6th Annual Original Thinkers, 10/5 – 10/10: Overview!

22 Sep 6th Annual Original Thinkers, 10/5 – 10/10: Overview!

Telluride-based Original Thinkers (OT) is a media company that curates creative, fresh, thought-provoking programming to shine a spotlight on a host of major voices, artists, thinkers, storytellers and visionaries.

For more information and to learn more about this year’s films and events, visit the schedule for OTT and OTV here. Day passes available if OT does not sell out.

Buy your pass now.

Go here for more on Original Thinkers.

For the 6th year in a row, Original Thinkers returns to the San Juans in the context of the Telluride region’ dazzling Fall colors.

From October 5-10, Original Thinkers will be discussing creative ideas centered around people (and films) who have dared to defy societal expectations. Talk and doc will demonstrate how breaking free from ingrained societal structures can lead to a more authentic and fulfilling existence.

This year OT will take place both in Telluride (OT Telluride) and in Naturita at CampV  (OTV). With these two locations, pass-holders will  get to experience high elevation mountainous scenery in Telluride and the mystique of the sagebrush desert a little over an hour away in Naturita, CO. where ‘wellness will meet weirdness.’

When asked about this year’s shift in the OT festival model, founder and ringleader David Holbrook shared the following:

“We always come back to resilience and healing, which are extrinsically linked. People are coming to this festival to heal themselves, heal others and we’re going to lean into this a lot. This year’s OT is a deep dive into self-care and an acknowledgement that being personally healthy allows us to tackle the collective challenges we all face.”

In both locations full festival pass-holders will have the opportunity to experience OT’s special mix of terrific films, radiant speakers and art. There will also be fun and smart gatherings that include guided DJ-led sound journeys from Zendo Stereo; hikes; a women’s circle; the Climate Cafe, Original Drinkers cocktail hours; a new meditative technology called Shiftwave and many other unexpected experiences.

“This year, we are excited for a smaller, intentional event with more opportunities for connecting around both films and wellness.” adds David.

Speakers include Jane Ferguson who has appeared at OT before who will talk about her new memoir, “No Ordinary Assignment” and will talk about “How We Can Fix Journalism.”

Jane Ferguson. Photo Gus Gusciorra

The how-to theme runs deep as Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold will examine “How We Can Save Democracy’ and Rachel Kolar and Orpheo McCord will discuss and “How Psychedelics Can Deepen Relationships.”

Also in attendance is Lesa, a healer who recently worked on OT Founder David Holbrooke saving him from two gnarly scheduled surgeries. Her talk is titled “How We Can Heal Ourselves.”

Two films that will be on HBO later in the year – “A Revolution on Canvas” (Untitled Nicky Nodjoumi) and “How We Get Free” are on the schedule as well as “Eternal Memory,” a festival favorite and likely Oscar nominee that looks at love through the lens of memory.

The program will fill out nicely with a mix of shorts emblematic of original thinking.

Photo by Morgan Burke-Beyers.

These speakers and films will invoke festival attendees on a quest of knowledge to seek integrative approaches to heal the mind, body and spirit of those who suffer from the many societal issues we’ve come up against as a consequence of modern-day culture.

OT 2023 will help festival-goers think about what it looks like to break free from societal structures and shape a world that honors humanity’s true potential.