Film First

The Boulder International Film Festival is in full swing, and if you haven't caught any of the innovative, controversial and just plain good movies being offered, now's your chance to head up to Boulder for a full day of film-loving. The Opening Night Gala and Film, which took place on Thursday, was the perfect Valentine's Day outing for any movie junkie, featuring jazz by the Hazel Miller Trio, food, a chocolate fountain, a red carpet, filmmakers galore, complimentary roses and a pre-release screening of Helen Hunt's directorial debut, Then She Found Me.

But don't fret if you missed it: There's still plenty going on before tomorrow's Closing Night Awards and Film. (Screening as part of that package is Stranded: I've Come From a Plane That Crashed on the Mountains, the first documentary to tell the story of the famous Andes plane crash in the survivors' own words.) Tonight at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, 1750 13th Street, the Filmmakers' Reception ($12 to $15 at the door; free for VIP pass-holders) is your chance to meet, rub elbows and sip martinis with the filmmakers behind BIFF favorites.

And if you just want to sit and watch, catch the first of the Short Films programs showing today at noon at the Boulder Theater, 2030 14th Street. Then, at 4:30 p.m., Forever, Never, Anywhere, a full-length film out of Austria in which three men become trapped in a car for days on end, screens at the Boulder Public Library, 1000 Canyon Boulevard. Or catch Charlie Bartlett at 6:30 p.m. at the Boulder Theater; it's about a high-school student who plays psychiatrist to the kids in his school, and the screening will be followed by a question-and-answer session with director Jon Poll.

For a full schedule, visit http://biff1.com; for tickets, call 303-786-7030.
Feb. 14-17, 2008