BOULDER FESTIVAL IS BACK WITH 88 FILMS AND STARS
Boulder International Film Festival is back with a record 88 films, international stars
Now in its 16th year, the Boulder International Film Festival will ignite the Front Range this weekend with happy hours, receptions, musical acts, cooking showdowns and, of course, a record-breaking 88 films.
What started as a modest festival organized by sisters Kathy and Robin Beeck in 2004 has evolved into a starstudded, multiday event packed with Q&As and one-of-a-kind entertainment.
Even though the festival officially kicked off Thursday, the opening night — with a red carpet gala and parties at Boulderado and Rembrandt Yard — will take place on Friday, March 6. That change was made in an effort to encourage people to attend the afterparty that kicks off at 10 p.m. at The Post, with a performance from the Wendy Woo Band.
The opening night film is “Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band.” Produced by powerhouse team Martin Scorsese, Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, the documentary chronicles the rise and fall of a group that delivered memorable hits such as
“The Weight,” “Up on Cripple Creek” and “Atlantic City.” Robertson will be there in person to answer questions about his song-filled journey. (Limited tickets are still available.)
“I was completely blown away” by “Once Were Brothers,” said festival director Kathy Beeck. “It’s one of the best music docs I’ve ever seen.”
On Saturday, Academy Award-nominee Jesse Eisenberg will weigh in on his recent role in “Resistance,” portraying the world-famous mime Marcel Marceau, who, before stardom joined the French Resistance to save the lives of thousands of orphaned children at the hands of Nazis during World War II. (Only standby tickets are available for that showing.)
“‘Resistance’ is a fabulous film,” said Robin Beeck, executive director of BIFF. “We are so lucky to be able to screen it. He’s got a great range.”
In addition to film, live music continues to be a valued component of the Boulder festival, and this installment will again feature a free Singer Songwriter Showcase at The Post on Saturday, March 7, from 6 to 9 p.m. Then, starting at 9 p.m., folks can party during the BIFF Noir: Speakeasy, with live music by Banshee Tree at License No. 1 in the Hotel Boulderado.
Also at this year’s festival: Denver-based photographer/artist Suzanne Heintz, best-selling author Cheryl Strayed and various Boulder film luminaries.
June Cleaver aesthetic
Denver’s Heintz has made a career out of satire. Rebelling against societal pressures inflicted on women, she stages wholesome cookie-cutter photo shoots of her and her deadeyed mannequin husband and mannequin daughter. The trio has been captured in sunflower fields, in front of the Eiffel Tower, near the red rocks of Utah and outside of glittering holiday department store window displays.
On Saturday, March 7, at 5:15 p.m., audiences will get a look behind the grueling work that goes into achieving the June Cleaver aesthetic with the Colorado premiere of “Imitating Life: The Audacity of Suzanne Heintz.” Director and producer of the film, Karen Whitehead will offer up insight along with Heintz at First United Methodist Church.
Heintz’s work has gone viral, reaching fans throughout the world that resonate with the potent message behind the glossed-up images.
The 67-minute film takes viewers on a cross-continental, at times stressful, jaunt as Heintz looks for the perfect kitschy shots of her and her stand-in family members.
Heintz hopes viewers of her work take “a look inward.”
“To me, laughter is the first step in recovery from the assumptions that cripple us,” Heintz said. “So, while the comedic element in my work has duped the press and the public into believing that I’m a crazy lady who lives with mannequins, it’s also been the very tool that’s gotten around the instantaneous rejection of alternate views which most people experience when offered didacticism,” Heintz said.
“One of my heroes”
A new addition to the film festival is the Adventure Film Pavilion, bringing world-class films featuring daring paragliders and a blind climber as well as sponsors offering the latest and greatest in various gear at eTown Hall.
The Beeck sisters, both outdoor enthusiasts, saw an opportunity with the new feature, bringing in Strayed, author of “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.” She will participate in a Q&A conducted by Patagonia “climbing ambassador” Timmy O’Neill at 3 p.m. March 8. The event will be streamed at The BIFF Filmmaker Lounge at the Post and at the Sponsor Lounge downstairs at eTown.
“Cheryl Strayed is one of my heroes,” Kathy Beeck said. “I’m so impressed with her.
“Wild” describes Strayed’s 1,100-mile journey of self-discovery, hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 1995. Reese Witherspoon played Strayed in the 2014 film of the same name.
“It’s easy when you train and you know how heavy or light your pack has to be,” said Kathy Beeck, who has backpacked the length of the Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango. “It’s another to just pick up a backpack and go do it.”
Sundance film
While BIFF remains committed to providing a platform for up-and-coming talent, it also shines a light on creatives who have been involved with the festival for years.
Returning this year is Boulder-based director Jeff Orlowski and producer Larissa Rhodes (“Chasing Ice,” “Chasing Coral”) with “The Social Dilemma” — a film, straight from Sundance, that provides a powerful look into the control that tech designers have when it comes to how billions interact on social media platforms.
“I know it’s going to create quite a conversation,” Robin Beeck said.
“That film is going to have an impact everywhere,” Kathy Beeck added.
Other events of note:
• Through March 22, fans can see the origins of BIFF with a special exhibit at the Boulder Library. “Bill Vielehr: The Artist Behind ‘The Vielehr’ ” showcases the exquisite work of the late sculptor who crafted the unique awards given to BIFF winners at closing night ceremonies.
• Hoping to bring films to areas outside of Boulder, BIFF returns to Longmont this year with myriad screenings at The Stewart Auditorium at The Longmont Museum, a location that will host an opening night on Friday, March 6, with a performance from the gypsy-jazz band Espresso! BIFF will also come to Fort Collins March 27-28.
Behind the scenes
For the Beeck sisters, much of the year leading up to the festival is spent organizing it. From securing various grants to traveling to other film festivals to take in the latest offerings, the founders stay busy. While the sisters have the power to handpick selections, around 1,500 films are submitted for a chance to be screened.
“As our mother used to say, there’s a lot of ‘hope’ in all these entries,” Robin Beeck said. “It takes a lot of work to uncover all these films.”
To narrow down the staggering assortment, the Beecks enlist the help of a selection committee composed of 10 people who range from film studies teachers to film critics.
This year, more than 60 percent of the films that will be screened are either made by women or are about women — a choice not consciously made, but very much apropos considering BIFF overlaps with International Women’s Day (on Sunday, March 8).
While the festival continues to grow, its ethos of impactful storytelling continues to provide the foundation. More A-listers may be featured on the lineup and more events may be offered each year, but the essence of inclusivity, collaboration and artful truthtelling burns bright.
“When we were filmmakers, we liked to stand in the back of the theater,” Robin Beeck said. “Now, we can do that with 88 films. It’s great to see what people are feeling. I like hearing people in line talking to others about the favorite films they saw. I love when the festival actually starts.”
“People think about these films for years,” Kathy Beeck added. “They come up to me and tell me they like a film and I’m thinking, ‘That’s from year two.’ ”