The annual Crested Butte Film Festival begins this weekend, September 24-27, in the small, Colorado mountain town.
This year’s CBFF will show over 90 films throughout the 4 days. The fest will feature narratives, documentaries, outdoor adventure and shorts as well as free children’s programming and multiple filmmaker talks and events.
“Films at the Center of the Arts will be able to be seen on new technical equipment, resulting in a state-of-the-art facility for film presentation,” according to the Center’s site.
There are a couple options for attendees in terms of tickets:
•Individual Screenings: $12
•4-Day Pass: $200
•6-Pack Punch Pass: $65
•Patron Pass: $1,000
More information on tickets and pass perks can be found here.
The films have been broken into the following categories: Narrative Feature Films, Documentary Feature Films, Narrative Short Films, Documentary Short Films, Outdoor Adventure, Mountain Kids Films, Mountain Kids Films for Teens and a variety of shorts that will air before feature films.
Trailers, synopsis and screening times for the major feature films can be found below along with information on the short films. A complete list is available at the CBFF site.
‘Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter’ Trailer
Kumiko lives in a cluttered apartment in Tokyo and works as an office lady, robotically preparing tea for her nit-picky boss. But on her own time, she obsessively watches a well-known American film, Fargo, on a weathered VHS tape. Rewinding and fast-forwarding repeatedly, she meticulously maps out where a briefcase of money is buried. After hours of research and at the end of her dead-end job, Kumiko heads to the United States and into the harsh Minnesota winter to search for it.
Inspired by an urban legend about a Japanese woman who took a similar journey. Rinko Kikuchi gives a fascinating performance as the introspective, visionary Kumiko, whose increasing discomfort with the world leads her to retreat further into isolation. Shot with breathtaking precision, Kumiko soars into transcendence as it reveals the beauty in the quest for reality, even if that reality is just your own. Starring Rinko Kikuchi and David Zellner. This film has been generously sponsored by Carolyn Niesman.
Credit: David Zellner (USA and Japan, 2014, 104 min)
Category: Narrative Feature Films
Playing:
Friday Sept. 25 – 2:30 PM – Center for the Arts
Sunday Sept. 27 – 7 PM – Mountaineer Media Theatre
‘Me And Earl And The Dying Girl’
Greg is coasting through his senior year of high school as anonymously as possible, avoiding social interactions like the plague and making bizarre parodies of classic movies with his co-worker Earl, his only friend. But both his anonymity and friendship threaten to unravel when his mother forces him to befriend a classmate who has just been diagnosed with leukemia. Starring Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, and Olivia Cooke. This film has been generously sponsored by Peggy Brody, and by Kathy Cox.
Credit: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (USA, 2015, 105 mins)
Category: Narrative Feature Films
Playing:
Friday Sept. 25 – 7:30 PM – Majestic Theatre 1
Saturday, Sept. 26 – 7 PM – Majestic Theatre 1
‘Pawn Sacrifice’
In a gripping, true story set during the height of the Cold War, American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire) finds himself caught between two superpowers when he challenges the Soviet Empire and its chess champion Boris Spassky to a series of matches. Also starring Liev Schreiber and Peter Sarsgaard, Pawn Sacrifice chronicles Fischer’s terrifying struggles with genius and madness, and the rise and fall of a kid from Brooklyn who captured the imagination of the world. This film has been generously sponsored by Jan and Gary Friedland, Barbara Goldburg and Bob Rottman, and by Donna Kindervatter and Berek Novak.
Credit: Ed Zwick (USA, 2015, 116 mins)
Category: Narrative Feature Films
Playing:
Thursday, Sept. 24 – 8:30 PM – Majestic Theatre 1
Friday Sept. 25, – 9:30 PM – Majestic Theatre 1
Saturday, Sept. 26 – 1 PM – Majestic Theatre 1
‘The End of the Tour’
Imagine the greatest conversation you’ve ever had. This story of the five-day 1996 interview between Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel) explores the tenuous yet intense relationship that develops between journalist and subject. The two men bob and weave, sharing laughs and also concealing and revealing their hidden vulnerabilities. A brilliantly performed and smartly unconventional buddy film, based on Lipsky’s critically acclaimed memoir about this unforgettable encounter. This film has been generously sponsored by Carolyn Niesman.
