Estes Park hosts third film festival
43 independent movies will be screened at historic Park Theatre

By Amber Baker
For the Reporter-Herald
Independent filmmakers from across the country, including many from Colorado, will showcase their works of cinematic art in the third annual Estes Park Film Festival.

The festival will run from Thursday, Sept. 11, to Sunday, Sept. 14.

The public is invited to attend the screenings of the 43 films being presented in this year’s festival.

After screenings, filmmakers and industry professionals also are accessible to discuss the films.

A combination of documentaries, short and feature-length films have been pre-selected from out of 200 entries by a designated committee with members of diverse professional backgrounds and a few Estes Park locals.

All screenings will be at the historic Park Theatre.

This 95-year-old theater that once played “Gone with the Wind” partly inspired the creation of the film festival, said the festival’s co-director, Sean Doherty.

When Doherty moved to Estes Park in 2005, he noted that Estes Park, with its awe-inspiring mountain landscape, would provide the perfect creative atmosphere for filmmakers to showcase their own art.

Having volunteered at film festivals in Florida, where he got a degree in film and TV, he felt that Estes Park would culturally benefit from such a festival.

And when he saw the Park Theatre, he believed it would be the perfect location and would attract a variety of filmmakers to the area.

“It would be pretty amazing for a filmmaker to have their film play in a theater that used to show Charlie Chaplin films and ‘Gone with the Wind,’” Doherty said.

In 2006, Estes Park hosted its first film festival and has since sought to bring “challenging, entertaining and diverse independent films to Estes Park” as well as “educate, inspire and advance greater appreciation of independent cinema,” Doherty said.

“One of the great things about film festivals,” explained Doherty, “is that after the film is over the filmmakers and actors come up onstage and answer questions about their films. You can’t get that at your local multiplex.”

And for many filmmakers, said Doherty, these festivals serve as not only the main outlet for their films to be viewed by a large audience, but also for them to get immediate feedback from that audience.

Another benefit of a film festival is the opportunity for the public to view films that aren’t available at the local cinema, Doherty said.

“Many of the documentaries that we screen offer people a glimpse into a different world that they normally wouldn’t experience.”

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Don't miss the 3rd Annual Estes Park Film Festival starting this Thursday!
-Independent films from around the world
-Student Short Films start at 4:00PM - Thursday
-Opening night party on the 12th!
-Awards Gala on the 14th!
Visit www. estesparkfilm. com for more info and to purchase tickets online!

http://www.youtube.com/epfilmfest