseppi Verdi used part of his vast fortune to build a grand retirement home in Milan for “old singers not favored by fortune, or who, when they were young, did not possess the virtue of saving.” Today, Casa Verdi has 60 residents aged 77-107, comprised of international opera singers, ballet dancers, musicians, conductors and composers — and its halls and gardens ring with the sound of rehearsals for frequent recitals. In recent years, the Verdi Foundation has rented 16 rooms to gifted young music students, and the daily interaction delightfully bridges the vast generation gap. Viva Verdi! tells the extraordinary stories of those living out their “third act” with music, magic and passion.
PARTIALLY SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY YVONNE MARIE RUSSO
PRODUCED BY CHRISTINE LA MONTE, YVONNE MARIE RUSSO, RON SIMONS
« COLORADO PREMIERE
YVONNE MARIE RUSSO AND CHRISTINE LA MONTE IN PERSON
PROGRAM FUMC- 03
Friday 10am, First United Methodist Church
THE LAST JOURNEY
Sweden, Feature Documentary, 90 minutes, 2024
ALSO SCREENING IN LONGMONT, SEE PAGE 46
Sweden’s entry for Best International Feature for the 2025 Academy Awards
Swedish filmmaker Filip Hammar is worried about his 80-year-old father’s depression, and he gets an idea to restore Lars’ “spark of life” by recreating the same car trip to Paris that the family made every summer when Filip was a child. He even buys a doppelganger of their old family car — a vintage, bright orange Renault 4-door. With his best friend Fredrik along for the ride, and secretly staging some of the most beautiful moments of Lars’ life, the hilarious adventure begins. Of course, the road trip does not go as expected, and the Renault, which has a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour, soon becomes the most overtaken car in Europe. This poignant film is a heartwarming testament to a son’s deep love for his father. SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY FILIP HAMMAR, FREDRIK WIKINGSSON
PRODUCED BY LARS BECKUNG, PETRA MÅHL
« COLORADO PREMIERE
OUT FOR DELIVERY
FATHER’S LETTERS
ROOM TAKEN
THE ICE CREAM MAN
ILL
PROGRAM FUMC- 04
CALL ME DANCER
US, Feature Documentary, 84 minutes, 2023
Friday 12:15pm, First United Methodist Church
ALSO SCREENING SATURDAY 6:45PM AT CENTURY BOULDER
˝... Soars on incredible talent, and charm, of Manish Chauhan.˝ —DEADLINE
What happens when a dazzling hip-hop street dancer turns to ballet?
Manish, the greatest street dancer in Mumbai, accidentally wanders into a ballet class one day and meets the gruff 70-year-old Yehuda, a ballet teacher who was once the lead danseur of the Israel Ballet. Manish knows nothing about ballet and must keep his lessons with Yehuda secret from his parents. After years of hope, heartache, and hard work, can Manish finally be free from his economic and social circumstances and dance on the world stage? SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY PIP GILMOUR, LESLIE SHAMPAINE
PRODUCED BY LESLIE SHAMPAINE, PRIYA RAMASUBBAN, CYNTHIA KANE
PROGRAM FUMC- 05
Friday 2:30pm, First United Methodist Church
COLOR BOOK
US, Feature Film, 99 minutes, 2024
Seeking solace, Lucky and his son Mason embark on a journey across Metro Atlanta to attend their first baseball game together. Throughout their day-long trip, they encounter Murphy’s Law. From car breakdowns to missed trains, the duo faces a series of obstacles that tests their relationship. Despite everything, they persevere, determined to reach the game. Color Book highlights the strength and resilience that emerges from Lucky and Mason’s bond, while exploring myriad experiences that come from raising a child with Down syndrome (played brilliantly by 12-year-old actor Jeremiah Alexander Daniels). Its magic lies in its simplicity: a beautiful, moving portrait of a father and son.
DIRECTED BY DAVID FORTUNE
PRODUCED BY KIAH CLINGMAN, KRISTEN UNO, AUTUMN BAILEY-FORD
« BOULDER PREMIERE
KIAH CLINGMAN AND JEREMIAH ALEXANDER DANIELS IN PERSON
Direct to BIFF from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival
PROGRAM FUMC- 07
Friday 7:45pm, First United Methodist Church DRIVE
BACK HOME
Canada, Feature Film, 100 minutes, 2024
Speak. follows five of the nation’s top teenage speech competitors, capturing the euphoria of victory and the devastation of defeat as they craft and perform original oratories over the course of a ninemonth season. Their dream is simple: to win the Super Bowl of public speaking, the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) Nationals, and $100,000 in college scholarships. We watch these young firebrands rehearse wherever they can: at family dinners, on the school bus, in front of a startled pet pig, at church, and of course, with their coaches and teammates, who are often as close as family. College admissions officers often show up at NSDA tournaments, scouring the event for future recruits. This is the young orators’ first chance to be seen. And heard.
DIRECTED BY JENNIFER TIEXIERA, GUY MOSSMAN
PRODUCED BY PAMELA GRINER, GUY MOSSMAN, JENNIFER TIEXIERA
« COLORADO PREMIERE
PAMELA GRINER IN PERSON
ALSO SCREENING SUNDAY 6:15PM AT CENTURY BOULDER
Starring three-time Emmy winner, Tony winner, and Golden Globe nominee Alan Cumming
Winner of Audience Award at the 2025 Palm Springs International Film Festival
Inspired by a true story. In the wake of his father’s death, a bigoted plumber with small-town views leaves his Eastern Canadian village and drives 1,000 miles to bail his estranged, gay brother out of a Toronto police station and bring him home. Perley (Alan Cumming) sees his brother Weldon (Charlie Creed-Miles) as an ignorant hillbilly, and Weldon sees Perley as a perverted deviant. As they head east from Toronto, Perley’s facade falls apart, and Weldon realizes that his assumptions about his brother are more complicated than he once thought. Forced together, the brothers face their differences on a sometimes difficult, sometimes funny — but ultimately unforgettable — journey home.
DIRECTED BY MICHAEL CLOWATER
PRODUCED BY BRIAN MASON, WILLIAM WOODS, MADDY FALLE
« COLORADO PREMIERE
PROGRAM GC- 01
Friday 10am, Grace
MONGOLIA, VALLEY OF THE BEARS
France, Feature Documentary, 88 minutes, 2023
Jal Tumurskukh, a former hunter and poacher in the Taiga of Mongolia, has a delicate mission — in his new role as head ranger of the Red Taiga Park, he must get other hunters and poachers to stop shooting bears and abide by the laws of environmental protection in the relatively new park. His unexpected strategy, and only hope, is to recruit a band of poachers and hunters to help — the very outlaws that have contributed to the problem. With unexpected twists and turns, beautiful cinematography, and life and death drama, Mongolia, Valley of the Bears tells the riveting story of one man’s attempt to change a culture thousands of years old in order to save it. SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY HAMID SARDAR
PRODUCED BY LATO SENSU PRODUCTIONS
« COLORADO PREMIERE
THANKS TO BOULDER OPEN SPACE CONSERVANCY FOR HELPING US BRING THIS FILM TO BIFF.
TalkBack following the film at the venue. See page 13
PROGRAM GC- 02
Friday 12:15pm, Grace Commons Church
THE LAST OBSERVERS
Sweden, Short Documentary, 25 minutes, 2024
Since 1987, Karin and Lennart watch and record the weather every third hour, day and night, seven days a week, every day of the year, from their live-in station by the lighthouse in Falsterbo, Sweden. Earning “a lousy salary, and a fantastic life,” they remain committed — not missing a single observation in 36 years. This heartwarming love story shows lasting happiness can exist in profound connection with nature. SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY MAJA K MIKKELSEN
PRODUCED BY ADAM MIKKELSEN
« BOULDER PREMIERE
CHASING TIME
US, Short Documentary, 39 minutes, 2024
If a single photo can inspire change, how influential are a million images? Over the course of the 15-year Extreme Ice Survey project, photographer James Balog and his team brought some of the world’s first and most compelling visual evidence of climate change to the global stage as he depicted the rapid melting of glaciers around the world. This film follows James and his crew as they bring the decades-long project to a close. Thoughtfully helmed by acclaimed director Jeff Orlowski-Yang and Sarah Keo, Chasing Time is a meditative exploration of time and mortality.
DIRECTED BY JEFF ORLOWSKIYANG, SARAH KEO
PRODUCED BY BRETTE RAGLAND, LARISSA RHODES, JEFF ORLOWSKI-YANG, STACEY PICULELL JAMES BALOG, JEFF ORLOWSKI-YANG, AND SARAH KEO IN PERSON
TalkBack following the film at the venue. See page 13
Commons Church
JAMIE LOGAN:
PROGRAM GC- 03
Friday 2:30pm, Grace Commons Church ADVENTURE SHORTS 1
ALSO SCREENING IN LONGMONT, SEE PAGE 46
NEVER TOO OLD
US, Short Documentary, 5 minutes, 2024
At one time, Libby James (now 87) held more running records than Flo-Jo and Usain Bolt 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.