Credit: James Ponsoldt (USA, 2015, 106 mins)
Category: Narrative Feature Films
Playing:
Friday Sept. 25 – 12 PM (NOON) – Center for the Arts
Saturday, Sept. 26 – 7 PM – Center for the Arts
‘The Sideways Light’
Mark Reeb. An ethereal and creepy mystery, “The Sideways Light” tells the story of Lily as she cares for her ailing mother, Ruth. While Ruth’s mind unravels, Lily struggles to understand her, the strange happenings in the house her family has called home for generations, and the matrilineal legacy buried deep inside her. Starring Lindsay Burdge, Annalee Jefferies and Mark Reeb.
Credit: Jennifer Harlow Reeb and Mark Reeb
Category: Narrative Feature Films
Playing:
Friday, Sept. 25 – 5:30 PM – Majestic Theatre 2
Sunday, Sept. 27 – 1 PM – Center for the Arts
‘The Summer of Sangaile’
Seventeen year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. At a summer aeronautical show, she meets the beautiful Auste, an artist her own age. Over the course of the summer, Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secrets, and in the process, finds the only person that truly encourages her to fly. This year’s “Blue Is The Warmest Color.” Starring Aiste Dirziute and Julija Steponaityte. In Lithuanian with English subtitles. This film has been generously sponsored by Kathryn Kissam
Credit: Alante Kavaite (Lithuania, 2015, 88 mins)
Category: Narrative Feature Films
Playing:
Friday Sept. 25 – 5 PM – Majestic Theatre 1
Sunday Sept. 27 – 1 PM – Majestic Theatre 1
‘The Tribe’
A once-in-a-lifetime cinematic experience. Crested Butte Film Festival presents the controversial film that took Cannes by storm, The Tribe – with a special talk-back with festival host and film critic, Jack Hanley. Set in a Ukrainian boarding school for the deaf, with a very strict hierarchy among its students, the film’s narrative unfolds entirely in sign language without the need for subtitles or voiceover – and chronicles one student’s rise to power, strictly through its generous and sometimes brutal actions – resulting in a unique, never-before-seen cinematic experience that engages the audience on a new level.
Credit: Miroslav Slaboshpitsky (Ukraine, 2014, 131 min)
Category: Narrative Feature Films
Playing:
Saturday, Sept. 26 – 4PM – Mountaineer Media Theatre
‘White God’
A metaphorical look at modern Europe. When young Lili is forced to give up her beloved dog, Hagen, because its mixed-breed heritage is deemed “unfit” by The State, she and the dog begin a dangerous journey back toward each other.
Credit: Kornél Mundruczó (Hungary, 2014, 120 mins)
Category: Narrative Feature Films
Playing:
Friday, Sept. 25 – 9:30 PM – Center for the Arts
Sunday, Sept. 27 – 10 AM – Center for the Arts
‘The Diary of a Teenage Girl’
Like most teenage girls, Minnie Goetze (Bel Powley) is longing for love, acceptance and a sense of purpose in the world. Minnie begins a complex love affair with her mother’s (Kristen Wiig) boyfriend, “the handsomest man in the world,” Monroe (Alexander Skarsgård). What follows is a sharp, funny and provocative account of one girl’s sexual and artistic awakening, without judgment.
Set in 1976 San Francisco, ‘The Diary of a Teenage Girl’ begins at the crossroads of the fading hippie movement and the dawn of punk rock. News commentary of the Patty Hearst trial echoes in the background, as Minnie’s young expressive eyes soak in a drug-laden city in transition— where teenage rebellion and adult responsibility clash in characters lost and longing. Minnie’s hard-partying mother and absent father have left her rudderless. She first finds solace in Monroe’s seductive smile, and then on the backstreets of the city by the bay. Animation serves a refuge from the confusing and unstable world around her. Minnie emerges defiant— taking command of her sexuality and drawing on her newfound creative talents to reveal truths in the kind of intimate and vivid detail that can only be found in the pages of a teenage girl’s diary.
