Colorado Springs will host two film festivals this weekend.
While one is just in its second year and the other rolling strong into its 37th, both focus on the unique perspectives provided by documentary film.
Here’s a closer look at each:
Pikes Peak DocuFEST
The second annual festival will showcase 35 documentaries from independent filmmakers. The event at Colorado Springs Christian School will include plenty of other entertainment, including performances by comedians, aerialists, live music and food trucks.
“This is a celebration of film and art in our community,” festival director Jake Dagel said. “I really believe that Colorado Springs needs more opportunity for our community to create that space.”
The festival kicks off Friday with two film blocks followed by a networking event with live music. The festival concludes Saturday with four more film blocks throughout the day, live performances and an afterparty.
A Q&A panel is scheduled at the end of each block, Dagel said. Panels will feature filmmakers and subjects of films.
A team of judges, including Dagel, selected the films from more than 100 submissions. The documentaries will compete for awards in eight categories including shorts, features, Colorado-based, experimental, student-made and more. The awards ceremony will be held Saturday, which will also feature an audience choice award.
“I think documentaries are just, in general, a very popular genre,” Dagel said. “One of the things that’s incredible about the documentary category of film is it shows perspectives that maybe we haven’t otherwise thought about, and helps us build empathy for people that we may have otherwise not considered.”
Highlighted films for the festival include “Fierro”, a feature-length documentary directed by Edward Tyndall. This film is about Richard Fierro, the Colorado Springs Army veteran credited for stopping the Club Q shooter. Fierro will be a guest at the Q&A panel after the showing.
The festival also will show feature film “Dreama Team,” directed by Chad Weber and Steve Vanderheide. This film follows Springs local Dreama Walton, a mother, full-time worker and ultramarathon runner who is taking on the biggest ultramarathon in the U.S.: The Western States 100.
Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival
The longest-running women’s film festival in North America is returning for its 37th year. The festival, set at Colorado College, will showcase 42 films predominantly featuring documentaries that focus on experiences of women.
“Our mission is to build community around film, so bringing people together into a community space and having everyone feeling connected is important,” said Nicole Nicoletta, executive director.
The festival starts Friday with a cocktail and desserts networking event followed by two films. Several blocks of showings are slated for Saturday and Sunday. During lunch break on both days, there will be a filmmaker forum with featured filmmakers open to anyone with a festival ticket.
“It’s a really special, unique experience to sit with, listen to and interact with the filmmakers who are in attendance at the festival,” Nicoletta said. “There’s just some really fantastic behind the scenes information, insights and perspective on their films and the independent film industry.”
The films selection committee for the festival started previewing submissions in March, choosing its selections from about 400 films.
Some films to look forward to include “I am Ready, Warden,” a short directed by Smriti Mundhra. This documentary tackles the death penalty, following convicted murderer John Henry Ramirez, who is sentenced to death in Texas.
Nicoletta also gave high marks to feature film “The Day Iceland Stood Still” by Pamela Hogan & Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdóttir. This film recounts the tale of the feminist collective “The Red Stockings” and the search for equality.
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