DIRECTED BY STASH WISLOCKI, PATTY J. ARNDT
PRODUCED BY PATTY J. ARNDT, SUZAN BERAZA « BOULDER PREMIERE JENI ARNDT IN PERSON
AD VE NT UR E
FI LM PROGRA M
KEEP IT BURNING
France, Short Documentary, 33 minutes, 2024 Pakistan’s Karakorum is the wildest mountain range in the world. One of the spectacular mountains around the Baltoro glacier is the Trango “Nameless Tower,” one of the world’s biggest free-standing rock towers in the world. Edu Marín, with his brother Alex and father Novato, attempts the second free ascent of the Eternal Flame route. SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY GUILLAUME BROUST
PRODUCED BY ELLIOT CAILLET
« US PREMIERE
PROGRAM GC- 04
ALL IN OR NOTHING
New Zealand, Short Documentary, 23 minutes, 2024
Matthew Fairbrother pushes his body to the limit as he enduro bike-packs the New Zealand Mountain Bike Rally. While all other participants opted for the standard boat, helicopter, and 4x4 transport between stages, Matt went all in — fully self-supported, just himself, two wheels and a lot of chocolate milk. Follow Matthew’s grueling six days as he goes it alone and attempts to cross the finish line first.
DIRECTED BY GORDON DUFF
PRODUCED BY GORDON DUFF, MATTHEW FAIRBROTHER « US PREMIERE
JAMIE LOGAN: ALL IN
US, Short Documentary, 11 minutes, 2024 Renowned climber Jamie Logan tackled some of the most challenging alpine and rock climbs of the 60s and 70s when she went by the name “Jim.” Now in her seventies, Jamie reflects on her life and her incredible career in the vertical world.
DIRECTED BY JIM AIKMAN
PRODUCED BY PETE TAKEDA « US PREMIERE
JIM AIKMAN, JAMIE LOGAN IN PERSON
MILES BEYOND REMISSION
US, Short Documentary, 14 minutes, 2024
A six-time cancer survivor sets out to be the first of his kind to run a marathon on every continent, with a moving message: If cancer is global, so is surviving. A powerful short documentary about men's mental health, resilience, and learning to seek out the joy in life wherever you can find it.
DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER NICHOLAS
PRODUCED BY SARAH STEWART, JASON ISRAEL, JON BROGAN, NICK MARTINI, DAVEY SPENS
« COLORADO PREMIERE
Friday 5pm, Grace Commons Church
76 DAYS ADRIFT
US, Feature Documentary, 107 minutes, 2024
From Executive Producer Ang Lee
Based on Steven Callahan’s New York Times best-selling novel Adrift: 76 Days Lost at Sea
In 1982, Steven Callahan was on a solo trip across the Atlantic when a collision with a whale left his boat sinking in the dead of night. With the ocean surging into his vessel, Steven had only minutes to launch himself into the dark, unforgiving sea in a small, inflatable life raft with only a basic emergency kit. For an astonishing 76 days, that fragile inflatable raft became Steven’s entire world as he drifted helplessly across the vast expanse of the Atlantic. Forced to confront his deepest fears, limitations, and the raw power of nature, he discovered an inner strength he never knew he possessed. 76 Days Adrift is more than just a survival story — it’s a powerful meditation on human endurance, resilience, and the profound connection between man and nature.
DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY JOE WEIN
« COLORADO PREMIERE
JOE WEIN IN PERSON
AD
PROGRAM GC- 05
Friday 7:30pm, Grace Commons Church
CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY
US, Feature Documentary, 81 minutes, 2024
ALSO SCREENING IN LONGMONT, SEE PAGE 46
Winner of Grand Prize and Audience Choice Award at the 2024 Banff Mountain Film Festival
In the remote mountain villages of Bamyan, Afghanistan, a newfound passion for skiing attracts young athletes from rival ethnic groups to the slopes. With minimal gear, makeshift wooden skis, and a rigged tow rope, the determined ski coach, Alishah Farhang, organizes a thrilling ski race that fosters camaraderie, joy, and triumph. However, after the shocking collapse of their country and the Taliban takeover, many of the skiers are displaced across the globe as refugees. Champions of the Golden Valley captures the thrill of a sports rivalry, intertwined with a poignant portrait of a community in profound transition — parallel stories converging to explore what it means to be a champion, in all its forms. SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY BEN STURGULEWSKI
PRODUCED BY KATIE STJERNHOLM, BAKTASH AHADI « BOULDER PREMIERE BEN STURGULEWSKI AND KATIE STJERNHOLM IN PERSON
TalkBack following the film at the venue. See page 13
PROGRAM CEN2- 03 Friday 10am, Century Boulder
UNEARTH
US, Feature Documentary, 93 minutes, 2024
ALSO SCREENING SATURDAY 4PM AT CENTURY BOULDER
Executive Produced by Erin Brockovich
UNEARTH is a rousing film that follows a charismatic and inspiring set of Native Alaskan activists (the Salmon sisters) and commercial salmon fishermen (the Strickland brothers). The pairs navigate the treacherous waters of the power players and tactics driving North America’s largest-ever proposed copper mine in their beloved homeland of Bristol Bay, Alaska. This timely, shocking, yet uplifting story unveils a mining industry wrought with systemic recklessness, and exposes the delicate balance between mined materials critical to a sustainable future and their unsustainable cost. While the Strickland brothers investigate the truth, using espionage tactics when necessary, the Salmon sisters’ mission to protect Bristol Bay offers a beacon of hope for us all.
DIRECTED BY JOHN HUNTER NOLAN
PRODUCED BY AUBERIN STRICKLAND, DUNEDIN STRICKLAND, JOHN HUNTER NOLAN,
EYAL LEVY, GINA PAPABEIS
« COLORADO PREMIERE
GINA PAPABEIS IN PERSON
PROGRAM CEN1 - 03
Friday 10:30am, Century Boulder SHORT FILMS 1
SECOND SCREENING: SYNOPSES ON PAGE 18
ALSO SCREENING THURSDAY 4:45PM AT FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, AND IN LONGMONT, SEE PAGE 46
PROGRAM CEN2- 04
Friday 12:30pm, Century Boulder
WE WERE DANGEROUS
New Zealand, Feature Film, 84 minutes, 2024
ALSO SCREENING SATURDAY 10AM AT CENTURY BOULDER
˝...shows the humanity and joy of those cruelly cast out and mistreated by society.˝ —COLLIDER
Māori filmmaker Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu’s film celebrates the friendship of a group of girls and their dramatic drive to survive. In 1954 New Zealand, Nellie and Daisy attempt to escape an institution for delinquent girls, but when they are caught, it triggers a relocation to a facility on a remote island. When Lou joins them, the trio rail against the system of institutional Christianization, taking refuge in their blossoming friendship. However, a sense of doom settles in when a new form of punishment takes place in the dead of night. The girls fight back.
DIRECTED BY JOSEPHINE STEWART-TE WHIU
PRODUCED BY MORGAN WARU, POLLY FRYER « COLORADO PREMIERE
PROGRAM CEN1 - 04
Friday 1:00pm, Century Boulder
VIVA VERDI!
US, Feature Documentary, 79 minutes, 2024
SECOND SCREENING: SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 19
PROGRAM CEN2- 05
Friday 3pm, Century Boulder
BEETHOVEN’S NINE: ODE TO HUMANITY
Canada, Feature Documentary, 83 minutes, 2024
SEE SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 32
ALSO SCREENING SATURDAY 7:45PM AT FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH « COLORADO PREMIERE
PROGRAM CEN1 - 05
Friday 3:30pm, Century Boulder
LIZA: A TRULY TERRIFIC ABSOLUTELY TRUE STORY
US, Feature Documentary, 104 minutes, 2024
SEE SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 41
ALSO SCREENING SUNDAY 2PM AT FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
« BOULDER PREMIERE
PROGRAM CEN2- 06
Friday 5:30pm, Century Boulder
WAVES
Czech Republic, Feature Film, 131 minutes, 2024
The Czech Republic’s entry for Best International Feature Film for the 2025 Academy Awards
Waves is a thriller based on a team of journalists’ relentless pursuit of the truth in the months before the 1968 Prague Spring and the days of the Soviet Union’s invasion. The film follows the story of two brothers, Tomás and Paja. Tomás gets a job at the international office at Czechoslovak Radio, led by editor Milan Weiner, whose commitment to honest journalism and the truth puts the organization in the crosshairs of the secret police. As the situation worsens, the brothers’ decisions can lead to either honesty or deceit, loyalty or betrayal, life or death. The film, based on the true story of Czechoslovak Radio, uses archival footage of Czech protests and tanks barreling into Prague, ultimately telling a story about why protecting this kind of principled reporting will be necessary in the future. SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY JIŘÍ MÁDL
PRODUCED BY VLASTA KRISTL, MONIKA KRISTLOVÁ « COLORADO PREMIERE
Amanda Zurawski had severe pregnancy complications at 18 weeks and was denied abortion care under Texas law. Three days later, she came down with sepsis — a massive life-threatening infection. An abortion was finally legally performed, and she spent three days in ICU near death. She eventually survived, but may never again conceive without high medical costs. Zurawski’s lawsuit eventually was joined by many other plaintiffs with their own stories of pain and heartbreak. Zurawski v Texas reveals the dire impact of politicians taking away your rights to healthcare — and the extraordinary efforts of the women and men fighting on the frontline to regain those rights.
DIRECTED BY MAISIE CROW, ABBIE PERRAULT
« BOULDER PREMIERE
TalkBack following the film at the venue.