Credit: Marielle Heller (USA, 2015, 102 mins)
Category: Narrative Feature Films
Playing:
Friday Sept. 25- 8 PM – Majestic Theatre 2
Saturday, Sept. 26 – 9:30 PM – Majestic Theatre 1
‘Becoming Bulletproof’
“Becoming Bulletproof” documents the making of an original Western movie called “Bulletproof,” which features a diverse group of able-bodied and disabled actors who meet every year to write, produce, direct and star in a film. This riveting film-within-a-film immerses us in a dynamic, inclusive world of discipline and play that leads to starring roles in a magical, rip-roaring costume drama Western that raises questions about why we so rarely see real disabled actors on the big screen. This film has been generously sponsored by Tricia Seeberg.
Credit: Michael Barnett (USA, 2014, 80 mins)
Category: Documentary Feature Films
Playing:
Friday Sept. 25 – 9:30 PM – Mountaineer Media Theatre
Saturday, Sept. 26 – 1 PM – Mountaineer Media Theatre
‘Crocodile Gennadiy’
Ukrainian Pastor Gennadiy Mokhnenko has made a name for himself by forcibly abducting homeless, drug-addicted kids from the streets of Mariupol, Ukraine and bringing them into rehab at his church. But he’s also a vigilante who uses any force necessary to carry out his moral vision. As his country leans towards European Union inclusion, hopes of continued post-Soviet revitalization seem possible, but the looming fear of a Russian invasion threatens everything.In Russian with English subtitles.
Credit: Steve Hoover (USA, 2015, 100 mins)
Category: Documentary Feature Films
Playing:
Friday Sept. 25 – 2:30 PM – Mountaineer Media Theatre
Saturday, Sept. 26 – 9:30 PM – Mountaineer Media Theatre
‘Do You Dream in Color?’
Imagine skateboarding blind. Imagine being a heavy metal drummer or traveling by yourself to Portugal, and being blind. “Do You Dream In Color?” is a poignant coming-of-age age story capturing the inspired journeys and dreams of four teenagers who are blind. Their stories shine a provocative light on the social and institutional obstacles they face in the sighted world and what it takes to surmount these barriers. This film has been generously sponsored by Jen Greene and Paradox Footwear, and by Annie, Tom, and Wilson MacFarlane.
Credit: Abigail Fuller & Sarah Ivy (USA, 2014, 74mins)
Category: Documentary Feature Films
Playing:
Friday Sept. 25 – 12 PM (NOON) – Majestic Theatre 1
Saturday, Sept. 26 – 10 AM – Majestic Theatre 1
‘Frame by Frame’
Imagine a culture where photography is banned. When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, taking a photo (family, wedding, or otherwise) was considered blasphemous and made a crime. Photography simply vanished. When the regime was deposed in 2001, a fledgling free press emerged and a photographic revolution was born. Now, as foreign troops and the media withdraw, Afghanistan is left to stand on its own – and so are its journalists.
‘Frame By Frame,’ astonishingly directed by two American women (including CBFF alumni Alexandria Bombach) follows four Afghan photojournalists as they navigate an emerging and dangerous media landscape reframing Afghanistan for the world, and for themselves. Through cinema vérité, intimate interviews, powerful photojournalism, and never-before-seen archival footage shot in secret during the Taliban regime, the film connects audiences with four humans in the pursuit of the truth. In Dari and English with English subtitles.
Credit: Alexandria Bombach and Mo Scarpelli (Afghanistan, 2015, 85 min)
Category: Documentary Feature Films
Playing:
Friday Sept. 25 – 5 PM – Mountaineer Media Theatre
Sunday Sept. 27- 10 AM – Mountaineer Media Theatre
‘Poached’
When passion becomes obsession: In the United Kingdom, egg thieves rob the nests of rare birds while a police initiative named “Operation Easter” tries to stop them. “Poached” is a fascinating expose into the lives and obsessions of five men whose actions threaten to wipe out an entire species of birds. “Utterly fascinating and weird. An intellectual character study of specimens, obsession, and self-rationalization. Brilliant, bizarre, and beautiful.” This film has been generously sponsored by Sean and Jennie Reilly.
