Mountainfilm in Telluride began as a homespun gathering of outdoor enthusiasts 33+ years ago has evolved into a colorful tapestry of talks, exhibits, music and films. And Mountainfim has grown legs. Good news for Telluride, because there could be no better ambassador for the "brand."
I guess I recognized I was different at my first Halloween party in college. There I stood, white-chalked face and spiked black hair, with eight pairs of scissors taped to my fingers, a ghoulish version of Edward Scissorhands; I was surrounded by a bunch of sexy kittens, lingerie-clad angels and Playboy bunnies. Needless to say, I didn’t reel in any dates that night.
It was then that I realized there are two types of people in the world: People who like horror movies and people who don’t. Not everyone likes to be scared, so if you find yourself in the latter camp, you might want to skip to the next article or go shop online for a cute Halloween costume, something with ears or a thong. If you belong to the cloister of us who revere ghost stories, scary movies and spooky urban myths, read on. We’ve got a festival for you: the second annual Telluride Horror Show, October 14-16.
The 2nd annual Telluride Photo Festival is underway. The event, which runs from September 26 – October 2, targets professional and experienced amateur photographers with a menu of activities that includes workshops, seminars, symposiums, portfolio reviews and exhibits. And since it's Telluride, home to Mountainfilm and eco-crusaders, founder Eric Moore puts the emphasis on conservation photography, such as the work of Ian Shive.
On Friday, September 30, Photo Fest hosts a screening of Ian's documentary, "Wild Life: A New Generation of Wild." Ian appears on two panels, one on conservation photography and a second about the use of still photography for environmental activism. He also plans to be on hand for a book-signing at Between the Covers bookstore, also Friday. (Check Photo Fest's website for exact details.)
When Eric Moore moved back to Telluride in 2010 after being away for a few years, he decided it was time to create the Telluride Photography Festival. After all, photographers from all over the world already flock to the San Juans every fall. The combination of spectacular golden aspens and spectacular scenery makes it hard for most photographers to resist.
This year the second annual Photography Festival returns to Telluride. World-class photographers such as Tom Till, Adam Barker, Tim Cample and the Camp 4 Collective, and David FitzSimmons will be presenting their work and leading workshops. Professional and amateur photographers alike will have the chance to meet, attend seminars and symposiums, and do portfolio reviews all while exploring this year’s theme of conservation.by Emily Brendler Shoff
The Telluride Blues and Brews Festival always falls at the time of year when anything can happen weather-wise. It can be sunny and 70, or it can be snowing. This weekend was both. 
Saturday, it rained and snowed so hard that even long-time locals were questioning why they call Telluride home. At the beer tasting, people were dressed in every imaginable combination they could think of to stay warm. Those who’d thought to bring rain jackets and rain paints were the happiest but equally happy were those in trash bags, snap-up Carhartt suits, and polypro onesies. I even saw one guy wearing his ski clothes, including ski boots.
The weather didn’t seem to dampen people’s appreciation for the beer or the music. If anything, it just added another layer of appreciation. People discussed others’ outfits as much as they discussed the beer.
My rubber xtra-tuf rain boots from my Alaska NOLS trip in 1994 got the same amount of praise as I imagine the latest handbags do in New York.
Marcia Ball hit the jackpot with her name. It defines the lady and her talent, as in Marcia Ball is:
“More fun than a barrel of funky monkeys. Spicy, Texas-Louisiana blues, rock 'n’ roll and boogie-woogie...awesome piano,” National Public Radio
Translation: The lady is, well, a ball. And those around have – you guessed it - a ball.
Singer/pianist Marcia Ball joins Willie Nelson, Mavis Staple, The Robert Cray Band, Dweezil Zappa, BIg Head Todd and the Monsters on long list of talent performing this weekend at Steve Gumble's rocking, rollicking 18th annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival.
Mountainfilm Educational Initiative Garners Praise and Renewed Support
Making Movies that Matter, an educational outreach program launched by Mountainfilm three years ago, has received renewed funding by Colorado Creative Industries (CCI - formerly The Colorado Council on the Arts). In a particularly competitive climate, the program received high marks from the state agency that receives its funds, in part, from the National Endowment for the Arts. This marks the second time in three years that the state arts agency has approved grant funding for Mountainfilm’s program. This year the amount of the award, $8,500, has nearly doubled. Members of the CCI grant selection committee echoed former praise for Making Movies That Matter, citing its “relevance, excellent teacher materials, strong implementation capacity, high quality of film artists and its impact on kids.”
Making Movies That Matter introduces middle and high school students to vital global issues through the medium of documentary films. Following critical content analysis, the students are taught basic editing techniques and, with permission from the filmmakers, distill the films they have studied into their own shortened renditions, adding graphics, music, voiceovers and other editorial elements of their choosing. The best of the student films are then showcased at Mountainfilm’s annual festival.
Telluride Inside ... and Out was pleased to be in the audience for the first screening of Alexander Payne's "The Descendants" on Friday afternoon of the Telluride Film Festival. Scheduling dictated waiting until Sunday morning to enjoy the George Clooney tribute.
Check out the video for a sense of Todd McCarthy's interview with George, director Alexander Payne and actress Shailene Woodley after the showing of the movie.
(Ed. note: This is a bit late but here is the film schedule for after the Festival) Telluride Film Festival AfterFest at the Palm Tuesday 7:15 - KID WITH A BIKE – 87 min 9:15 - FORGIVENESS OF BLOOD -109m-------------Wednesday 7:00 – LE HAVRE- 103m 9:15 – WE NEED...
For the second year in a row, a King George dominated the Telluride Film Festival. Last year, it was King George VI, whose life and stutter were immortalized in director Tom Hooper's golden "The King's Speech." This year was all about a second King George, a man who rose from a humble background, the son of a former Army dj, to rule Telluride – at least for the long Labor Day weekend. I am talking of course about actor George Clooney, a tributee at the 38th annual celluloid celebration of the art of filmmaking. (He threatened to wear the metal medallion he received at his tribute through airport security.) Virtually every other superstar in town – and there were plenty – walked in Clooney's shadow.