See page 13
PROGRAM BT- 01
Friday 3pm, Boulder Theater
ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO
UK, Feature Documentary, 100 minutes, 2024
ALSO SCREENING SATURDAY 3:30PM AT CENTURY BOULDER
Direct to BIFF from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival “Lennon put it well when he told a concert audience, ‘OK, so flower power didn’t work. So what? We start again.’”—THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
A never-before-seen take on a pivotal time in the lives of one of music’s most famous couples, One to One: John & Yoko is told through 1970s news, film, and television clips. The film features newly restored footage, and a wealth of previously unseen and unheard personal archives recorded and filmed by John and Yoko themselves. This fascinating and fast-moving look at the couple’s life upon their entry into a transformative 1970s New York explores their musical, artistic, social, and political world at a tumultuous time. At the core of the story are the One to One concerts, John Lennon’s only full-length performances after the Beatles.
DIRECTED BY KEVIN MACDONALD
PRODUCED BY KEVIN MACDONALD, ALICE WEBB, PETER WORSLEY
« BOULDER PREMIERE
courtesy Magnolia Pictures
RED CARPET GALA OPENING NIGHT
PRESENTED BY 105.5 THE COLORADO SOUND $120 / FREE FOR PASSHOLDERS
5-6:45PM PRE-FILM PARTIES
6:30PM BOULDER THEATER DOORS OPEN FILM STARTS 7:15PM
5-6:45PM PRE-FILM FESTIVITIES
1
HOTEL BOULDERADO BALLROOM
2115 13th Street
A menu inspired by cuisines around the world from the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts • Music by Riley J Trio
2 PARTIES 2 VENUES
2
REMBRANDT YARD
1301 Spruce Street
Tasty housemade Italian specialties from Pasta Jay’s • Mexican regional cuisine from My Neighbor Felix • Music by Dechen Hawk
Wines by Amass Brands • Local beer and Spiked Snowmelt craft hard seltzer by Upslope Brewing • Specialty cocktails from WhistlePig Rye Whiskey • The Guerrilla Fanfare Brass Band will lead attendees and revelers “second line” style to the Boulder Theater.
PASSHOLDERS! OPENING NIGHT IS RESERVED SEATING ONLY. ALL PASSHOLDERS MUST RSVP TO RESERVE SEATS. Please email RSVP@BIFF1.com by Friday, Febuary 28. (Opening Night Gala ticket buyers will receive seating upon purchase.)
PROGRAM BT- 02
Friday 7:15pm, Boulder Theater
THE FRIEND
US, Feature Film, 123 minutes, 2024
Starring Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, Ann Dowd, and Constance Wu
In The Friend, writer and teacher Iris (Naomi Watts) finds her comfortable, solitary New York life thrown into disarray after her closest friend and mentor (Bill Murray) dies suddenly and bequeaths her his beloved 150 lb. Great Dane. The regal yet intractable beast, named Apollo, immediately creates practical problems for Iris, from furniture destruction to eviction notices, as well as more existential ones, his looming presence constantly reminding her of her friend’s problematic choices in both life and death. Yet as Iris finds herself unexpectedly bonding with the animal, she begins to come to terms with her past, her lost friend, and her own creative inner life.
DIRECTED BY SCOTT MCGEHEE, DAVID SIEGEL
PRODUCED BY LIZA CHASIN, SCOTT MCGEHEE, DAVID SIEGEL, MIKE SPRETER « BOULDER PREMIERE COURTESY OF BLEECKER STREET MEDIA
PROGRAM BT- 03
Saturday 10am, Boulder Theater
THE SUMMER BOOK
US/Finland, Feature Film, 95 minutes, 2024
ALSO SCREENING SATURDAY 6:15PM AT CENTURY BOULDER AND IN LONGMONT, SEE PAGE 46
Starring 8-time Academy Award nominee Glenn Close, Emily Matthews, and Anders Danielsen Lie
The Summer Book, based on Tove Jansson’s 1972 novel of the same title, is a story of the relationship between Sophia, an eight-year-old girl who is growing up fast, and her artist grandmother, who is nearing the end of her life. They are spending time together with Sophia’s father at the idyllic family summer house on a tiny unspoiled island in the Gulf of Finland. All three are coming to terms with the recent death of Sophia’s mother in very different ways. The Summer Book brings Jansson’s most beloved characters to life and celebrates a family’s all-encompassing love.
DIRECTED BY CHARLIE MCDOWELL
PRODUCED BY CHARLIE MCDOWELL, ALEKSI BARDY, KEVIN LOADER, KATH MATTOCH, DUNCAN MONTGOMERY, ALEX ORLOVSKY, HELEN VINOGRADOV
« COLORADO PREMIERE
PROGRAM BT- 04
Saturday 12:15pm, Boulder Theater
DIANE WARREN: RELENTLESS
US, Feature Documentary, 91 minutes, 2024
ALSO SCREENING SUNDAY 10AM AT CENTURY BOULDER
Diane Warren, a prolific songwriter with an unparalleled track record of writing megahits for industry giants, emerges as a force to be reckoned with in Diane Warren: Relentless. Boasting 15 Academy Award nominations and an Honorary Oscar, along with Grammy, Emmy, and Golden Globe Awards, Warren has etched her name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and is responsible for the soundtrack of our lives. In this intimate documentary, filled with Diane’s signature humor, audiences get a rarely seen glimpse into her life and the underdog journey to where she is today. Interviews with Cher, Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Hudson, and many more showcase the creative genius that is Diane Warren.
DIRECTED BY BESS KARGMAN
PRODUCED BY PEGGY DREXLER, MICHELE FARINOLA, BESS KARGMAN
Germany/UK, Feature Documentary, 101 minutes, 2025 ALSO SCREENING IN LONGMONT, SEE PAGE 46
Martha Chaffee met her husband Roger on a blind date. An accomplished pilot and a devoted spouse and father, he flew surveillance sorties during the Cuban missile crisis before joining NASA’s astronaut corps. Ed White was another extraordinary man who became the first American to walk in space. Gus Grissom was made of the original right stuff. He served in WWII and flew space missions in the Mercury and Gemini programs. They would all meet their fate on January 27, 1967, on Pad 34 at Cape Kennedy. What happened that day would shock the nation and NASA to its core, shatter the lives of the families of the three astronauts, and change space travel forever. Apollo 1 tells the inspiring story of the human spirit, as we look to a new generation of Artemis astronauts who are prepared to face the ever-present risks of space exploration.
DIRECTED BY MARK CRAIG
PRODUCED BY MARK CRAIG, KEITH HAVILAND, ANSGAR POHLE « WORLD PREMIERE
FILM SUBJECTS MARTHA AND SHERYL CHAFFEE AND BARBARA CERNAN BUTLER AS WELL AS MARK CRAIG, KEITH HAVILAND, ANSGAR POHLE IN PERSON
US, Feature Documentary, 94 minutes, 2024
“Enlightening as well as vigorously entertaining.”—THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
Acclaimed filmmaker Chris Smith captures the gloriously radical spirit that is Devo — a rare band founded by a philosophy: a Dada experiment of high art meets low, hell-bent on infiltrating American popular culture. Through never-before-seen archival footage and interviews with Mark Mothersbaugh, Bob Mothersbaugh, and Jerry Casale, Devo revels in the highs, lows, surreal moments, and incredible performances of a 50-year career, embracing the spectacle of the band from their lo-fi beginnings to becoming pioneers of the music video in the early days of MTV’s cultural dominance. Finding mainstream success at the height of 80s consumerism, Devo soundtracked the De-Evolution they’d long predicted — and influenced a 21st century they’d have never believed.
DIRECTED BY CHRIS SMITH
PRODUCED BY DANNY GABAI, CHRIS SMITH, ANITA GREENSPAN, CHRIS HOLMES
« COLORADO PREMIERE
MARK MOTHERSBAUGH AND ANITA GREENSPAN IN PERSON
PROGRAM BT- 06 Saturday 5:45pm, Boulder Theater DEVO
Saturday 10am, First United Methodist Church CHECKPOINT
ZOO
US, Feature Documentary, 100 minutes, 2024
ALSO SCREENING SUNDAY 10:30AM AT CENTURY BOULDER
Winner of Audience Award at the Mill Valley Film Festival
On one side of the zoo was the invading Russian army; on the other sat the Ukrainian frontline. With thousands of animals trapped with no food and water, a volunteer group of brave men and women risk their lives to bring them to safety. This is the story of the recent evacuation of thousands of animals during wartime (dozens were large, dangerous carnivores), all under the noses of the nearby Russians during constant, daily shelling, and even tragedy amongst the volunteers. Checkpoint Zoo explores our deep connection with animals, and shows that, in our darkest days, we can still find unbelievable stories of empathy and compassion. PARTIALLY SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY JOSHUA ZEMAN
PRODUCED BY JOSHUA ZEMAN, ZACHARY MORTENSEN, IAN DAVIES, TORQUIL JONES
« BOULDER PREMIERE
PROGRAM FUMC- 09
Saturday 12:15pm, First United Methodist Church
IN WAVES AND WAR
US, Feature Documentary, 108 minutes, 2024
“By now, I am used to suffering. I have endured so much in waves and war. Let this next adventure follow.”
