From cowboy lands to ghost towns, Colorado has almost everything a filmmaker could want. Snow-capped mountains, deep canyons, and spellbinding plains offer stunning vistas. In addition to Colorado's natural beauty, the Rockies are riddled with old mining towns, and bustling cities like Denver provide urban settings as well.
Along with its excellent locations, Colorado offers incredible incentives for filmmakers. Both the rich landscape of Colorado and its fantastic incentives are reasons why movies like City Slickers and Cliffhanger have filmed here. With its diversity, films have been shot all over the state. Nurse Betty shot in Durango; Boulder and Denver provided backdrops for About Schmidt and Catch and Release; Glenwood Springs served as the setting for Mr. and Mrs. Smith; and Vegas Vacation and Independence Day filmed in Colorado Springs.
Want to get a closer look at some Colorado locations featured on the big screen? Spend a night at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, the setting for Stephen King's horrifying novel, film, and miniseries The Shining. Or get a thrill riding the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, which appeared in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Film Fest Extravaganza
Colorado is the place to be if you're an avid moviegoer, hosting more than sixty film festivals each year. Some festivals feature a single category, such as independent or documentary; others, like the Boulder International Film Festival, invite all genres and categories of film. There are even film festivals for children. Festival season begins in February and runs almost every weekend until December in towns and cities across the state.
With its reputation as a celebrity destination, it's not surprising that Aspen hosts four annual film festivals. The Aspen Shortsfest, held in the spring, focuses on the cinematic strengths of short films from around the world. It aims to help mentor emerging filmmakers, as well as introducing their works to the public. In the summer months, the much-anticipated SummerFILMS begins a nine week series of diverse genres, including classics and foreign films. Aspen Filmfest, held in the fall, is an intense gala for independent filmmakers around the world, complete with posh dinners and grand productions. December brings the festival dedicated to the most eagerly anticipated movies of the year, the Aspen Academy Screenings. Open to everyone, this festival runs for two weeks, showing critically acclaimed films likely to be nominated for the Oscars.
The nonprofit Vail Film Institute began its mission of promoting independent filmmakers with its first annual Vail Film Festival in 2004. With 5000 people attending that first year to sit in the dark and become lost in other worlds, the festival was a major success right from the start. Held each spring, this festival showcases a variety of independent films, from well-known filmmakers to students. Its categories include Action Sports and Oscar Shorts.
The Telluride Film Festival is not your average feature film viewing event. James Card, the head of the motion picture collection at the George Eastman House, pondered on a film festival based on forgotten and hard-to-find films. The first Telluride Film Festival began in August, 1974, and since has become a Labor Day weekend custom. In addition to screening films of the past, the festival also shows recent films from around the world. People who flock here may be the first to view later blockbusters; Telluride premiered such gems as The Crying Game and Twin Peaks. The festival's always-eclectic lineup isn't revealed until the event begins, so no one ever knows what to expect at Telluride – except that it will be fantastic.
Out on the front range lies Boulder, where the Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) takes place each President's Day weekend. This world-class festival showcases films in many categories. Feature films, shorts, documentaries, animation, student films, and a Colorado showcase are all part of the program. Due to low entry fees and the fact that the contest doesn't discriminate based on financial circumstances, this festival is able to present deserving films which otherwise might not find an audience.
Small But Wonderful
While the festivals mentioned above are among the state's most prestigious, Colorado plays host to many smaller film festivals. They include:
The Rocky Mountain Student Film Festival in Basalt, held at Basalt High School in May. This student-run festival includes students across the Rocky Mountain Region.
The Silver Spoon Film Festival in Loveland, held in May at the local museum. It admits films by state residents ages thirteen to twenty, with a running time of twenty minutes or less.
The Crested Butte Reel Fest, held in August, showcases short films.
The Golden GREAT Summer Series in Golden takes place most Friday nights in August and September. The series plays in a park setting, with music and movies.
The Broomfield Independent Film Series in Broomfield, held in the fall, focuses on local independent films.
The Steamboat Mountain Film Festival in Steamboat Springs each October shows films from around the world. It also features an action film contest for the best ski/snowboard action films.
Colorado's amazing locations have inspired filmmakers, and its support of a wide range of films makes it an artistic haven. In addition to its international reputation, Colorado gives ample opportunity for success to local filmmakers, starting as early as elementary school. Whether you're a movie buff or an industry insider, Colorado is a cinematic dream.
From film and literature to music and dance, learn about all that the arts encompass in Colorado.
