Boulder International Film Festival
Event Information
***Tickets Sold Out online? Rush tickets may be available for purchase at the program venue 10 minutes prior to showtime. Rush on over to find out!
Program BT-14
Sunday, 10:00am, Boulder Theater
The Island President
Maldives, Feature Documentary, 2011, 101 min
"Astonishing... Brave battle against long odds." Variety
The low-lying island paradise of Maldives is a harbinger of the worldwide erosion from rising oceans as its beaches and smaller islands are being washed away by the Indian Ocean. The water's continuing rise will render Maldives uninhabitable within our lifetime, and the struggles of this island nation will be multiplied exponentially in near-sea-level cities and countries all over the globe (even in the U.S.). Award-winning director Jon Shenk (Lost Boys of Sudan) has little patience for the ignorance of those who claim that global warming is a hoax. In this film, he combines stunning cinematography with surprising access to the loquacious—and funny—president of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed (who once held a cabinet meeting underwater), as Nasheed passionately argues for carbon limitations at the United Nations.
- Directed by Jon Shenk
- Boulder Premiere
Program BT-15
Sunday, 12:30pm, Boulder Theater
Shorts Program 2:
X.C.
USA, Short Film/Student, 2011, 15 min
Rivals Dana Ryan and Lacy Millman, the two fastest girls running high school cross-country, navigate the triumphs and dangers of their sport as they prepare for the Colorado State Championship. This film is an ode to the strength of long-distance runners and the beautiful Colorado wild lands they traverse.
- Directed by Sam Osborn
- Colorado Premiere
- Sam Osborn in person
UK, Short Film, 2010, 5 min
Winner at the Krakow Film Festival and the Festival du Cinéma de Paris
Errol and Beth visit Mick on his birthday and express concern about whether Mick and his brother are capable of looking after themselves at their age.
- Directed by Philip Leopard
- Boulder Premiere
Sailcloth
UK, Short Documentary, 2011, 18 min
On the 2012 Academy Awards short list
"... a visually stunning, silent short that is as intriguing as the latest Hollywood blockbuster." FilmSlate
Legendary two-time Oscar winner John Hurt plays an elderly widower who sets in motion a series of events to veil his disappearance from a nursing home. After gathering a few things from the local fire station, he heads to the village pier where a beloved companion awaits him—ready for their last great journey.
- Directed by Elfar Adalsteins
- Boulder Premiere
USA, Short Film, 2010, 7 min
Audience Recognition at the Aspen Shortsfest
A man with an unusual medical condition is embarrassed to discover that the call girl he hired is an old friend.
- Directed by John Salcido
- Boulder Premiere
Passing Time
USA, Short Film/Student, 2011, 3 min
Passing time in the restroom has never been more musical.
- Directed by Larissa Rhodes
- World Premiere
- Larissa Rhodes in person
Yuri Lennon’s Landing on Alpha 46
Germany, Short Film, 2010, 14 min
Special Jury Recognition at the Aspen Shortsfest
Shuttle pilot Yuri Lennon investigates a mysterious signal transmission emanating from unknown planet A46. Upon landing, he faces an extraordinary paradox.
- Directed by Anthony Vouardoux
- Boulder Premiere
Ireland, Short Film, 2011, 11 min
Winner of Critic's Choice Award at the Tribeca Film Festival
On the 2012 Academy Awards short list
Eleven-year-old Damian is to serve as an altar boy at an important Mass in his local parish. During his last Mass, he knocked Father O'Toole off the altar, so Damien is serving a three-month ban from his only passion, football. Damian's team, Liverpool FC, are soon playing in the European cup final. Damien's father offers him a chance to see the big game, if he only serves the Mass correctly.
- Directed by Peter McDonald
- Colorado Premiere
Program BT-16
Sunday, 2:30pm, Boulder Theater
The Lady
UK, Feature Film, 2011, 127 min
"At once epic and intimate, disturbing and galvanizing..." tiff
It's July 19, 1947. Future Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is on the knee of her father, Aung San, who is leading his country to independence from Britain. Her father then goes to a cabinet meeting, where he is assassinated. Years later, while in school in Oxford, Aung San Suu Kyi falls in love and marries an Oxford academic, Michael Aris, and has two sons. She returned to Burma in 1988 to visit her ailing mother and was swept up in the democracy protests, becoming the symbol of the Burmese people's struggle against military rule. She spent years in prison or under house arrest. When Aris was dying of cancer in 1999, the junta denied him entry to Burma to see his wife for the last time, while Suu Kyi refused to leave for fear she couldn't return. Beautifully acted and sumptuously filmed, The Lady is both a heartbreaking and triumphant portrait of one of the most courageous people of our time.
