The Denver Film Festival (DFF), produced by Denver Film Society (DFS), announced today its full Festival lineup including all feature film selections, short films and complete sidebars.
 
“Our 39th Festival program truly has something for everyone—from the delightful dance-filled comedies of Tribute guests Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon to the diverse slate of works that makes up our country of focus, Spain, from timely and serious documentaries such as Do Not Resist and Jackson to the always curious and creepy Late Night Showcase,” said Brit Withey, Artistic Director.

During the 12-day Festival, DFF39 will present more than 200 titles representing local, national and international independent films, as well as industry panels, workshops, achievement awards and tributes; featuring more than 130 filmmaker guests in-person. Festival packages are now on sale at www.denverfilm.org. Individual tickets will go on sale Tuesday, October 11 for DFS Members. Tickets for the general public will go on sale Wednesday, October 12 online or in-person at the Sie FilmCenter (2510 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80206).

2016 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

KRZYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI AWARD: Juried award for Best International Feature Film.
 
GRANNY’S DANCING ON THE TABLE – Sweden / Director: Hannah Sköld
I, DANIEL BLAKE – UK / France / Belgium / Director: Ken Loach
THE LAST FAMILY – Poland / Director: Jan. P. Matuszynski
OLD STONE – China / Canada / Director: Johnny Ma
ONE WEEK AND A DAY – Israel / Director: Asaph Polonsky
THE ORNITHOLOGIST – Portugal / Director: João Pedro Rodrigues
 
MAYSLES BROTHERS AWARD: Juried award for Best Feature Documentary.
 
THE CINEMA TRAVELLERS – India / Directors: Shirley Abraham & Amit Madheshiya
DO NOT RESIST – USA / Director: Craig Atkinson
JACKSON – USA / Director: Maisie Crow
MIFUNE: THE LAST SAMURAI – USA / Director: Steven Okazaki
THE NINE – USA / Director: Katy Grannan
OFF THE RAILS – USA / Director: Adam Irving
 
FOCUS ON A NATIONAL CINEMA: SPAIN:
 
DEAD SLOW AHEAD – Spain / France / Director: Mauro Herce
FOOD AND SHELTER – Spain / Director: Juan Miguel del Castillo
KIKI, LOVE TO LOVE – Spain / Director: Paco Leόn
THE OLIVE TREE – Spain / Director: Icίar Bollaίn
PIKADERO – Spain / UK / Director: Ben Sharrock
THE SEARCH FOR EMAK BAKIA – Spain / Director: Oskar Alegria
THE SHEPHERD – Spain / Director: Jonathan Cenzual Burley
THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG – Spain / Director: David Cánovas
 
RARE PEARL AWARD: DFF39 honors and celebrates the work of Dominique Abel & Fiona Gordon with a tribute of three films and the Rare Pearl Award presentation to Lost In Paris.
 
THE FAIRY – France / Belgium / Directors: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, & Bruno Romy
LOST IN PARIS – France / Belgium / Directors: Dominique Abel & Fiona Gordon
RUMBA – Belgium / Directors: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, & Bruno Romy
 
WOMEN+FILM:
 
THE EAGLE HUNTRESS – UK / Mongolia / USA / Director: Otto Bell
FRANCA: CHAOS AND CREATION – USA / Italy / Director: Francesco Carrozzini
INCIDENT LIGHT – Argentina / France / Uruguay / Director: Ariel Rotter
LOVESONG – USA / Director: So-yong Kim
MOM AND ME – USA / Ireland / Director: Ken Wardrop
OVARIAN PSYCHOS – USA / Directors: Joanna Sokolowski & Kate Trumbull-LaValle
A WOMAN, A PART – USA / Director: Elisabeth Subrin
 
AMERICAN INDEPENDENT SHOWCASE:
 
