Opening, closing night films announced
Dust off your finest elbowlength gloves and get to polishing your favorite monocle — nobility is heading to Boulder.
The Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) announced that the films opening and closing the festival will include features from both Hollywood royalty and actual royalty.
In a majestic cinematic sandwich, the festival will open on March 1 with the Colorado premiere of “Ezra,” a heartfelt dramedy featuring the “King of Comedy” star Robert De Niro; And it will close on March 3 with a screening of “The Cowboy and the Queen,” a documentary about a horse trainer and Queen Elizabeth II. Opening night festivities kick off with two parties from 5 to 7 p.m. — one at the Hotel Boulderado and another at Rembrandt Yard. These soirées will feature live music, food and libations, followed by the 7:30 p.m. premiere of “Ezra.”
Directed by Tony Goldwyn, “Ezra” tells the tale of stand-up comedian Max Bernal (played by Bobby Cannavale) and his autistic 11-year-old son, Ezra (played by William Fitzgerald). Max, beset by failures in his career and marriage, moves in with his uncommunicative father, Stan (played by De Niro). After fighting with his former wife (played by Rose Byrne) on how to raise their son, Max decides to kidnap Ezra and take him on the road trip of a lifetime.
“The Cowboy and the Queen” is a feature-length documentary chronicling the life of Monty Roberts, a renowned American horse trainer whose development of a nonviolent approach to horse training led to a decade-long friendship with her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
While the Queen herself won’t be there (R.I.P.), Monty Roberts and Andrea Nivens, the film’s directors, will participate in a Q&A after the screening.
Doors open at 6:15 p.m. for festival pass holders and 6:30 p.m. for everyone else, and the film begins at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for opening night are $95 per person, though it should be noted that BIFF Early Bird Festival Passes include entry to the opening night gala and screening. Tickets to closing night are $28. All tickets are available at biff1.com.