—THE ODYSSEY
Highly decorated Navy SEAL Marcus Capone returns from Afghanistan and attempts to readjust to civilian life, but years of unprecedented warfare have left him with unrelenting psychological pain. Fearing for Marcus’ life, his wife, Amber, finds hope in a groundbreaking therapy combining two powerful psychedelics unapproved for use in the US, but with seemingly limitless applications. Inspired by his remarkable recovery, but confronted with the alarming rate of veteran suicides, Marcus and Amber embark on a new mission: providing access to this lifeline. In Waves and War is the incredible odyssey of three American heroes as they try to overcome the aftereffects of war and rediscover their humanity.
DIRECTED BY JON SHENK, BONNI COHEN
PRODUCED BY JON SHENK, BONNI COHEN, JESSICA ANTHONY
« BOULDER PREMIERE
BONNI COHEN, JON SHENK, AND JESSICA ANTHONY IN PERSON
TalkBack following the film at the venue. See page 13
RATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
UK, Short Film, 15 minutes, 2023
Winner of special recognition for comedy short at Aspen Shortsfest
Stella is 39 and single. She drops in on former one-night-stand Jacob to tell him that she’s on her way to end her unexpected pregnancy. Twenty-something Jacob can barely remember her name but he gallantly gives her a lift to the hospital in his dad’s van. Rational Behaviour is a romantic comedy that explores the reality of facing unanticipated consequences with strangers.
DIRECTED BY LOLA FREARS
PRODUCED BY OHNA FALBY
« BOULDER PREMIERE
PROGRAM FUMC-10
Saturday 3pm, First United Methodist Church SHORT FILMS 2
ALSO SCREENING SUNDAY 3PM AT CENTURY BOULDER AND IN LONGMONT, SEE PAGE 46
DRAGFOX
UK, Short Animation, 8 minutes, 2024
Sam’s search for identity gets interrupted by a mysterious neighborhood fox. Together they embark on a magical journey to the attic to discover the surprising things they might have in common, and how to celebrate the ways in which they differ.
DIRECTED BY LISA OTT
PRODUCED BY OWEN THOMAS
« BOULDER PREMIERE
WHEN BIG PEOPLE LIE
US, Short Film, 14 minutes, 2024
Elvis just turned eight, and for his birthday, his wish has sort of come true. His single mother Lola has invited an immigrant stranger, Mohammed, to live with them in exchange for money. The arrangement takes an unexpected turn when Lola and Mohammed plan an unconventional, seemingly impromptu wedding. A surprise visitor calls everything into question.
DIRECTED BY GIANFRANCO FERNÁNDEZ-RUIZ
PRODUCED BY GUS MURRAY, KOUXIAO AMY ZHANG
« BOULDER PREMIERE
GIANFRANCO FERN Á NDEZ-RUIZ IN PERSON
AN ORANGE FROM JAFFA
France/Poland, Short Film, 27 minutes, 2024
Shortlisted for Best Live Action Short Film at the 2025 Academy Awards
Mohammed, a young Palestinian student, is desperately looking for a taxi to take him through an Israeli checkpoint. Farouk, a kind-hearted driver, offers him a ride. However, they soon encounter a crisis with the checkpoint authorities. Will the pair get through? SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY MOHAMMED ALMUGHANNI
PRODUCED BY DAVID FRENKEL, PATRYK SIELECKI
« COLORADO PREMIERE
HALFRICAN AMERICAN
US, Short Film, 12 minutes, 2023
When Zeke attends a family cookout with his estranged father, Nick, he struggles to feel comfortable. After witnessing his dad do a comedic re-telling of his colonoscopy, can Zeke finally fit in with the boisterous Black family that he’s never met?
DIRECTED BY ZEKE NICHOLSON
PRODUCED BY CLAIRE GLASSFORD, SOPHIE WEBB
« BOULDER PREMIERE
ZEKE NICHOLSON IN PERSON
PROGRAM FUMC-11
Saturday 5:30pm, First United Methodist Church
THE DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL
US/Iceland, Feature Documentary, 72 minutes, 2024
ALSO SCREENING SUNDAY 4PM AT CENTURY BOULDER AND IN LONGMONT, SEE PAGE 46
PROGRAM FUMC-12
Saturday 7:45pm, First United Methodist Church
When 90% of the women of Iceland walked off the job and out of their homes one fall morning, refusing to work, cook, or take care of the children, they threw a huge wrench into the patriarchal machine and brought their country to a standstill. That was Oct. 24, 1975, a day Icelandic men called The Long Friday. Told for the first time by the women themselves, the story is subversive and unexpectedly funny.
“We loved our male chauvinist pigs,” recalls one of the activists, “we just wanted to change them a little!” The following year, Iceland’s parliament passed a law guaranteeing equal rights to women and men. The Day Iceland Stood Still inspires viewers to imagine the possible — changing your country into the “best place in the world to be a woman.” PARTIALLY SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY PAMELA HOGAN
PRODUCED BY HRAFNHILDUR GUNNARSDÓTTIR
« BOULDER PREMIERE
PAMELA HOGAN IN PERSON
BEETHOVEN’S NINE: ODE TO HUMANITY
Canada, Feature Documentary, 83 minutes, 2024
ALSO SCREENING FRIDAY 3PM AT CENTURY BOULDER
Beethoven’s Ninth was the first symphony in history to be accompanied by words — about love and freedom, hope, humanity, and peace. It is a symphony hoping for a time when the world can finally recognize the love and ideals that make life worth living. It was written both as a love letter to all of humankind and at the same time as a powerful protest piece. Are we there yet? Are we finally worthy of the hopes and dreams of this artist, 200 years later? To answer that question, Larry Weinstein explores the stories of nine individuals, all connected to this symphony in different ways. And, as recent life and world events collide, Weinstein himself is pulled into the story in a heart-wrenching way, shining a light on how impossible it is to separate art from life. PARTIALLY SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY LARRY WEINSTEIN
PRODUCED BY LIAM ROMALIS, JASON CHARTERS, MARIA WILLER, BERNARD VON HULSEN « COLORADO PREMIERE
PROGRAM GC- 06
Saturday 10am, Grace Commons Church
BETWEEN THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SKY
Nepal, Feature Documentary, 94 minutes, 2024
ALSO SCREENING SUNDAY AT 12:45PM AT CENTURY BOULDER
Based on the book Between the Mountain and the Sky by Maggie Doyne
Winner of seven documentary film festivals around the world
In 2005 after graduating high school, Maggie Doyne embarked on a gap year in Nepal where she met Tope, a now grown Nepalese orphan, caring for orphaned children. United in purpose, Maggie and her friend Tope pooled resources to establish a children’s home. There were triumphs and tragedies, but Maggie and Tope showed profound magic within their 50-child family and were honored as the 2015 CNN Hero of the Year. But days after the award ceremony, Maggie faced an unimaginable loss. After a chance encounter amidst her grief, Maggie allows this film’s director into her life to document her commitment to Nepal’s orphans, her family, and soon enough, their heartwarming love story. Between the Mountain and the Sky explores resilience, love’s powerful impact in loss, and a family’s enduring strength. PARTIALLY SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY JEREMY POWER REGIMBAL
PRODUCED BY MARK DUPLASS, JEREMY POWER REGIMBAL, MEL ESLYN, ERIC TU « BOULDER PREMIERE
PROGRAM GC- 07
Saturday 12:15pm, Grace Commons Church
BIG WATER THEORY
France, Feature Documentary, 83 minutes, 2024
Winner at the 2024 Banff Mountain Film Festival
Kayak superstar Nouria Newman, with the support of childhood friends, barrels down the most dangerous whitewater on earth: the Rondu Gorge of Pakistan’s Indus River. The Indus has nearly continuous Class V rapids numbering 200 throughout the gorge. Nouria is attempting the first descent of the Rondu Gorge by a woman, though few men have accomplished this amazing feat. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Karakoram mountains, the film highlights the irreversible nature of the sport, with heart-pounding descents that test the kayakers’ psychological and physical limits. SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY EMILE DOMINÉ
PRODUCED BY EMILE DOMINÉ, JULES DOMINÉ, JONATHAN POLITUR « COLORADO PREMIERE
AD VE NT UR E
FI LM PROGRA M
AD VE NT UR E
FI LM PROGRA M
PROGRAM GC- 08
Saturday 2:30pm, Grace Commons Church
MOSES – 13 STEPS
Germany, Feature Documentary, 105 minutes, 2024
Executive produced by Morgan Freeman
Featuring interviews with Edwin Moses, Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, and Neil deGrasse Tyson
Moses – 13 Steps tells the inspiring story of one of the most extraordinary athletes in the history of sport. Edwin Moses finds his discipline by chance and teaches himself one of the most difficult track events in athletics — the 400-meter hurdles. A historic winning streak follows: nine years, nine months, and nine days unbeaten. The film illuminates Moses’ journey from his childhood in segregated America and his formative years at Morehouse College to his iconic victories at the 1976 and 1984 Olympics. Edwin Moses is a scientist, engineer, and humanitarian, an advocate of equality, fairness and integrity in sport — and one of the greatest athletes of all time.
DIRECTED BY MICHAEL WECH
PRODUCED BY LEOPOLD HOESCH
« COLORADO PREMIERE
EDWIN MOSES IN PERSON
PROGRAM GC- 09
Saturday 5:15pm, Grace Commons Church
THE FLIGHT OF BRYAN
UK, Feature Documentary, 94 minutes, 2024
No engine…no fuel…no money…no problem
The Flight of Bryan is the story of Bryan Allen, an unemployed amateur cyclist; Paul Maccready, a heavily-in-debt father of three; and a ragtag team of neuro-diverse outliers. They set out on a deathdefying, madcap quest to solve the mystery of human-powered flight and, in doing so, win the most coveted prize in aviation. Built from a remarkable trove of recently discovered 16mm footage from the 70s, along with an arsenal of innovative techniques, this uplifting and humorous story of ingenuity and courage challenges the assumptions we make about society’s outliers, and reminds us of how the stories we tell can help us to understand, and to perhaps change, the world.