Credit: Timothy Wheeler (USA, 2015, 91 min)
Category: Documentary Feature Films
Playing:
Saturday, Sept. 26 – 4 PM – Center for the Arts
Sunday Sept. 2727 – 4 PM – Mountaineer Media Theatre
‘Racing Extinction’
Oscar®-winning director Louie Psihoyos (The Cove) assembles a team of artists and activists on an undercover operation to expose the hidden world of endangered species and the race to protect them against mass extinction. Spanning the globe to infiltrate the world’s most dangerous black markets and using high-tech tactics to document the link between carbon emissions and species extinction, ‘Racing Extinction’ reveals stunning, never-before seen images that truly change the way we see the world – imagine images of blue whales swimming atop the Empire State Building or Mt. Crested Butte for that matter. This film has been generously sponsored by Smithworks Natural Homes, and by the Colorado Office of Film, Television & Media.
Credit: Louie Psihoyos (USA, 2015, 94 min)
Category: Documentary Feature Films
Playing:
Saturday, Sept. 26 – 1 PM – Center for the Arts
Sunday Sept. 27 – 4 PM – Majestic Theatre 1
‘The Diplomat’
The Diplomat tells the remarkable story of the life and legacy of US Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, whose career spanned fifty years of American foreign policy – from Vietnam to Afghanistan. Told through the perspective of his son, Mountainfilm director David Holbrooke, the film takes you behind the scenes of high stakes diplomacy where peace is waged and wars are ended. It’s a son’s attempt to know his father, “better in death than I did in life.” Interviews with Hillary Clinton, Diane Sawyer, Al Gore, Bill Clinton and others. This film has been generously sponsored by Sean and Jennie Reilly.
Credit: David Holbrooke (USA, 2015, 104 mins)
Category: Documentary Feature Films
Playing:
Friday Sept. 25 – 7:30 PM – Mountaineer Media Theatre
Sunday Sept. 27 – 1:30 PM – Majestic Theatre 2
‘The Hunting Ground’
An unflinching exposé of rape crimes on U.S. college campuses, their institutional cover-ups, and the devastating toll they take on students and their families – but never on the institutions themselves. This film has been generously sponsored by Karen Hoskin.
Credit: Kirby Dick (USA, 2015, 103 mins)
Category: Documentary Feature Films
Playing:
Saturday, Sept. 26 – 4:30 PM – Majestic Theatre 2
Sunday Sept. 27 – 1 PM – Mountaineer Media Theatre
‘The Rider & The Wolf’
An eerie question: Whatever happened to former Crested Butte resident Mike Rust? Mike “The Bike” Rust was a larger-than-life figure in the early days of Crested Butte mountain biking. His innovative designs took the bike from the streets to the trails and showed exactly what a well-equipped bike could do. Namely anything. “The Rider & The Wolf” follows Rust’s love for the bike but also his growing disenchantment with American society, until finally, he cashes in his chips and builds a ramshackle house in the San Luis Valley, where he lead a pleasant, isolated life. Then, one day in March of 2009, Rust disappeared after a confrontation on his property and has never been heard from since, no matter how hard his family – and even psychics – try. This film has been generously sponsored by Donita’s Cantina and The Crested Butte Klunker Collection, and by Oskar Blues.
Credit: Nathan Ward, director (USA, 2015, 61 min)
Category: Documentary Feature Films
Playing:
Friday Sept. 25 – 7:30 PM PM – Center for the Arts
Sunday Sept. 27 – 10 AM – Majestic Theatre 1
‘Unbranded’
Ben Masters, a young Texas horseman, gathered three of his best friends, adopted and trained sixteen (out of our country’s 50,000) wild mustangs, and set off on an epic, 3,000 mile adventure from the Mexican to the Canadian border through some of the American West’s wildest terrain, all in an effort to prove the worth of these horses that are systematically rounded up and held in government holding facilities.
