Events

[click "Play" to hear Gary Meyer's conversation with Susan] Monsoon season in Telluride appears to have ended. The grass is green, the sun is shining bright yellow and the sky is Colorado blue. But this weekend, people who like watching...

[click "Play", Gary Meyer talks about who's coming to town]

IMG_5469 Breaking news: The Telluride Film Festival features 3-D throughout the weekend, September 3 – September 6. But attendees may not need a big pair of red and green glasses to see the images. And they will not just be on the silver screen. They will be walking down the streets.

This weekend, critics, actors, directors, cinematographers, producers and distributors and buffs walk side or stand in line talking about films. Everyone shows up in Telluride because the event is regarded as a jewel among film festivals, sans hype or hoopla.
[click "Play" for Pamela Froman's conversation with Susan]

PamelaFroman_hdsht This week in Telluride, not all that glitters is on the silver screen. A trunk show at Dolce Jewels, September 2 – September 4, features Pamela Froman's fine jewelry collection of handmade, one-of-a -kind, limited edition pieces comprised of multiple colors of precious metals (22 karat gold or platinum) and rare natural stones.

Born and raised in New York by her mother,  the well-known sculptor and designer, Ann Froman, Pamela graduated from the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology. She subsequently moved across the pond, settling in Paris, where she began her career designing jewelry for the top couturier salons, including Courreges, Cacharel, Carita, Guy Larouche, and Valentino.

Turquoise In Telluride, real jewels before screen gems and images on canvas open for the ones on the silver screen. Thursday, September 1, is the Telluride Council for the Arts & Humanities' First Thursday Art Walk. First Thursdays are special: galleries and retail shops around town stay open late until eight.

Start with the bling at Lustre, an artisan's gallery, 171 South Pine Street, is hosting a trunk show featuring the classic 24K gold jewelry by the metal artist Gurhan Orhan, renowned for his pioneering work in the revival of pure 24 karat gold jewelry. His signature technique was inspired by the art of ancient goldsmiths.

IMG_5308 Despite its relatively small crowd size –  about 3,000 attendees versus, say,10,000 for events such as Telluride Bluegrass -  Telluride Film Festival, September 3 – September 6, brings in more sales tax revenue to both Telluride and the Mountain Village than any other single event. And it does so with minimal environmental impact.

Equally important, the Telluride Film Festival has developed a worldwide reputation as to go-to spot for the unhyped celebration of the art of filmmaking. Telluride's reputation as the place to be results in hundreds of articles across the country and beyond each year, which reinforces the brand like no other festival can.

Finally, the Telluride Film Festival itself pumps well over $1 million into the local economy in staff salaries, lodging, food and other expenses. It is an economic engine without parallel. Neither the Festival nor the greater community would be the same without the other.
[click "Play" to hear Susan's conversation with GM Ray Farnsworth]

Parlor This week, Telluride is positively a-glitter with gems, on screen and off.

Critics often describe Telluride Film Festival, this long Labor Day weekend, September 3 – September 6, as a "gem," even a "crown jewel" among the roughly 1,700 similar events around the world.

There are real gems at local galleries too: The Telluride Gallery of Fine Art (Hollywood fav Lori Rodkin for one), Lustre (Gurhan) and Dolce (Pamela Froman and Katey Brunini, also Tinseltown queens).

The historic New Sheridan Hotel is another sparkler. The Grande Dame of the town –  the heart and soul of the social scene 118 years ago, back in the days Telluride's streets were paved with gold –  was restored to her Victorian splendor by world-famous interior designer Nina Campbell a little over a year ago. And this year, once again, the New Sheridan is the place to be and be seen over the Telluride Film Festival weekend.
[for Kate Sibley's conversation with Susan, click "Play"]

IMG_6722 The Telluride Film Festival is renowned as much for what it is not as what it is.

The Telluride Film Festival is not about prizes or juries or press screenings or booty or paparazzi or yachts or swag. No one wins, so everyone wins.

The Telluride Film Festival is a celebration of the art of filmmaking, not the Industry. It is also the great equalizer: everyone talks to everyone on the streets and in the lines. And it is about location: Telluride has to be one of the greatest sets in the world. The Telluride Film Festival's education initiatives also put it at the head of class among the roughly 2,000 film festivals around the globe.