ALWAYS SHINE – USA / Director: Sophia Takal
DONALD CRIED – USA / Director: Kris Avedisian
FOLK HERO AND FUNNY GUY – USA / Director: Jeff Grace
FREE IN DEED – USA / New Zealand / Director: Jake Mahaffy
HUNTER GATHERER – USA / Director: Josh Locy
KATIE SAYS GOODBYE – USA / Director: Wayne Roberts
LIVE CARGO – USA / Bahamas / Director: Logan Sandler
LOVE WITCH – USA / Director: Anna Biller
LUPE UNDER THE SUN – USA / Mexico / Director: Rodrigo Reyes
MA – USA / Directors: Celia Rowlson-Hall
MIDDLE MAN – USA / Director: Ned Crowley
 
LATE NIGHT SHOWCASE:
 
ANOTHER EVIL – USA / Directors: Carson D. Mell
A DARK SONG – Ireland / Director: Liam Gavin
THE EYES OF MY MOTHER – USA / Director: Nicolas Pesce
HEADSHOT – Indonesia / Directors: Kimo Stamboel & Timo Tjahjanto
THE LOVE WITCH – USA / Director: Anna Biller
PSYCHO RAMAN – India / Director: Anurag Kashyap
RED CHRISTMAS – Australia / Director: Craig Anderson
TERROR 5 – Argentina / Directors: Sebastian Rotstein & Federico Rotstein
WE ARE THE FLESH – Mexico / Director: Emiliano Rocha Minter
 
COLORADO SPOTLIGHT:
 
ACTOR MARTINEZ – USA / Directors: Nathan Silver & Mike Ott
REENGINEERING SAM – USA / Director: Brian Malone
A SONG FOR THE LIVING – USA / Directors: Colin Floom & Greg Nemer
 
CINEMAQ:
 
CHECK IT – USA / Directors: Dana Flor & Toby Oppenheimer
GROWING UP COY – USA / Director: Eric Juhola
THE QUEEN OF IRELAND – Ireland / Director: Conor Horgan
STAYING VERTICAL – France / Director: Alain Guiraudie
 
CINELATINO:
 
UN CUENTO DE CIRCO & A LOVE SONG – USA / Director: Demián Bichir
FAREWELL FERRIS WHEEL – USA / Directors: Jamie Sisley & Miguel “M.i.G.” Martinez
POINT ZERO – Brazil / Director: José Pedro Goulart
VISITOR’S DAY – Mexico / USA / Director: Nicole Opper
WAREHOUSED – Mexico / Director: Jack Zagha Kababie
 
RED CARPETS:
 
THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN – USA / Director: Kelly Fremon Craig
JACKIE – USA / Director: Pablo Larraίn
LA LA LAND – USA / Director: Damien Chazelle
LION – Australia / UK / USA / Director: Garth Davis
 
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS:
 
CALIFORNIA TYPEWRITER – USA / Director: Doug Nichol
THE PLAY – USA / Director: Peter Vogt
THE RED TURTLE – Japan / France / Belgium / Director: Michael Dudok de Wit
THINGS TO COME – France / Germany / Director: Mia Hansen-Løve
TONI ERDMANN – Germany / Austria / Director: Maren Ade
TRESPASS AGAINST US – UK / Director: Adam Smith
 
CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA:
 
AFTER THE STORM – Japan / Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
ALOYS – Switzerland / France / Director: Tobias Nölle
APPRENTICE – Singapore / Germany / France / Hong Kong / Qatar / Director: Boo Junfeng
ARVAND – Iran / Director: Pourya Azarbayjanib
BADEN BADEN – France / Belgium / Director: Rachel Lang
BLINDNESS – Poland / Director: Ryszard Bugajski
BORIS WITHOUT BEATRICE – Canada / Director: Denis Côté
DEATH BY DEATH – France / Belgium / Director: Xavier Seron
DOGS – Romania / France / Bulgaria / Qatar / Director: Bogdan Mirica
THE ECCENTRICS. ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET – Poland / Director: Janusz Majewski
FADO – Germany / Portugal / Director: Jonas Rothlaender
A GOOD WIFE – Serbia / Bosnia / Herzegovina / Croatia / Director: Mirjana Karanovic
GREEN HORSE RUSTLERS – Czech Republic / Director: Dan Wlodarczyk
HARMONIUM – Japan / Director: Koji Fukada
ILLEGITIMATE – Romania / Poland / France / Director: Adrian Sitaru
LILY LANE – Hungary / Director: Benedek Fliegauf
THE MAD KINGS – France / Director: Laurent Laffargue
MY FIRST HIGHWAY– Belgium / Director: Kevin Meul
NEW WORLD – Poland / Directors: Elzbieta Benkowska, Lukasz Ostalski, & Michal Wawrzecki
RADIO DREAMS – Iran / USA / Director: Babak Jalali
THE SALESMAN – Iran / Lebanon / Director: Asghar Farhadi
SPARROWS – Iceland / Denmark / Croatia / Director: Rúnar Rúnarsson
SUNTAN – Greece / Director: Argyris Papadimitropoulos
UNITED STATES OF LOVE – Poland / Sweden / Director: Tomasz Wasilewski
ZOOLOGY – Russia / France / Germany / Director: Ivan I. Tverdovskiy
 