- Directed by Luc Besson
- Colorado Premiere
Program HS-06
Sunday, 10:00am, Boulder High School Theater
Nicky’s Family
Slovakia/Czech Republic, Feature Documentary, 2011, 90 min
Winner at the Jerusalem International and Montreal World Film Festivals
Now known as the British Oskar Schindler, Nicholas Winton, while vacationing in Prague in 1938, learned about the refugees fleeing Hitler’s army and about the many children who were in danger of losing their lives. Winton took action: He managed to arrange visas and admission to British families for nearly 700 central European Jewish children. After the war, he returned to his private life and never mentioned this incident. Fifty years later, his wife found a scrapbook full of documents and transport plans. Today, 102-year-old Sir Nicholas Winton, knighted by Queen Elizabeth and nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, is unbelievably active and still engaged in charity work. He is surrounded by his children, his grandchildren and, of course, all of his rescued “children,” who today represent almost 6,000 people.
- Directed by Matej Minac
- Colorado Premiere
Program HS-07
Sunday, 12:30pm, Boulder High School Theater
Cape Spin: An American Power Struggle
USA, Feature Documentary, 2011, 86 min
"It is lively and entertaining. But viewers could be forgiven for coming away even more cynical than before about the democratic process." Center for Social Media
A company proposes to build 130 40-story wind turbines in Nantucket Sound, highly visible from the shores of Martha’s Vineyard, America's water playground for the super-rich. The technology is not rocket science; huge turbine farms have been in the North Sea for a generation, and they can generate electricity at one-third the cost of solar. It’s classic NIMBY vs. Greens, except both sides have millions to spend on "public information" campaigns that have degenerated into explosive battles of distortion and deception. The filmmakers have wisely decided to not take sides, which has allowed them to present each camp, in its respective fervor, as both surreal and disturbingly funny.
- Directed by John Kirby, Robby Coemmel, Dan Coffin and Libby Handros
- Produced by Libby Handros
- Executive Producer Jim Butterworth
- Colorado Premiere
Program HS-08
Sunday, 2:45pm, Boulder High School Theater
Somewhere Between
USA, Feature Documentary, 2011, 93 min
Winner of the People’s Choice Award at Hot Docs
"... delicately wrought, deeply felt ..." Variety
For teenage girls, when “belonging” means everything, this film offers rare insight into a group of girls unsure of where they belong. It began when Linda Knowlton and her husband adopted a young girl from China, and Linda decided to look into her daughter's future as a trans-racial teenage adoptee in America. As a result of China's "One Child Policy," over 80,000 young Chinese girls have been adopted into American families since 1989. This deeply moving film follows four strong young women as they navigate the treacherous shoals of adolescence, struggling to make sense of their lives. Through these young women, and their explorations of who they are, we ourselves pause to consider who we are—both as individuals and as a nation of immigrants.
Due to the emotional subject matter, this film is not recommended for ages 14 or under.
- Directed and produced by Linda Goldstein Knowlton
- Colorado Premiere
- Linda Goldstein Knowlton in person
Program HS-09
Sunday, 5:15pm, Boulder High School Theater
Wild Horse, Wild Ride
USA, Feature Documentary, 2011, 106 min
SECOND SCREENING
Top Audience Awards at the Hot Docs and Dallas Film Festivals
"... a film with warmth and compassion that will leave you feeling great inside." Dallas Film Festival
Each summer, the federal government rounds up thousands of wild horses for relocation. A lucky 100 of them are given to 100 trainers, who have 100 days to ready the animals—which have never experienced human contact—to compete in the Extreme Mustang Makeover Challenge. This intimate film follows a handful of the men and women trainers as they work with their horses. What starts as a cautious, fearful relationship evolves slowly and magically into a powerful bond as intuitive and telepathic as any love affair. How many of these remarkably diverse humans and horses will actually succeed at this seemingly impossible task? And what will they learn about themselves?
