30th Starz Denver Film Festival Opens

Instead of a purple carpet on Rockies Road, Denver--Sports Town, USA--rolled out the red for the glitz and glamor of its 30th Film Festival with an opening at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts--the 2nd largest performing arts complex in the United States of America. Those in the know knew that opening night would be both sweet and sour for the area's largest cultural extravaganza. On the sweet side, the festival would engage attendees with over 154 films, workshops, and events spread over 9 days including big name films like Opening Night's The Savages directed by Tamara Jenkins and starring Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman (sponsored by Sprint®); the Big Night film, Jason Reitman's Juno featuring Ellen Page and sponsored by Starz®, a very special Mystery Screening--assuredly one of the most anticipated films of the Festival, and the Closing Night film, Kirsten Sheridan's August Rush starring Robin Williams, Freddie Highmore, Terrence Howard, Keri Russell, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. On the bittersweet side, the Festival co-founder and Denver Film Society visionary and current Artistic Director, Ron Henderson, would be retiring and stepping down from his long held involvement. Fittingly he would be honored on Opening Night with the prestigious John Cassavetes Award. Those in attendance for the ceremony and screening of The Savages, were also treated to a special Opening Night Short Film, a tribute to the 30th anniversary and featuring both Henderson and Denver's enormously popular and magnanimous Mayor John Hickenlooper. All in all, the Opening Night event was executed flawlessly by the incredible staff and volunteers of the Denver Film Society building on 30 years of excellence.