DIRECTED BY JAMES ERSKINE
PRODUCED BY ALEX HOLMES, VICTORIA GREGORY, SEAN SORENSEN, PHILIPP MANDERLA, ADELE REEVES
« US PREMIERE
JAMES ERSKINE IN PERSON
Pictures
ALSO SCREENING IN LONGMONT, SEE PAGE 46
2 LEGS IS 2 EASY
US, Short Documentary, 6 minutes, 2024
In the Roaring Fork Valley, one resident stands out as an inspiration to many. Steve Karczewski was born with bone cancer in his left leg and has never known what it’s like to have two legs. But that hasn’t prevented him from hitting the steepest slopes and doing anything and everything he’s ever wanted as the ultimate adventurer.
DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY TAMARA SUSA
« BOULDER PREMIERE
TAMARA SUSA AND STEVE KARCZEWSKI IN PERSON
BALANCES
France, Short Documentary, 26 minutes, 2024
Highliners take us on a tightrope journey through a strange, visually extreme sport. While examining the intense physical and mental struggle, this film showcases some of the best highliners in the world. SUBTITLED DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY ANTOINE MESNAGE
« US PREMIERE
DANCING WARRIOR
US, Short Documentary, 10 minutes, 2024
AD VE NT UR E
FI LM PROGRA M
TO SCALE: TIME
US, Short Documentary, 10 minutes, 2023
On a dry lake bed in California, a group of friends attempt to build a scale model of Time; a true illustration of cosmic evolution, and our place within it.
DIRECTED BY ALEX GOROSH
PRODUCED BY WYLIE OVERSTREET
« BOULDER PREMIERE
ALEX GOROSH AND WYLIE OVERSTREET IN PERSON
BEYOND
Sweden, Short Documentary, 44 minutes, 2024 Adventure racing is the toughest sport on the planet. Follow the Swedish Armed Forces Adventure Team (SAFAT) during the Adventure Racing World Championships in South Africa. The grueling and extreme 920 km long race will test them psychologically while taking their bodies beyond everything they thought was physically possible.
SUBTITLED
DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY EMIL SERGEL
« US PREMIERE
In the Lakota Badlands sits the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. For native youth, living here can be a struggle — the teen suicide rate is among the highest in the country. But many have found hope and purpose in the traditional sport of horse racing known as “Indian Relay.” Witness the coming of age story of Lakota teens as they find strength in tradition and passion in competition.
DIRECTED BY RACHEL MCDONALD, PETER GOETZ
PRODUCED BY KEVIN HOBAN
« BOULDER PREMIERE
PROGRAM CEN1 - 07
Saturday 10am, Century Boulder
WE
WERE DANGEROUS
New Zealand, Feature Film, 84 minutes, 2024
SECOND SCREENING: SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 25
PROGRAM CEN2- 07
Saturday 10:30am, Century Boulder
BLUE
ROAD: THE EDNA O’BRIEN STORY
Ireland/UK, Feature Documentary, 99 minutes, 2024
SECOND SCREENING: SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 17
PROGRAM CEN1 - 08
Saturday 12:45pm, Century Boulder
BOULDER FILMMAKER SHOWCASE
MR. CATO
US, Short Documentary, 24 minutes, 2024
An elementary school teacher vying for the Olympics in BMX Flatland brings inspiration to his students through the art and perseverance of the sport he loves.
DIRECTED BY RYAN ROSS
PRODUCED BY CARLY SNYDER, KONG YANG, OMARI HASHIM CATO
« BOULDER PREMIERE
RYAN ROSS, CARLY SNYDER AND OMARI HASHIM CATO (MR. CATO) IN PERSON
MAX: ONE LAST FAVOR
US, Short Documentary, 21 minutes, 2024
America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan left thousands of Afghan interpreters behind as the Taliban retook the country. Fearing retribution for his brave work with allied forces, beloved interpreter “Max” and his family are forced into hiding as they desperately struggle to escape Afghanistan. Told through frenzied communications between Max, his devoted marine friends, and their network, we witness the surreal situation unfold over time as the group confronts the harsh realities of our broken system, and a world that moves on. PARTIALLY SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY PATTI BONNET
PRODUCED BY PATTI BONNET, DAVID HOLBROOKE, JEFFREY WRIGHT
« BOULDER PREMIERE
PATTI BONNET IN PERSON
THE ARAPAHO COVERED WAGON REDUX — ARAPAHO DAYS
US, Short Documentary, 33 minutes, 2025
This film explores The Covered Wagon, an epic 1923 silent film with a new soundtrack, recorded by the Northern Arapaho Eagle Society led by Michael Ridgebear and the Boulder Symphony & Music Academy. The music retells the story from this Colorado tribe’s perspective and helps to reverse negative Native American stereotypes perpetuated over six centuries.
DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY ALAN O’HASHI
« WORLD PREMIERE ALAN O’HASHI IN PERSON
PROGRAM CEN2- 08
Saturday 1:15pm, Century Boulder
THE TEACHER WHO PROMISED THE SEA
Spain, Feature Film, 105 minutes, 2023
SECOND SCREENING: SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 17
PROGRAM CEN1 - 09
Saturday 3:30pm, Century Boulder
ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO
UK, Feature Documentary, 100 minutes, 2024
SECOND SCREENING: SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 26
PROGRAM CEN1 -10
Saturday 6:15pm, Century Boulder
THE SUMMER BOOK
US/Finland, Feature Film, 95 minutes, 2024
SECOND SCREENING: SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 28
PROGRAM CEN2- 09
Saturday 4pm, Century Boulder
UNEARTH
US, Feature Documentary, 93 minutes, 2024
Executive Produced by Erin Brockovich
UNEARTH is a rousing film that follows a charismatic and inspiring set of Native Alaskan activists (the Salmon sisters) and commercial salmon fishermen (the Strickland brothers). The pairs navigate the treacherous waters of the power players and tactics driving North America’s largest-ever proposed copper mine in their beloved homeland of Bristol Bay, Alaska. This timely, shocking, yet uplifting story unveils a mining industry fraught with systemic recklessness, and exposes the delicate balance between mined materials critical to a sustainable future and their unsustainable cost. While the Strickland brothers investigate the truth, using espionage tactics when necessary, the Salmon sisters’ mission to protect Bristol Bay offers a beacon of hope for us all.
DIRECTED BY JOHN HUNTER NOLAN
PRODUCED BY AUBERIN STRICKLAND, DUNEDIN STRICKLAND,
JOHN HUNTER NOLAN, EYAL LEVY,
GINA PAPABEIS
« COLORADO PREMIERE
GINA PAPABEIS IN PERSON
TalkBack following the film at the venue.
See page 13
PROGRAM CEN2-10
Saturday 6:45pm, Century Boulder
CALL ME DANCER
US, Feature Documentary, 84 minutes, 2023
SECOND SCREENING: SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 20
PROGRAM BT- 08
Sunday, 10am, Boulder Theater
COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT
US, Feature Documentary, 104 minutes, 2025
Winner of the Festival Favorite Award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival
Two poets, one incurable cancer diagnosis. Andrea Gibson, the poet laureate of Colorado, and their partner, Megan Falley, go on a funny and poignant journey through love, life, and mortality. Coming from a rural town in Maine and (self-admittedly) not knowing all that many words, Andrea is still amazed they’ve made a career out of writing and performing poems. Through their poetry, Andrea has inspired hundreds of thousands. When Andrea was diagnosed with cancer, everything changed. The two poets discover that life is best lived between the big moments of victory and despair, where the small moments come alive to be cherished. Come See Me in the Good Light is an invitation to love better, laugh harder, and consider how accepting mortality can plant the seeds of bliss. Andrea’s journey is not a story about dying; it’s a story about living.
DIRECTED BY RYAN WHITE
PRODUCED BY JESSICA HARGRAVE, RYAN WHITE, TIG NOTARO, STEF WILLEN
« COLORADO PREMIERE
RYAN WHITE, JESSICA HARGRAVE, AND STEF WILLEN IN PERSON
PROGRAM BT- 09
Sunday 1pm, Boulder Theater
FOUR MOTHERS
Ireland/UK, Feature Film, 89 minutes, 2023
ALSO SCREENING SUNDAY 5:45PM AT CENTURY BOULDER AND IN LONGMONT, SEE PAGE 46
Winner of an Audience Award at the BFI London Film Festival
Four Mothers is the funny and touching story of one Irish son juggling four very different mothers. It follows Edward (James McArdle), an up-andcoming novelist who is forced to balance press commitments for his US book tour with caring for his octogenarian mother. When his three closest friends head off on an impromptu Pride holiday — and leave their own aging mothers in Edward’s care — he must juggle a burgeoning career with the care of four eccentric, combative, and wildly different women over the course of one chaotic and unforgettable weekend in Dublin.
