Holler
Audio By Carbonatix
Despite the pandemic and the ongoing closure of the Sie FilmCenter, Denver Film has pulled off much of its usual festival programming in 2020 and 2021, only online. The nonprofit just wrapped the Dragon Boat Film Festival, a celebration of Asian cinema, and now it’s getting ready for the twelfth annual Women+Film Festival.
This year’s fest, which brings films by and about women to Colorado, runs April 13 through April 18 and will be hosted on the nonprofit’s Virtual Cinema platform, which is available through the Denver Film website and app for Roku TV and Apple TV.
Opening night will be a presentation of Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It, a documentary biography about the singer, actor and dancer, who debuted on the silver screen in 1950 and went on to perform in West Side Story, Singing in the Rain and, more recently, such television series as Oz and One Day at a Time.
The festival concludes with Holler, a critically celebrated indie film about a working-class woman who risks her life joining a scrap-metal crew to fund college.
The lineup offers a particularly strong mix of independent documentaries, including Amy Tan: Unintended Memoire, a biography of the Joy Luck Club author; End of the Line: The Story of Standing Rock, which chronicles Indigenous women who protested the Dakota Access oil pipeline; Landfall, an exploration of post-Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico; and Luchadoras, a look at women wrestlers in Mexico.
There are also plenty of narrative and short films to enjoy, including five premieres. Watch for conversations throughout the festival with both filmmakers and community leaders.
Women+Film was founded in 2010 by Barbara Bridges, the co-author of the 2019 book Hollywood: Her Story. She has been on a crusade to champion women in film, ensuring that their contributions are not lost in the history books, and pushing push for more movies to be made by and about women.
“From our Opening Night special presentation through an amazing six-day lineup of programming, we’re excited to bring some of the most thought-provoking and challenging, as well as creative and entertaining, films that highlight women’s stories on the screen and women working behind the camera,” notes Bridges in a statement announcing the festival. “Although we won’t be able to gather in-person again this year, our exclusive virtual platform provides our audiences with access to these incredible stories that help drive important conversations in our community.”
Women+Film runs April 13 through April 18. Festival passes are $90 for Denver Film members and $110 for non-members; tickets to individual films are $12 for Denver Film members and $15 for non-members. For a full list of programs and to buy tickets, go to the Denver Film website.