DOCUMENTARIES:
 
ACTORS OF SOUND – USA / Director: Lalo Molina
AMERICAN EPIC: THE BIG BANG – USA / Director: Bernard MacMahon
AMERICAN EPIC: OUT OF THE MANY ONE – USA / Director: Bernard MacMahon
AMERICAN EPIC: THE SESSIONS – USA / Director: Bernard MacMahon
BANG! THE BERT BERNS STORY – USA / Director: Bob Sarles & Brett Berns
BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS – USA / Director: Garrett Zevgetis
BUGS – Denmark / Netherlands / France / Germany / Director: Andreas Johnsen
CATHOLICS VS. CONVICTS – USA / Director: Patrick Creadon
DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS – USA / Directors: Jake Kheel & Juan Mejia Botero
FIRE AT SEA – Italy / France / Director: Gianfranco Rosi
FRAUD – USA / Director: Dean Fleischer-Camp
GUANTANAMO’S CHILD: OMAR KHADR – Canada / Directors: Patrick Reed & Michelle Shephard
JEREMIAH TOWER: THE LAST MAGNIFICENT – USA / Director: Lydia Tenaglia
JIŘÍ MENZEL - TO MAKE COMEDY IS NO FUN – Switzerland / Director: Robert Kolinsky
THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION – USA / Director: Olivia Friedman
MR. GAGA – Germany / Israel / Netherlands / Sweden / Director: Tomer Heymann
NADIA COMANECI: THE GYMNAST AND THE DICTATOR – Romania / Director: Pola Rapaport
OBIT – USA / Director: Vanessa Gould
THE PROMISE – Germany / Directors: Karin Steinberger & Marcus Vetter
THE PULITZER AT 100 – USA / Director: Kirk Simon
SCORE: A FILM MUSIC DOCUMENTARY – USA / Director: Matt Schrader
SEED: THE UNTOLD STORY – USA / Directors: Taggart Siegel & Jon Betz
SOLITARY – USA / Director: Kristi Jacobson
WALK WITH ME: THE TRIALS OF DAMON J. KEITH – USA / Director: Jesse Nesser
WRESTLING ALLIGATORS – USA / Director: Andrew Shea
ZATOPEK – Czech Republic / Director: David Ondrίcek
 
IN MEMORIAM:

WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF – USA / Director: Mike Nichols – Presented in memoriam of Edward Albee (1928-2016)
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN – USA / Director: Mel Brooks – Presented in memoriam of Gene Wilder (1933-2016)
 
SHORTS: The Festival will again present sections of Documentary, Narrative, and Animated short films as well as a mixtape of Music Videos.
 
STAN BRAKHAGE VISION AWARD RECIPIENT: SAUL LEVINE
BIG STICK / AN OLD REEL – USA / Director: Saul Levine
LATER LATER DUTCH MASTER LATER – USA / Director: Saul Levine
LIGHT LICKS: AZ SENT AKA AMAZING GRACE – USA / Director: Saul Levine
LIGHT LICKS: PARDES: NIGHT TIME IS THE RIGHT TIME – USA / Director: Saul Levine
LOST NOTE – USA / Director: Saul Levine                                 
NEW LEFT NOTE – USA / Director: Saul Levine
NOTE TO POLI – USA / Director: Saul Levine
NOTES AFTER A LONG SILENCE – USA / Director: Saul Levine
 
FIRST LOOK STUDENT FILM SECTION: Juried awards given for best Domestic and International Student Short Films.
 