DIRECTED BY DARREN THORNTON
PRODUCED BY ERIC ABRAHAM, JACK SIDEY, MARTINA NILAND
« COLORADO PREMIERE
PROGRAM BT-10
Sunday, 3:15pm, Boulder Theater
A MAN WITH SOLE: THE IMPACT OF KENNETH COLE
US, Feature Documentary, 98 minutes, 2024
In 1982, Kenneth Cole burst onto the American fashion scene. Unable to afford a traditional showroom during the New York Shoe Expo, the enterprising founder registered his footwear business as a film production, enabling him to sell thousands of pairs of shoes out of a trailer in midtown Manhattan. Clean design, high craftsmanship, and creative advertising took Kenneth Cole Productions to the top. His fierce, high-risk commitment to social causes has been the hallmark of his brand from the beginning. In the 40 years since, Kenneth Cole has cared for “what people stand for…not just what they stand in.” Kenneth’s commitments to AIDS research, homelessness, LGBTQIA+ rights, social justice, and now mental health issues have given voice to the voiceless, defied and shattered stigmas, and inspired and empowered action for good.
DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY DORI BERINSTEIN
« COLORADO PREMIERE
KENNETH COLE AND DORI BERINSTEIN IN PERSON
TalkBack following the film at the venue. See page 13
Following the screening, Kenneth Cole will be presented with our Catalyst Award for the monumental impact he has had on many important causes, including AIDS, homelessness, LGBTQ rights, gun control, and mental health.
PROGRAM CEN1 -11
Sunday 10am, Century Boulder DIANE WARREN: RELENTLESS
US, Feature Documentary, 91 minutes, 2024
SECOND SCREENING:
SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 28
PROGRAM CEN1 -13
Sunday 3pm, Century Boulder
SHORT FILMS 2
PROGRAM CEN2-11
Sunday 10:30am, Century Boulder CHECKPOINT ZOO
US, Feature Documentary, 100 minutes, 2024
SECOND SCREENING:
SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 30
PROGRAM CEN1 -12
Sunday 12:45pm, Century Boulder BETWEEN THE MOUNTAIN
AND THE SKY
Nepal, Feature Documentary, 94 minutes, 2024
SECOND SCREENING:
SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 33
PROGRAM CEN2-12
Sunday, 1:15pm, Century Boulder
THE WHITE HOUSE EFFECT
US, Feature Documentary, 96 minutes, 2024
The White House Effect is a riveting look at a key moment in the history of the climate crisis, and how a crucial opportunity to take real action on global warming was not just squandered but deliberately undermined. Woven entirely of archival material, the documentary focuses on the pivotal years of the George H.W. Bush administration — 1988 to 1992 — when the entire country was waking up to the reality of global warming, and Bush had pledged to use “the White House effect” to tackle it. Infuriating and irrefutable, the film tracks cause and effect with devastating precision, and explores the time period when both parties seemed interested in fighting climate change.
DIRECTED BY BONNI COHEN, PEDRO KOS, JON SHENK
PRODUCED BY JUSTINE NAGAN, JOSH PENN, NOAH STAHL
« BOULDER PREMIERE
BONNI COHEN AND JON SHENK IN PERSON
TalkBack following the film at the venue. See page 13
SECOND SCREENING: SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 31
ALSO SCREENING IN LONGMONT, SEE PAGE 46
PROGRAM CEN2-13
Sunday 4pm, Century Boulder
THE DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL
US/Iceland, Feature Documentary, 72 minutes, 2024
SECOND SCREENING: SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 32
PROGRAM CEN1 -14
Sunday 5:45pm, Century Boulder
FOUR MOTHERS
Ireland/UK, Feature Film, 89 minutes, 2023
SECOND SCREENING: SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 38
PROGRAM CEN2-14
Sunday 6:15pm, Century Boulder
DRIVE BACK HOME
Canada, Feature Film, 100 minutes, 2024
SECOND SCREENING: SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 21
PROGRAM GC-11
Sunday 1:30pm, Grace Commons Church
TRI ME: THE SIRI LINDLEY STORY
US, Feature Documentary, 87 minutes, 2024
PROGRAM GC-12
Sunday 4pm, Grace Commons Church
ADVENTURE SHORTS 3
Siri Lindley couldn’t swim, and struggled in biking and running events. She had spent a difficult childhood being raised by her mother, Astrid, and stepfather, football legend Frank Gifford, so she embarked on a desperate mission to prove herself in sports. With years of intense training, she became a two-time Triathlon World Champion, a legendary coach, and one of the top motivational speakers in the world. But there were many obstacles in Siri’s way — she competed at a time when it was not acceptable to be queer as a sponsored athlete, so was forced to hide her sexuality. After she came out, and as her success grew, she was met with the biggest obstacle of her life — a terminal cancer diagnosis. With fierce determination and an open mind, she never gave up. Siri Lindley not only survived, but went on to inspire thousands with her motivational spirit, and her inspiring mission to rescue horses and use them to help heal others.
DIRECTED BY MICHAEL M MAZZANTI
PRODUCED BY JULIA BERTHET
« BOULDER PREMIERE
JULIA BERTHET AND SIRI LINDLEY IN PERSON
TalkBack following the film at the venue. See page 13
DROPPING MOLLY
US, Short Documentary, 30 minutes, 2024
Follow Molly Mitchell’s roller coaster journey to climb “Crank It,” one of Colorado's most dangerous routes. After a backbreaking fall on the climb in Boulder’s backyard, will Molly be able to face her demons and conquer “Crank It”?
DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY CEDAR WRIGHT
« COLORADO PREMIERE
CEDAR WRIGHT AND MOLLY MITCHELL IN PERSON
BUILDING THE BUFFALO
US, Short Documentary, 19 minutes, 2023
Building the Buffalo showcases how World Relief Bicycles help people and communities in Southern Africa overcome geographic and economic barriers, transforming lives and futures. This film is a testament to the power of innovation and the profound impact sustainable transportation can have on people’s lives. PARTIALLY SUBTITLED
DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY TRAVIS RUMMEL
« BOULDER PREMIERE
TRAVIS RUMMEL IN PERSON
@Cedar Wight
AD VE NT UR E
FI LM PROGRA M
AD VE NT UR E
FI LM PROGRA M
THE FORGOTTEN COAST
Iceland, Short Documentary, 31 minutes, 2023
Chris Burkard, Steve “Doom” Fassbinder and Cameron Lawson set out for a harrowing, immersive expedition across 41 rivers, inspired by Chris’ decade of documenting Iceland’s glacial river systems. Armed only with fat bikes and inflatable rafts, they traverse 400 km of exposed sandbars in hopes that it can provide a barrier from the harsh waters of the roiling Atlantic along Iceland’s southern coast. PARTIALLY SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY CHRIS BURKARD, BRIAN DAVIS PRODUCED BY BEN WEILAND, MIKE SANDIFER
UNDAMMED: AMY CORDALIS AND THE FIGHT TO FREE THE KLAMATH
US, Short Documentary, 17 minutes, 2024
After witnessing a massive fish kill on her ancestral home waters, Yurok tribal attorney Amy Bowers Cordalis dedicated her life to reversing the generations-long destruction wrought by the Klamath River dams. Undammed follows her journey to free the Klamath, from testifying before Congress to passing down fishing traditions within her young family.
DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY SHANE ANDERSON
« BOULDER PREMIERE
PROGRAM FUMC-13
Sunday 2pm, First United Methodist Church
LIZA: A TRULY TERRIFIC ABSOLUTELY TRUE STORY
US, Feature Documentary, 104 minutes, 2024
ALSO SCREENING FRIDAY 3:30PM AT CENTURY BOULDER
This star-studded tribute brings into focus the dazzling, complex period of Liza Minnelli’s life starting in the 70s, just after the tragic death of her mother Judy Garland, as she confronts a range of personal and professional challenges on the way to becoming a bona fide legend. Over these years, Liza seeks out extraordinary mentors including Kay Thompson, Halston, and Bob Fosse. With insight from a coterie of friends and colleagues such as Mia Farrow, Ben Vereen, Joel Grey, the late Chita Rivera, and Minelli herself, this entertaining film illuminates the contradiction of Liza Minnelli: her privilege and struggle, strength and vulnerability, unreal expectations and towering talent. All of this fueled her stunning rise, resilience, and enduring place as one of the greatest, most original performers in entertainment history.
DIRECTED BY BRUCE DAVID KLEIN
PRODUCED BY ALEXANDER J. GOLDSTEIN, BRUCE DAVID KLEIN, ROBERT RICH « BOULDER PREMIERE
PROGRAM FUMC-14
Sunday 4:30pm, First United Methodist Church
CITIZEN RUTH: ENVIRONMENTAL WARRIOR
US, Feature Documentary, 69 minutes, 2025
˝I see a problem, and I suddenly become somebody who wants to solve it. I figure out what the steps are and then do it. And it usually works.˝
—RUTH WRIGHT
This 96-year-old Boulder environmental warrior has the bruises to show from the more than 60 years of battles she fought, and the passion that carried her through the losses and the successes. Citizen Ruth is the compelling personal story of an extraordinary environmental activist and state legislator, and the journey into some of her remarkable accomplishments in the face of many challenges. How did she do it? Her unique mix of passion, persistence, and personal relationships is essential. As opposed to current times where partisan politics keep adversaries from working together, the relationships the “Mother of the Greenbelts” built with everyone shows it is not only possible, but often the key to success.