What ensues is a soaring tale of self-discovery, runaway horses, nearly-broken friendships, resilience, and adventure in its truest sense of the word, all shining a bright light on the complex plight of our country’s wild horses. This film has been generously sponsored by Allan and Carole Abramson, Chad and Shelby Mauldin of Blind Faith Custom Window Fashions, and Gunnison Ranchland Conservation Legacy.
Credit: Phillip Baribeau (USA, 2015, 105 min)
Category: Documentary Feature Films
Playing:
Thursday, Sept. 24 – 6PM – Center for the Arts
Saturday, Sept. 26 – 10 AM – Center for the Arts
Sunday Sept. 27 – 7 PM – Center for the Arts
Narrative Short Film: Program 1
Program 1: ‘Strange Days Indeed’
Total Running Time – 87 minutes
Friday, Sept. 25 – 2:30 PM – Majestic Theatre 1
Sunday, Sept. 27 – 10:30 AM – Majestic Theatre 2
‘Nature Rx II’ Justin Bogardus (USA, 2015, 2 min)
Feeling tired, irritable or stressed out? Try nature. This harmless prescription has been shown to relieve the crippling symptoms of modern life and produce feelings of confidence, spontaneous euphoria, or being in a good mood for no apparent reason.
‘The Boy Scout’ Patrick Brooks (USA, 2013, 14 min)
Trapped in their car for days after an unexpected snowstorm strands them on a remote mountain road, Grant and Leah confront a life-or-death decision: with another storm on the way, should they stay together, or go separate ways?
‘The Haircut’ Alexis O. Korycinski (USA, 2014, 15 min)
It’s 1976, and eighteen-year-old Amy is among the first class of female cadets accepted into military service academies. Under incredible emotional and physical strain, Amy struggles to survive her first day and fights to prove she has what it takes.
‘Obituaries’ Ryan Moody (USA, 2014, 13 min)
After a school shooting leaves six people dead, their obituaries chronicle their lives and give a glimpse into who they were, who they loved, who they hurt, and who they wanted to be.
‘Simon Says’ Jamie Sterba (USA, 2014, 20 min)
Plagued by disconcerting thoughts inside his head, a self-doubting entrepreneur begins to suspect that they may not be his own.
‘Day One’ Henry Hughes (USA, 2014, 25 min)
Inspired by a true story. An Afghan-American woman joins the US Military as an interpreter. On her first day in Afghanistan, when her unit finds a bomb-maker’s pregnant wife in labor, the interpreter must go beyond the call of duty to deliver her breech child. Nominated for a Student Academy Award.
Narrative Short Film: Program 2
Program 2: ‘From the Depths to the Light’
Total Running Time – 83 minutes
Friday, Sept. 25 – 12 PM (noon) – Mountaineer Media Theatre
Saturday, Sept. 26 – 10:30 AM – Majestic Theatre 2
‘Object’ Paulina Skibinska (Poland, 2015, 15 min)
“Object” is the story of an underwater search told from the point of view of the rescue team and resulting in a shocking discovery. Premiered at Sundance Film Festival.
‘Marathon’ Lauren Smitelli (USA, 2015, 14 min)
A young woman stifled by her future sets out on a journey to find someone from her past.
‘Bis Gleich’ Benjamin Wolff (USA/Germany, 2014, 20 min)
Set against the backdrop of a rapidly gentrifying Berlin, “Bis Gleich” tells the story of Marta and Albert, two elderly neighbors, who share an unspoken connection that deepens when they face the inevitable…together.
‘Tehachapi’ Dalila Droege (USA, 2015, 10 min)
A brother and sister reconnect during a hike to one of their father’s favorite train-watching places. While there, they encounter several people who remind them of their Dad, who has recently passed away. Starring Amy Seimetz and AJ Bowen
‘Come, the Light’ Chao Koi Wang (Macao, 2015, 28 min)
In this amazing debut from Macao, two star-crossed lovers and a flock of greedy fools, spend an eccentric night together, fighting over a lottery ticket.
