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October 27, 2014

Starz Denver Film Festival 2014 - The Schedule

The Imitation Game (1).jpg

Just as those presenting films are being forced to adapt to new technologies, Quentin Tarantino to the contrary, so do those of us who write about film. Last year, the Denver Film Society raised enough money to be able to stay on top of these changes, get digital projectors for all three of their screens at the Sie Theater. This year, critics and journalists covering the festival will no longer be fighting for access to a limited number of DVD screeners, but will be getting video links, increasingly popular especially with the smaller distributors. With that in mind, I have purchased a Roku to hook up with my own television in the hopes that through Vimeo, I can avoid seeing the new Dardenne brothers' work on a thirteen inch laptop. There may be some theatrical screenings for critics, but with my work schedule, certain realities in my life have to get in the way.

As in the past couple of years, screenings will primarily be at the Sie Theater's more intimate auditoriums, as well as several screens at the larger Regal / UA Denver Pavilions multiplex in downtown Denver. Marion Cotillard on the big screen with stadium seating? Mais, oui!

This year, the festival takes place after the more high profile A.F.I. festival in Los Angeles. Even so, the schedule doesn't have some of the more high profile films that have been on the festival circuit. For myself, the most conspicuous absentee would be Godard's Farewell to Language, disappointing as the Denver Pavilions theater is set up for 3D movies.

This year's Stan Brakhage Award goes to Larry Jordan. Like Brakhage, Jordan also went to Denver's South High School, something I wrote about a few years ago. This is one of the events at the film festival I hope to attend.

I'm not familiar with Roberto Ando, but his newest film, Viva La Liberta will be screened. Ando gets the Maria & Tomasso Maglione Italian Filmmaker Award, a monetary prize named after the parents of the wife of Starz founder John Sie. Italy's Oscar contender, Human Capital is also on the schedule.

There's also a focus on Brazilian cinema, concentrating on newer filmmakers. If I hadn't gone to the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, I would be more frustrated by the virtual absence of Asian cinema in this year's festival. The sole Asian film is the Indonesian Killers from the Mo Brothers. I'm also looking forward to seeing the newest film from Hans Petter Moland, and Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter because Rinko Kikuchi is a favorite actress.

The Starz Denver Film Festival runs from November 12 through 23. My posts will run concurrent to the festival.

Posted by Peter Nellhaus at October 27, 2014 12:07 AM