DIRECTED BY PAMELA HOGE
PRODUCED BY PAMELA HOGE, DAVID WALDER
« WORLD PREMIERE
PAMELA HOGE AND RUTH WRIGHT IN PERSON
TalkBack following the film at the venue. See page 13
PROGRAM BT-11
Sunday, Boulder Theater
Doors open 6:15pm / 6pm for passholders
Live music 6-7pm
Awards ceremony + film start at 7:15pm
SPACEWOMAN
UK, Feature Documentary, 100 minutes, 2024
SPACEWOMAN
ONE WOMAN, ONE FAMILY, ONE JOURNEY.
Based on the book Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars written by Eileen Collins and Jonathan H. Ward
Astronaut Eileen Collins was the first female spacecraft commander in history. Born on the other side of the tracks in upstate New York, she smashed many glass ceilings in the US Air Force and at NASA in her career, culminating in her commanding four increasingly dramatic and dangerous space shuttle missions. With an incredible set of archival materials, intimate interviews, and a moving score by Marcelo Zarvos, Hannah Berryman’s nail-biting film shares the emotional journey experienced by Eileen and her family, and asks the philosophical question: “What level of risk is acceptable in one of the most important and dangerous adventures in human endeavors?”
DIRECTED BY HANNAH BERRYMAN
PRODUCED BY KEITH HAVILAND, NATASHA DACK OJUMU
« COLORADO PREMIERE
EILEEN COLLINS, HANNAH BERRYMAN, AND KEITH HAVILAND IN PERSON
Presenting Spacewoman in honor of Women’s History Month
Enjoy music by Dzirae Gold, a multi-disciplined vocalist who combines her technical operatic training with her love for jazz, blues, funk, and disco to create a sound as “smooth as liquid gold” in a style all her own.
BIFF award sculptures from the estate of sculptor and former BIFF board member Bill Vielehr. Special thanks to Chuck Vielehr and Laird Grimm for helping keep the legacy of “The Vielehr” alive at BIFF.
Paid parking in BoulderPark garages pays dividends. Register your vehicle for the Metropolis gateless system at app.metropolis.io.
Once you create an account, it’s as simple as driving in and driving out. No more lost tickets or waiting in line.
Park for free in BoulderPark garages Saturdays, Sundays and city holidays. Pay only $3 to park in garages between 3 p.m. and 3 a.m. on weekdays.
LONGMONT
The Boulder International Film Festival is excited to bring world-class films to Longmont again this year.
Longmont Museum’s Stewart Auditorium
400 Quail Rd., Longmont
$19/film ticket
$16/museum members
Purchase at biff1.com/Longmont
In person at Stewart Auditorium
Or call 303.651.8374
BOX OFFICE HOURS:
Thurs March 13, 9am–9pm
Fri March 14, 9am–8pm
BUY A PASS! Go to biff1.com before March 14. $195 plus service charge, limited quantity. Includes early entry to the Opening Night Reception and all Longmont films.
FRI MARCH 14-SUN MARCH 16
OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION MARCH 14
@ 5:30PM in the Stewart Auditorium Atrium. Free with any March 14 film ticket or Longmont Pass. Complimentary light bites from The Roost, Jefe's Tacos and Tequila, and Swaylo's Tiki Restaurant & Bar Wine and local beers from Upslope Brewing. Live music from the Harriman Sisters, playing a combination of fresh originals and old standards inspired by countless family jam sessions.
Sat March 15, 9am–8pm
Sun March 16, 9am–8pm
PROGRAM LONG – 01
Friday, 7pm SHORT FILMS 1
SEE SYNOPSES ON PAGE 18 OUT FOR DELIVERY FATHER’S LETTERS ROOM TAKEN THE ICE CREAM MAN TERMINALLY ILL
PROGRAM LONG – 02
Saturday, 10am SHORT FILMS 2
SEE SYNOPSES ON PAGE 31
RATIONAL BEHAVIOUR WHEN BIG PEOPLE LIE DRAGFOX AN ORANGE FROM JAFFA HALFRICAN AMERICAN
PROGRAM LONG – 03
Saturday, 12:15pm
THE DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL
US/Iceland, Feature Documentary, 72 minutes, 2024
SEE FULL SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 32
When 90% of the women of Iceland walked off the job and out of their homes one fall morning in the 70s, refusing to work, cook, or take care of the children, they threw a huge wrench into the patriarchal machine and brought their country to a standstill. This unexpectedly funny story is told by the women themselves.
PARTIALLY SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY PAMELA HOGAN
PAMELA HOGAN IN PERSON
PROGRAM LONG - 04
Saturday, 2:30pm VIVA VERDI!
US, Feature Documentary, 79 minutes, 2024
SEE FULL SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 19
In the 1890s, Guiseppi Verdi used part of his vast fortune to build a grand retirement home in Milan for “old singers not favored by fortune.” Today, Casa Verdi has 60 residents aged 77-107, comprised of international opera singers, ballet dancers, musicians, conductors, and composers. Viva Verdi! tells the stories of those living out their “third act” with music, magic, and passion.
DIRECTED BY YVONNE MARIE RUSSO
PRODUCED BY CHRISTINE LA MONTE, YVONNE MARIE RUSSO, RON SIMONS
YVONNE MARIE RUSSO AND CHRISTINE LA MONTE IN PERSON
LONG – 05
Saturday, 5pm FOUR MOTHERS
Ireland/UK, Feature Film, 89 minutes, 2023
SEE FULL SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 38
Four Mothers is the funny and touching story of one Irish son juggling four very different mothers. While caring for his octogenarian mother, his three closest friends head off on an impromptu Pride holiday — and leave their own aging mothers in Edward’s care, resulting in one chaotic and unforgettable weekend.
DIRECTED BY DARREN THORNTON
LONG - 06
Saturday, 7:15pm
ADVENTURE SHORTS 1
SEE SYNOPSES ON PAGE 23 NEVER TOO OLD ALL IN OR NOTHING KEEP IT BURNING
JAMIE LOGAN: ALL IN MILES BEYOND REMISSION
LONG - 07
Sunday, 10am
THE SUMMER BOOK
US/Finland, Feature Film, 95 minutes, 2024
SEE FULL SYNOPSIS PAGE 28
Starring 8-time Academy Award nominee Glenn
Close, Emily Matthews, and Anders Danielsen Lie
The Summer Book, based on Tove Jansson’s 1972 novel of the same title, is a story of Sophia, an eight-year-old girl who is growing up fast, and her artist grandmother, who is nearing the end of her life. They are spending time together with Sophia’s father, after the death of her mother, at the idyllic family summer house on a tiny island in the Gulf of Finland. DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY CHARLIE MCDOWELL
Roger Chaffee, Ed White, and Gus Grissom were elite astronauts who would all meet their fate on January 27, 1967, on Pad 34 at Cape Kennedy. What happened that day would shock the nation and NASA to its core, shatter the lives of the families of the three astronauts, and change space travel forever. DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY MARK CRAIG PRODUCED BY KEITH HAVILAND, ANSGAR POHLE, MARK CRAIG, KEITH HAVILAND, ANSGAR POHLE IN PERSON
LONG - 09
Sunday, 3pm
CHAMPIONS
OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY
US, Feature Documentary, 81 minutes, 2024
SEE FULL SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 24
In the remote mountain villages of Bamyan, Afghanistan, a newfound passion for skiing attracts young athletes from rival ethnic groups to the slopes, with minimal gear, makeshift wooden skis, and a rigged tow rope. But after the shocking collapse of their country and the Taliban takeover, many of the skiers become refugees. The film’s parallel stories converge, exploring what it means to be a true champion, in all its forms. SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY BEN STURGULEWSKI
PRODUCED BY KATIE STJERNHOLM, BAKTASH AHADI BEN STURGULEWSKI AND KATIE STJERNHOLM IN PERSON
LONG - 10
Sunday, 5:15pm
THE LAST JOURNEY
Sweden, Feature Documentary, 90 minutes, 2024
SEE FULL SYNOPSIS ON PAGE 19
Sweden’s entry for Best International Feature for the 2025 Academy Awards Swedish filmmaker Filip Hammar is worried about his 80-year-old father’s depression, and he gets an idea to restore Lars’ “spark of life” by recreating the same car trip to Paris that the family made every summer when Filip was a child. The hilarious, yet poignant adventure begins — a heartwarming testament to a son’s deep love for his father. SUBTITLED
DIRECTED BY FILIP HAMMAR, FREDRIK WIKINGSSON
LONG - 11
Sunday, 7:30pm
ADVENTURE SHORTS 2
SEE SYNOPSES ON PAGE 35
2 LEGS IS 2 EASY BALANCES DANCING WARRIOR TO SCALE: TIME BEYOND
We look forward to welcoming you to our new location in Boulder. Conveniently located at 28th and Canyon, our professional team in Boulder provides comprehensive services, personalized money market accounts, high-earning CDs, and more.1 Now, all your banking needs are available in two Boulder locations – both backed by Vectra Bank’s award winning service and Colorado-wide reputation.