ACOUSTIC NINJA – USA / Director: Robert Bevis
ANGELTOWN – USA / Director: Nancy Liu
CARNE SECA – USA / Director: Jazmin Diaz
FADE AWAY – UK / Director: Lori Emily Brown
FAIRY TALES – China / Director: Rongfei Guo
THE FEAR OF DISAPPEARING – USA / Director: Joshua Seigel
FLOWN – USA / Director: Mark Blumberg
GIRLS AND BOYS – USA / Director: Tomasz Gubernat
HUGO – UK / Director: Theo Pavlou
THE IMPACT POINT – USA / Director: Sydney Guthrie
JEWISH BLIND DATE – Switzerland / Director: Anaelle Morf
MOTHER TONGUE – Canada / Director: MD Nadim Iqbal
NOCTURNE IN BLACK – USA / Lebanon / Director: Jimmy Keyrouz
NOVA INITIA – USA / Director: Scott Thompson
PEACOCK – Czech Republic / Director: Ondřej Hudeček
PLEASE HOLD – USA / Director: Jerell Rosales
RUST BELT DRIVEN – USA / Director: Alexander Hope
THE SEARCH – Argentina / USA / Director: Melina Tupa
[SOLITARY] – USA / Director: Derek J. Pastuszek
SOUL CITY – USA / Directors: Monica Berra, SheRea DelSol & Gini Richards
SUBMARINE – Lebanon / Director: Mounia Akl
TOMMY AND DAVID – Italy / USA / Director: Sara Joe Wolansky
WHATEVER THE WEATHER – Switzerland / Director: Remo Scherrer
WINNER GAGNANT – Canada / Director: Laura Bergeron
YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU – USA / Director: Knhik Haefner
 
COLORADO SHORTS:
 
DOG POWER – USA / Director: Kale Casey
EDGES – USA / Director: Katie Stjernholm
ENLIGHTENED – USA / Director: Noah Kloor
FERAL – USA / Director: David Liban
HAPPY F-ING VALENTINES DAY! – USA / Director: Jeremy Dehn
INSTRUCTIONS – USA / Director: Joseph Kolean
JONBENET’S TRICYCLE – USA / Director: Andrew Novick
THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION – USA / Director: Olivia Friedman
KICKASS KATIE LEE – USA / Directors: Beth Gage & George Gage
LESS THAN ANGELS – USA / Director : Adam Loehr
LINGO – USA / Director: Chase Bortz
ON THE TRACKS – USA / Directors: Erik Sween
PHOBIA – USA / Director: Chris Barron
THE PLACES WE’VE BEEN HAVE BECOME ALL BUT GHOSTS – USA / Director: Caleb Andrew Ward
RAT NEST – USA / Director: Kelly Spencer
RATIONS – USA / Director: Alexander Rhodes-Wilmere
TERRENE – USA / Director: Bryce Thomas-Hoogland
WANDER – USA / Directors: AJ Koch & Will Kingston
 
ANIMATED SHORTSJuried award for Best Animated Short Film.
 
DECORADO – Spain / France / Director: Alberto Vazquez
DEER FLOWER – South Korea / USA / Director: Kangmin Kim
THE EMPTY – France / South Korea / Director: Dahee Jeong
GLOVE – USA / Directors: Alexa Haas & Bernardo Britto
THE HEAD VANISHES – Canada / Director: Franck Dion
I AM HERE – Canada / Director: Eoin Duffy
MR. MADILA – UK / Director : Rory Waudby-Tolley
MR. SAND – Denmark / Belgium / Director: Soetkin Verstegen
THE NOISE OF LICKING – Hungary / Director: Nadja Andrasev
TO BUILD A FIRE – France / Director: Fx Goby
 
NARRATIVE SHORTS:
 
