Mountain Mayhem: Falling for Aspen Film | May Selby The Aspen Times
September 28, 2024
The 45th anniversary of Filmfest, presented by Aspen Film, took place from Sept. 17-22. As the fall foliage turned outside, the projectors rolled inside with 17 invited features shown on the silver screen at the Aspen Film Isis Theatre.
The programming featured a stream of sold-out shows and five incredible Q+As. I had the opportunity to see four films and gave them all top ratings: the moving documentary “Super/Man”; the wild ride of “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” with the story of a money pit purchase by Troy Parker and Matt Stone of South Park fame; the 45-year-old film “The Jerk”; and the secret screening of Sean Baker’s le Palme d’Or award-winning feature, “Anora,” with breakout stars Mikey Madison and Mark Eidelschtein.
The 2024 Filmfest Audience Award went to “Unstoppable,” based on the inspirational, real-life story of wrestler Anthony Robles who was in attendance after Friday’s sold-out screening for an emotional Q+A. The inspiring true story of Robles (played by Jharrel Jerome), documents his journey, having been born with one leg and an indefatigable spirit to defy the odds and pursue his dreams to become an NCAA Champion. His devoted mother, Judy (played by Jennifer Lopez), and his coaches support him wholeheartedly.
“Our 45th-anniversary festival was a resounding success. We appreciate all the love and support from our community this past week, with packed houses and multiple sold-out screenings,” said Susan Wrubel, Aspen Film executive + artistic director. “Having our new Board Chair Katherine Chapin here for an anniversary year was also quite special — our audiences could experience her dynamism and leadership firsthand. We could not be more excited about our next chapter.”
Chapin was present for much of the programming, welcoming cinephiles and also inviting them to support Aspen Film. Cleverly-named levels of annual memberships start at $50 for Cinephiles age 35 and younger, $75 for Platinum Directors age 75 plus, and $175 for Directors to patron levels of Visionary and Auteur for higher. Visit aspenfilm.org to learn more.