OUR STAFF
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Robin Beeck
DIRECTOR
Kathy Beeck
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Kevin Smith
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Sherri Fike
SPONSORSHIP DIRECTOR
Chris Northrup
PROGRAM MANAGER
Shawna Sprowls
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Jamie Cox
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Dave Riepe
VOLUNTEER MANAGER
Megan Dawson
EDUCATION OUTREACH
DIRECTOR
Maggie Bennink
BIFF SHOW PRODUCER
Genavieve Anderson
ADVENTURE FILM PAVILION
Mick Follari, Producer
FESTIVAL PASS PICKUP
Arlene LaMar Francica, Festival Pass Pickup Manager
Chris Francica, Festival Pass
Pickup Technical Manager
Linda Hayes-Angiono
FILMMAKER COORDINATOR
Sara Murphy
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Bob Walter/Stylus Creative
Kitty Nicholason
HEAD WRITER
Arlan Beeck
MODERATOR COORDINATOR
Heather Hurford
PROGRAM EDITOR
Lauren Piscopo
SENIOR OUTREACH COORDINATOR
Barbara Bowerman
SIGNAGE MANAGER
Krysia Gallagher
FESTIVAL SURVEY TEAM LEAD
Marissa Poppens
SUSTAINABILITY TEAM LEAD
Jeff Adams
PROGRAM CONSULTANT
Laura Thielen
PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION
Dave Wheeler, Manager
BOX OFFICE
Kaitlyn Ryan, Festival Box Office Manager
Naomi Dunlap, Box Office Team Lead
Jenn Cruger, VIC Festival Box Office Lead
Melissa Fike, Century Festival Box Office Lead
Amy Aldredge
Elysabeth Ashe
Svetlana Burova
Mary Dahlstrom
Jack Dawson
Carol Dwyer
David Graham
Alan Halpern
Ann Harsh
Becky Hickson
Dia Kline
Lisa Lanzetta
Pam Lurie
Christopher McCarthy
Melinda Morris
Mary Nugent
Sylvie Pennaforte
Jane Roberts
CALL2ACTION
Crystal Gray, Co-Manager
Nikhil Mankekar, Co-Manager
William Baringer, Coordinator
Paul Culnan
Eileen Dolbeare
Gwen Dooley
Topher Downham
Jacquie McKenna
Patty Sharp
John Spitzer
Jennilee Steinmann
FESTIVAL EVENTS
Genavieve Anderson, Show Producer
Nicole Alamo, CineCHEF Culinary Director
Franchesca Anderson, Lead Events Manager
Rosalie Sheffield, Opening Night Boulderado Lead
Jane Backer, Opening Night
RSVP Co-Coordinator
Dodie Udall, Opening Night
RSVP Co-Coordinator
Kenda Brouns
Mark Brouns
Jo-Jo Haws
Donna Kruger
Marilyn Marinelli
FESTIVAL JURY
Marty Mapes, President
Patti Bruck
Mick Follari
Lisa Kennedy
FILMMAKER LIAISON
Steve Aldridge, Manager
Lisa Bell, Manager
Susie Chandler
Lenora Cooper
Sherri Fike
Lori Krug
Steve Harris
Mary Molloy-Rios
Julien Romeo Motola
Willie Rios
MARKETING AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS
Jamie Cox, Manager
Jane Pietruszka, Communications
Alan O'Hashi, Boulder Community Media
Randy Malone, Official Photographer
Tom Parkin, Video Production & DP
John Williams, Video Production
Jason DeWitt, Photographer
Nathan Jongewaard, Videographer
Lee Blake
Mara Jackson
Robert Leja
Kathleen McCormick
Xan McKenna
Kaitlyn Potter
Sara Wiechman
MERCHANDISE
Elsbeth Sweeney, Lead
MUSIC PRODUCTION
Matt Cottle
Luke Fisher
David Kennedy
Fiona Oren
Ian Steele
PRODUCTION
Genavieve Anderson, Show Producer
Andrew Odlum, Lead Production Manager
Stephen Zanowick, Operations Strategist
Svetlana Burova
Angela Howell
Nathan Jongewaard
Spencer Myers
Thanks to our dedicated staff and volunteers, who have worked so hard to help us get to our 21st year!
SELECTION COMMITTEE
Shawna Sprowls, Program Manager
Marty Mapes
Patti Bruck
Peter Dillon
Andrea Birgers
Sherri Fike
Jack Hanley
Ginger Havlat
Arlene LaMar Francica
Patti Leber
Meg Moritz
Ann Moss
Sara Murphy
Shay Westcott
Alissa Wood
STAGE MANAGERS
Jayne Romyn, Stage Management Team Lead
Mitch Hulse, Operational Stage Manager
Ethan Bedle
Dick Devin
Michele Dupepe
Rachel Lederman
Kim Marroquin
Timothy Mcdonald
Bob Nichols
Brian Sodaro
Eric Roth
Scott Ruble
Duncan Todd
Brian Woodward
TECHNICAL PRODUCTION
Dave Riepe, Technical Director
Projectionists:
Billy Allyn
Jacob Barreras
Jacob Corbo
Jack Corgiat
Nick Johnson
Matt Larson
William Overton
THEATER OPERATIONS
Jackie Osborn, Theater Operations Team Lead
Derek Stanley, Theater Operations Assistant Lead
Ali Boyle, Lead House Mgr
Melissa Fornabaio, Lead House Mgr
Kat Lundahl, Lead House Mgr
Kim Pettingill-Long, Lead House Mgr
Barbara Prowe, Lead House Mgr
Tessa Brown
Pat Comfort
Gary Craig
Elizabeth Dominick
Sherry Feinbaum
Cassidy Friedman
Liz Jessup
Michael Kelem
Martyna Kostecka
Anna Mahorski
Kelly Mayer
Ella McGregor
Robin Moskal
Tom Moskal
Eric Nudelman
Elisa Patterson
David Petroy
Mary Schnepf
Laura Skinkle
Jody Smith
Jennifer Stanley
Helaine Unger
Stephanie Willner
VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT
Megan Dawson, Volunteer Manager
Mik Nielsen, Shiftboard Manager
Patty Kenney, Volunteer Shiftboard Emeritus
Robert Carr
Jim Gately
Jackie Marrinan
WIFI TECHNICIANS
John Neyer, Tech Wizard Lead
Andrew Brislin
Mark Brouns
Michael Kelem
FRIDAY
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH / FUMC
FUMC-03 10a p19 THE LAST JOURNEY
GRACE COMMONS CHURCH / GC
GC-01 10a p21 MONGOLIA, VALLEY OF THE BEARS
MARCH 14
1 & 2 CENTURY BOULDER / CEN1,2
CEN2-03 10a p24 UNEARTH
FUMC-04 12:15p p20 CALL ME DANCER
FUMC-05 2:30p p20 COLOR BOOK
CEN1-01 3:30p p17 ALL GOD'S CHILDREN
CEN2-01 4:15p p17
THE TEACHER WHO PROMISED THE SEA FUMC-01 4:45p p18 SHORT FILMS 1
CEN1-02 6:30p p17 BLUE ROAD: THE EDNA O'BRIEN STORY
CEN2-02 7p p18 POISON
FUMC-02 7:15p p19 VIVA VERDI!
BT-02
OPENING NIGHT RED CARPET GALA 5pm PRE-FILM FESTIVITIES at Hotel Boulderado & Rembrandt Yard 6:30pm BOULDER THEATER DOORS OPEN 7:15pm THE FRIEND (see p.27)
FUMC-06 5p p21 SPEAK.
FUMC-07 7:45p p21 DRIVE BACK HOME
CEN1-03 10:30a p24 SHORT FILMS 1
GC-02 12:15p p22 THE LAST OBSERVERS/ CHASING TIME
GC-03 2:30p p23 ADVENTURE SHORTS 1
CEN2-04 12:30p p25 WE WERE DANGEROUS CEN1-04 1p p25 VIVA VERDI!
GC-04 5p p23 76 DAYS ADRIFT
CEN2-05 3p p25
BEETHOVEN'S NINE: ODE TO HUMANITY
CEN1-05 3:30p p25
LIZA: A TRULY TERRIFIC ABSOLUTELY TRUE STORY
CEN2-06 5:30p p25 WAVES
CEN1-06 6p p26 ZURAWSKI V TEXAS
GC-05 7:30p p24 CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY
LONG-01 7p p46 SHORT FILMS 1
SATURDAY
BOULDER THEATER / BT
BT-03 10a p28 THE SUMMER BOOK
BT-04 12:15p p28
DIANE WARREN: RELENTLESS
BT-05 2:45p p29 APOLLO 1
MARCH 15
BT-06 5:45p p29 DEVO
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH / FUMC 1
FUMC-08 10a p30 CHECKPOINT ZOO
GRACE COMMONS CHURCH / GC
GC-06 10a p33 BETWEEN THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SKY
CENTURY BOULDER / CEN1 2
CEN1-07 10a p35
WE WERE DANGEROUS
FUMC-09 12:15p p30 IN WAVES AND WAR
GC-07 12:15p p33 BIG WATER THEORY
CENTURY BOULDER / CEN2 LONGMONT / LONG
LONG-02 10a p46 SHORT FILMS 2
CEN2-07 10:30a p35 BLUE ROAD: THE EDNA O'BRIEN STORY
PARTY & EVENT VENUES
LONG-03 12:15p p46 THE DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL
FUMC-10 3p p31 SHORT FILMS 2
FUMC-11 5:30p p32 THE DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL
GC-08 2:30p p34 MOSES –13 STEPS
CEN1-08 12:45p p36 BOULDER FILMMAKER SHOWCASE
CEN1-09 3:30p p36 ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO
CEN2-08 1:15p p36 THE TEACHER WHO PROMISED THE SEA