ADD CONTACT – Spain / Director: David Oeo
THE ART OF FLYING – Netherlands / Director: Jane van Ijken
BEAT AROUND THE BUSH – Canada / Director: Brianne Nord-Stewart
BIG CITY – Australia / Directors: Jordan Bond & Lachlan Ryan
BLACK HEAD COW – Tanzania / Director: Elizabeth Nichols
BREAK – USA / Director: Adam Chanzit
THE CHOP – UK / Director: Lewis Rose
CLOUDY ALL DAY – USA / Director: Dylan Pasture
CURVE – Australia / Director: Tim Egan
DEBRIS – USA / Director: Mary-Lyn Chambers
DENIZEN - DEVAN – USA / Director: Rob Shearer
DIRT – USA / Director: Darius Clark Monroe
THE EGG – Israel / Director: Nadav Direktor
FATA MORGANA – China / USA / Director: Amelie Wen
HER FRIEND ADAM – Canada / Director: Ben Petrie
THE ITALIAN GAZE – USA / Italy / Director: Sandro Del Rosario
THE ITCHING – USA / Director: Diane Bellino
JOIN THE CLUB – USA / Director: Eva Vives
LIGHTNINGFACE – USA / Director: Brian Pestos
MR. SUGAR DADDY – Sweden / Director: Dawid Ullgren
A NEW CIVILIZATION – USA / Director: Williams Naranjo
NIGHTSTALKER – USA / Director: New Media Limited
THE PROCEDURE – USA / Director: Calvin Lee Reeder
THE RAIN COLLECTOR – UK / Director: Isabella Wing-Davey
RIOT – USA / Director: Nathan Silver
STRAYS – USA / Director: Lance Edmands
THUNDER ROAD – USA / Director: Jim Cummings
TIMECODE – Spain / Director: Juanjo Giménez
VOCABULARY 1 – USA / Director: Becky James
 
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS:
 
ALL THE PRESIDENTS’ HEADS – USA / Director: Adam Roffman
BISONHEAD – USA / Director: Elizabeth Lo
THE BLACK BELT – USA / Director: Margaret Brown
THE ROCKET ON THE ROOF – USA / Directors: Ryan Maxey & Josh Polon
THE SEND-OFF – USA / Directors: Ivete Lucas & Patrick Bresnan
SOY CUBANA – USA / Cuba / Directors: Jeremy Ungar & Ivaylo Getov
SPEAKING IS DIFFICULT –  USA / Director: A.J. Schnack
 
MUSIC VIDEO MIXTAPE:
 
ALEXANDRE CHATELARD - LENNY KRAVITZ – France / Directors: Allen & Smithee
ANDY SHAUF - THE WORST IN YOU – Canada / Director: Winston Hacking
THE AVALANCHES - SUBWAYS – France / Directors: Mrzyk & Moriceau
CADENZA - NO DRAMA FT. AVELINO, ASSASSIN – UK / Director: Pussykrew
THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - WIDE OPEN – USA / Directors: DOM&NIC
CLAIRE CRONIN - THE UNNATURAL – Chile / USA / Director: Marcos Sánchez
DANNY BROWN - WHEN IT RAIN –  USA / Director: Mimi Cave
DEATH GRIPS - EH – USA / Director: Sean Metelerkamp
DUSKY FT. WILEY - SORT IT OUT SHARON – UK / Director: Ben Reed
ELEPHANT REVIVAL - PETALS – USA / Director: Laura Goldhamer
FATHER AND SUN - HERE IN THE RAIN – Germany / Directors: Susanne Frericks & Anton Riedel
FORLOVE - MISSING PERSONS – USA / Director: Joe Stillwater
FRENCH HORN REBELLION - FOOLIN’ AROUND – USA / Director: Ariel Fisher
LADONNIS - LIAR – USA / Director: Natalie Neal
MAI LAN - TECHNIQUE – France / Directors: Cédric Richer & Quentin Curtat
MOUNT MORIAH - PRECITA – USA / Director: Fidel Ruiz-Healy
MURA MASA - WHAT IF I GO? – UK / Director: Yoni Lappin
NAO - GIRLFRIEND – UK / Director: Yoni Lappin
NIKI AND THE DOVE - PLAY IT ON MY RADIO – Argentina / Director: Gustavo Torres
REID WILLIS - THE SLOW KNIFE – UK / Director: F. Lazzari
RIO VOLTA - THROUGH MY STREET – Switzerland / Director: Piet Baumgartner
SCATTER GATHER - WHAT MORE? – USA / Director: Zachary Antonio
UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA - FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS – USA / Director: James Lees
VALLENS - DEVOUR – Australia / Director: Benjamin Portas
VALLEY MAKER - OH LIGHTNING – USA / Director: Joseph Kolean
YEASAYER - I AM CHEMISTRY – USA / Director: New Media Limited
YEASAYER - SILLY ME – USA / Director: New Media Limited
 
CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS: DFF39 presents an array of thought-provoking panels around the art and business of film.
 
ART VS. THE ARTIST
BOLD PRODUCING
IGNITING THE FIRE: INDIE FILM PR AND MARKETING
INTERACTIVE SERIESJAM AND PANEL PRESENTED BY SERIESFEST
INTERNET KILLED THE VIDEO STAR
NEW AVENUES OF DISTRIBUTION PRESENTED BY COMCAST
POLITICS IN TELEVISION PRESENTED BY SERIESFEST
THE STATE OF THE STATE: FILMMAKING IN COLORADO
STORYTELLERS’ WORKSHOP
THESE THINGS MATTER LIVE PODCAST

 

ABOUT THE DENVER FILM SOCIETY
Founded in 1978, the Denver Film Society (DFS) is a membership-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural institution that produces film events throughout the year, including the award-winning Denver Film Festival and the popular, summertime series Film on the Rocks. With a vision to cultivate community and transform lives through film, the Film Society provides opportunities for diverse audiences to discover film through creative, thought-provoking experiences.
 
The permanent home of the Denver Film Society, the Sie FilmCenter, is Denver's only year-round cinematheque, presenting a weekly-changing calendar of first-run exclusives and arthouse revivals both domestic and foreign, narrative and documentary - more than 600 per year, all shown in their original language and format. DFS's one-of-a-kind programs annually reach more than 200,000 film lovers and film lovers-in-training. For more information, visit www.denverfilm.org or facebook.com/DenverFilmFestival, or follow @DenverFilm on Twitter and Instagram. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #DFF39.
 
The sponsors of the 2016 Denver Film Festival help sustain the organization's vision to cultivate community and transform lives through film. Festival sponsors include: Premier Sponsor – Regal Entertainment Group; Associate Sponsors – Anna & John J. Sie Foundation, AOR, Inc., Barbara Bridges, CEAVCO Audio Visual, Comcast, Liberty Global, Mike's Camera, STARZ, Three Tomatoes Catering, Xfinity ; Supporting Sponsors – Allwell Rents, Argonaut Wine & Liquor, Denver Pavilions, Fusion Beverage Solutions, Lyft, Sage Hospitality; Patron Sponsors – AARP, Colorado Restaurant Association, Couch, LLC, Eldorado Natural Spring Water, Great Divide Brewing Co., Kentwood City Properties, Lighting & Design by Scott, Propel, Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, Rotary Club of Denver, SundanceNow Doc Club; Media – Denver Life Magazine, Open Media Foundation, Out Front, ProductionHub, Westword; Government Sponsors – Arts & Venues Denver, Create Denver, Colorado Office of Film Television & Media, French Film and TV Department of the French Embassy in Los Angeles, Scientific & Cultural Facilities District; Contributing Sponsors – AR & VR Play Place, Baird, Brookfield Parking, Caz Matthews, Colorado Film & Video Association, Contagious Media, David Sands Pictures, Denver Screenprint & Embroidery, Dixie Elixirs & Edibles, Fine Arts Foundation, Harmonic Media, Kind Snacks, Larimer Associates, LivWell Enlightened Health, Mike Wright Gallery, Novo Coffee, SAGIndie, Stillwater, TV5MONDE, Visit Denver, Weather or Not Event Accessories, Will LaBahn