Denver Film Festival

03/26/2026

Submissions are open for the 49th Denver Film Festival! This is your chance to have your film premiere at Denver's top cultural event of the year.

Submit your film now at

The highly acclaimed Denver Film Festival, the largest of its kind in the region, will celebrate its 49th edition in 2026. This intense and concentrated expo...

03/25/2026

The Denver Film Festival favorite CHASING TIME is now available to watch for free!

See this groundbreaking story featuring visual evidence of climate change from acclaimed director Jeff Orlowski-Yang and co-director Sarah Keo.

Stream it now at https://youtu.be/opNK_ZfiSvw

11/12/2025

We loved seeing all the costumes for our Halloween Red Carpet and screening of Rian Johnson's new film Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Prior to the screening, we kicked off the night with our BOK Financial VIP Champagne Reception at Olive & Finch.

Check out these photos from the night!

11/12/2025

What an Opening weekend at ! We loved all the excitement and Halloween costumes on Opening Night, honoring and hearing from Next50 Career Achievement honoree Delroy Lindo, and spending the afternoon with CinemaQ LaBahn Ikon Award honoree Niecy Nash-Betts.

10/31/2025

officially kicks off tomorrow, October 31st!

We can't wait to spend the next 10 days exploring new films, diving into the many dimensions of story, celebrating great days at festival parties, and more.

Find the tomorrow lineup and the next 10 days of screenings at denverfilm.org/dff48!

10/30/2025

In the past year we've lost so many greats in the world on cinema. Our Retrospective selection at taking a look back at the legends of cinema we recently lost as we celebrates their lives and their mark on film history.

🎬 3 WOMEN | Dir. Robert Altman
In memoriam of Shelley Duvall.

🎬 BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID | Dir. George Roy Hill
In memoriam of Robert Redford.

🎬 THE FRENCH CONNECTION | Dir. William Friedkin
In memoriam of Gene Hackman.

🎬 MULHOLLAND DR. | Dir. David Lynch
In memoriam of David Lynch and Rebekah Del Rio.

🎬 SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE | Dir. Nancy Meyers
In memoriam of Diane Keaton.

🎬 TOP SECRET! | Dir. Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker, & David Zucker
In memoriam of Val Kilmer.

Get tickets to these retrospective screenings at denverfilm.org/dff48.

10/29/2025

Experience the world premiere of the new definitive Netflix documentary ELWAY, about local Denver Broncos legend John Elway as we close out . This Closing Night Presentation at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House will also feature a post-film conversation with John Elway himslef and directors Ken Rodgers and Chris Weaver.

Plus, join us later for our Closing Night Party at Four Mile Historic Park, sponsored by Bennett Thrasher.

Get your ticket to join us for ELWAY at

Includes a post-film conversation with John Elway and directors Ken Rodgers and Chris Weaver Elway is the definitive documentary of John Elway's accomplished football career. The film chronicles his early collegiate career at Stanford through his 16 seasons as the Denver Broncos starting quarterback...

10/29/2025

Ever wanted to know what happens in the afterlife? A24's new afterlife romcom ETERNITY, featuring Elizabeth Olsen, Callum Turner, and Miles Teller, screens November 6th only at the 48th Denver Film Festival.

Don't miss your chance to see who she chooses to spend eternity with, get your tickets now to join us.

In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with (Miles Teller) and her first love (Callum Turner), who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive. Courtesy of A24

10/28/2025

We’re thrilled to honor and host these talented stars and directors at this year. Enjoy special conversations and award presentations throughout the festival with each.

⭐️ Gus Van Sant | Excellence in Directing
⭐️ Niecy Nash-Betts | CinemaQ LaBahn Ikon Award
⭐️ Lucy Liu | John Cassavetes Award
⭐️ Zoey Deutch | Rising Star Award
⭐️ Imogen Poots | Excellence in Acting Award
⭐️ Ben Foster | Outlaw Award
⭐️ Delroy Lindo | Next50 Career Achievement Award
⭐️ Charlie Polinger | Breakthrough Director Award
⭐️ John Elway | Legend
⭐️ Ken Rodgers | Co-Director of ELWAY
⭐️ Chris Weaver | Co-Director of ELWAY
⭐️ Peggy Ahwesh | Stan Brakhage Vision Award

Get tickets to join us for these awards presentations at denverfilm.org/dff48.

10/27/2025

Kick off with us as we catch WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House for a night of mystery, cinema, and Halloween magic.

This new installment of DFF alum Rian Johnson's who-dunnit series finds Benoit Blanc returning for his most dangerous case yet. Get your tickets for this Red Carpet Presentation now!

Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns for his darkest case yet when a murder in a small upstate New York church challenges faith, reason, and everything in between. With an ensemble cast including Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew ...

09/22/2025

We are thrilled to announce the Colorado Spotlight selections of , featuring 5 features and 14 short films, that showcase the incredible work of homegrown filmmakers and stories with direct ties to the state of Colorado.

Explore the full lineup at denverfilm.org/dff48

The DFF48 Colorado Spotlight:

🎥 BACKSIDE (dir. Raúl O. Paz-Pastrana)

🎥 COMPARSA (dir. Vickie Curtis, Doug Anderson)

🎥 CREEDE U.S.A. (dir. Kahane Corn Cooperman)

🎥 I WAS BORN THIS WAY (dir. Daniel Junge, Sam Pollard)

🎥 REBUILDING (dir. Max Walker-Silverman)

🎥 Colorado Shorts: Documentary | THE AMERICAN STANZA (dir. Shaffer J. Nickel), INTO THE CHUTES (dir. Jenna Rice), FOR THE PEOPLE (dir. Dewi Sungai), COW SENSE (dir. Keely Kernan), and MOVING LINE (dir. Cameron Wyatt).

🎥 Colorado Shorts: Narrative | ECHO EQUINOX (dir. Jack Cosgriff), ANIMAL MATH (dir. Robbie C. Ward), THE HOUSE OF P***Y (dir. Fiona Lynette McNeal), PARTY DEMON (dirs. Preston Tompkins, Zach Reinert), POTLUCK (dir. Matt Sandoval), THE CALL (dir. Kelly Sears), A KNOCK IN THE DARK (dir. Estee Fox Bershof), SILENT GENERATION (dir. Francisco Solorzano), and I LOVE YOU AND I AM GOING TO FIX YOU (dir. Bruce Tetsuya).

The full DFF48 program will be announced on October 4, with tickets for individual screenings, panels, and parties going on sale to Denver Film members on October 5 and to the general public on October 6. Secure your tickets and passes at www.denverfilm.org.

The Colorado Spotlight Section is proudly presented by the Colorado Office of Film and Television, Mary Watson, Rocky Mountain Public Media, and Colorado Public Radio.