- Filmmakers Alex Dawson and Greg Gricus
- Boulder Premiere
- Alex Dawson and Greg Gricus in person
Program HS-10
Sunday, 7:45pm, Boulder High School Theater
Semper Fi: Always Faithful
USA, Feature Documentary, 2011, 75 min
On the 2012 Academy Awards short list
"For profiles in pure courage, it doesn't get more sobering than Semper Fi." The Washington Post
After Marine Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger's daughter dies of a rare form of leukemia, he teams up with Mike Partain, a former Marine who, along with many other soldiers from Camp Lejeune, developed a rare form of breast cancer. In their search for answers, Ensminger and Partain (now an insurance investigator) discover a shocking secret: Lejeune's water has been tainted with industrial chemicals for 30 years, exposing up to one million people. The military knew about it all along, but instead of trying to correct it, they covered it up. As the duo push their case higher, the stakes grow exponentially. The reclassification of some chemicals in the polluted water as carcinogens could cost corporations billions of dollars, bringing out armies of lawyers and lobbyists. But the gruff Ensminger battles his way to the top, exposing one of the largest incidents of water contamination in our nation's history.
- Directed by Tony Hardman and Rachel Libert
- Colorado Premiere
Special Event C:
Sunday, February 19, Boulder Public Library Canyon Theater
3:00 - 5:00pm
Price: General Admission $25.00 / Student $15.00 (Bring Idea)
Sponsored by Boulder Digital Arts
This workshop will cover the basics of the demanding and underpaid art form of documentary filmmaking, from the personal to the practical. Instructor Abigail Wright will take you through all the stages of documentary planning, from pre-production to filming to promotion. This workshop is for anyone who wants to make a documentary, but isn’t sure where to start. Some filmmaking experience is helpful, but not necessary.
Instructor Abigail Wright has been an award-winnign filmmaker, writer, producer, theater director and actor for 25 years.
Closing Night and Awards Ceremony
- Doors open at 6:30pm / 6:15pm for Passholders
- Music 6:15pm–7:30pm
- Awards Ceremony at 7:30pm
- Tribute at 8:00pm
- Film at 9:15pm
- Times are approximate
- Appetizers by Whole Foods Market
- Drinks available for purchase
- Specially priced wines by Francis Ford Coppola Winery
- Hot teas by Bhakti Chai
- Music by The Fever
Price: General Admission $42.00 / Free for Passholders
Proceeds benefit the non-profit, year-round activities of the Colorado Film Society and BIFF
Program BT-17 - RUSH TICKETS ONLY
Sunday, 7:15pm, Boulder Theater
Chasing Ice
USA, Feature Documentary, 2012, 74 min
Direct to BIFF from the Sundance Film Festival
“Science, spectacle and human passion mix in this stunningly cinematic portrait ..." Variety
Produced in Boulder by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Jerry Aronson (The Divided Trail) and Oscar-winning producer Paula DuPré Pesmen (The Cove), this breathtakingly beautiful film is one of the most anticipated documentaries of 2012. Famed National Geographic photographer James Balog deploys revolutionary time-lapse cameras throughout the Arctic to capture a multi-year record of the world's changing glaciers. His electrifying videos compress years into seconds and capture ancient mountains of ice in motion as they disappear at a breathtaking—and rapidly accelerating—rate. Chasing Ice is a hair-raising adventure story as cinematographer and director Jeff Orlowski follows Balog and his team through brutal weather on three continents while Balog bravely documents the biggest story facing humanity.
- Directed and produced by Jeff Orlowski
- Produced by Jerry Aronson and Paula DuPré Pesmen
- Colorado Premiere
- James Balog, Jeff Orlowski, Jerry Aronson and Paula DuPré Pesmen in person
Co-presented by Extreme Ice Survey, Introduced by James Balog, filmmaker and Extreme Ice Survey founder
GIFT CERTIFICATES are available in denominations of $25, $50, $100 are available at the Boulder Theater box office or online.
VIP PASSES $355 may be purchased now! Insure that you won't miss a film, party or sold-out celebrity interview next year. VIP Passes provide priority access to everything at BIFF--bypass the lines, see as many films as you'd like, and attend all special events, including the Opening Night Gala, Closing Night Awards Ceremony and the VIP Filmmaker Reception. (The VIP pass does not include access to the Digital Media Symposium (DiMe.)