Narrative Short Film: Program 3
Program 3: ‘The Odd and Quirky’
Total Running Time – 83 minutes
Friday, Se 25 – 10 PM – Majestic Theatre 2
Sunday, Sept. 27 – 4:30 PM – Majestic Theatre 2
‘Nature Rx I’ Justin Bogardus (USA, 2015, 2 min)
Feeling tired, irritable or stressed out? Try nature. This harmless prescription has been shown to relieve the crippling symptoms of modern life and produce feelings of confidence, spontaneous euphoria, or being in a good mood for no apparent reason.
‘La Hija’ Jazmín Rada (Spain, 2015, 5 min)
Fátima wants to play, but her father is too busy. She has imagination and some magical balloons… and something very spooky happens.
‘Tick Tock’ Zeynep Kocak (Turkey, 2015, 9 min)
In this superior animated film, an old man wakes up to his routine day and comes up with an idea to break it – and end his loneliness.
‘Superior’ Erin Vassilopoulos (USA, 2015, 16 min)
A stranger passing through town sparks a teenage girl’s desire to distinguish herself from her identical twin sister. As one sister struggles to break free, the other insists on preserving their distinctive bond.
‘L’autostoppeur’ Julien Paolini (France, 2015, 19 mins)
In this nod to classical noir, a cyclist tools down a country lane only to be hit by a big American car, a couple on board. No time to get rid of the body as a hitchhiker shows up. But what exactly did he see? The charismatic young man doesn’t seem to be willing to let the couple escape unharmed.
‘Bolero for Surfing in Moravia’ Valerio Mendoza Guillén (Venezuela & Czech Rep., 2014, 35 min)
Three Venezuelan friends navigate the Czech culture and countryside trying to marry one of them off. With songs and beautiful landscapes, they enter a crossroad where paths can only be taken alone.
Narrative Short Film: Program 4
Program 4: “The Fun Program”
Total Running Time – 86 minutes
Saturday, Sept. 26 – 7 PM – Mountaineer Media Theatre
Sunday, Sept. 27 – 7:30 PM – Majestic Theatre 2
‘I Love You’ Bianca Giaever (USA, 2015, 6 min)
Maia and her boyfriend have been dating for eight years, but they’ve never said, “I love you.” For Valentine’s Day, “This American Life” and Bianca Giaever helped Maia make a video to finally say those words.
‘Myrna the Monster’ Ian Samuels (USA, 2015, 14 min)
A heartbroken, alien-dreamer from the moon transitions into young adult life in Los Angeles, like any other 20-something.
‘Jim and Helen Forever’ Jesse Zwick (USA, 2015, 16 min)
On a time crunch to make a decision about marriage, David seeks the guidance of his brother Aaron and best friend Pete in his search for a suitable engagement ring. Directed by Crested Butte favorite, Jesse Zwick.
‘Russian Roulette’ Ben Aston (UK, 2015, 5 min)
London seems a little less lonely when Lucy meets a cosmonaut on chat roulette…
‘Boogaloo and Graham’ Michael Lennox (Northern Ireland, 2014, 14 min)
In 1970’s Belfast, two young boys are over the moon when their soft-hearted dad presents them with two baby chicks to care for. Raising their tiny charges, declaring themselves vegetarian and dreaming of running a chicken farm, the boys are in for a shock when their parents announce that big changes are coming to the family.
‘Nature Rx III’ Justin Bogardus (USA, 2015, 2 min)
Feeling tired, irritable or stressed out? Try nature. This harmless prescription has been shown to relieve the crippling symptoms of modern life and produce feelings of confidence, spontaneous euphoria, or being in a good mood for no apparent reason.
‘Lucy’ Zoe Lubeck (USA, 2014, 5 min)
Lucy is a story about a girl and her dog, magically drawn on a dry erase board.
‘He Took Off His Skin For Me’ Ben Aston (UK, 2015, 11 min)
The story of a man who takes his skin off for his girlfriend, and why it probably wasn’t the best idea…
‘The Samaritans’ John Bryant (Texas, 2015, 13 min)
A salesman faces the most difficult and important negotiation of his life.