Latest news with #BoulderInternationalFilmFestival
CBS News
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Boulder International Film Festival considers impact of possible Sundance move to Colorado
Boulder International Film Festival , BIFF, rolled out the red carpet for another successful year. Celebrities, like actress Jane Lynch, came to Boulder to receive awards and talk about films. "Everybody is so nice. This is such a wonderful town," Lynch told CBS News Colorado. She received the Entertainer of the Year award on Saturday night. Lynch was one of 60 film industry celebrities who attended the festival. BIFF attracts about 25,000 people every year. "We have such great, enthusiastic audiences. Filmmakers come back year after year, and it's just so heartwarming to see everyone," said Robin Beecks during a BIFF event. Robin Beecks, and her sister Kathy, plan the entire festival from their offices on Pearl Street. When Boulder decided to make a bid for the Sundance Film Festival, the Beecks were among the stakeholders brought into the conversation. "Your first reaction is, 'What?' How will that work?' said Kathy Beecks. The sisters have had several conversations with community leaders and Sundance organizers, and are happy to see Boulder on the short list of contenders for the move. "There are still question marks, but we think we can make it work, and we think there could be some benefits," Kathy added. "Is Boulder big enough for two festivals?" CBS News Colorado's Shaun Boyd asked. "We do think the town is big enough because there is a lot of can spread a bit," Robin Beecks responds. Sundance hosts about 86,000 visitors, so organizers are looking at hotel rooms, restaurant space, and venues for screenings. "We have a lot of historical knowledge over twenty years about how to make things work in this town," Robin said. These festivals attract very different audiences. BIFF shows films that have already been released, but probably haven't made it to Colorado yet. Sundance requires its films premiere at the festival. BIFF would have to change its dates to accommodate Sundance, but over all Kathy and Robin are looking at the ways the two festivals could work together. "It's important to them that we are healthy, that we grow and thrive," Robin added. The Beecks see economic viability not only for their own festival, but for Boulder and the entire state.
CBS News
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Film industry celebrities descend on Colorado for Boulder International Film Festival
The Boulder International Film Festival is hosting some 60 film industry guests coming to screen their films. On Saturday night, the Colorado festival is presenting actress Jane Lynch with its Entertainer of the Year Award. The Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild award winner will take part in an hour-long career-retrospective interview moderated by Scott Feinberg, executive editor at The Hollywood Reporter. The conversation will cover some of Lynch's most notable performances including her work on "Glee," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," and most recently "Only Murders in the Building." Designer Kenneth Cole will receive BIFF's Catalyst Award for the monumental impact he has had on many important causes. The award presentation will be after the screening of the new documentary about his career and activism. The film is called "A Man with Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole." The designer started out in the early 80s and very quickly wrapped social consciousness into his business brand. He did a promotional campaign about how people weren't talking about HIV/AIDS. "Arguably, it changed the man, changed the brand, changed the business, everything about me. It was just ... everything just became so much more meaningful," Cole told CBS News Colorado. Over the years, he promoted his products along with causes like homelessness, LGBTQ+ rights, and social justice. Cole sees his company as a model for what other American companies can be. The film focuses on the injection of philanthropy into a business model. "It isn't a company that embarks on social impact. Social impact is not something we do, it's who we are. Everybody in the company touches it in different ways at different points," Cole explained. Former astronaut Eileen Collins is also coming to the Boulder International Film Festival to talk about a new documentary about her life and career, called "Spacewoman." Collins became the first woman to pilot a Space Shuttle, and the first woman to command a Space Shuttle mission. "Spaceflight is such a wonderful human experience, and I sincerely believe that space tourism is going to be extremely successful," Collins told CBS News Colorado. In the U.S. Air Force, Collins became a test pilot, taught at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, and earned the rank of Colonel. Then she was tapped for NASA's Space Flight program in the 1990's. She served as commander for four missions including the "return to flight" mission after the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003. The documentary covers all those achievements and more. "It's not just about airplanes and space. I think that would be the structure of the I did as an astronaut, but it also has a family message in there," Collins explained. Collins will be joined by Director Hannah Berryman, and Producer Keith Haviland at the screening of "Spacewoman" on Sunday, March 16, at 6:15 p.m. at the Boulder Theater. These are just a few of the many film industry celebrities that will be in Boulder for BIFF, which is long known for attracting in-person appearances. BIFF runs from Thursday, March 13 - Sunday, March 16, 2025. All four days are jam packed with events, screenings and parties at venues throughout Boulder.
CBS News
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Boulder International Film Festival has long, beloved history with community
The Boulder International Film Festival holds it's Red Carpet Gala on Opening Night. It kicks off 3-days of non-stop movies and events. The festival is in it's 21st year and is a favorite in the community. Part of the opening night festivities is a second line parade from the Gala to the theater. These are the kinds of traditions that Kathy and Robin Beeck have developed over the years. "I remember one year, it was super, super snowy, and they were arriving late because traffic was terrible. They got there right when we needed to start the band. They were so discombobulated that they started walking the wrong way. We had to run after them and get them to turn around," Kathy Beeck recalled with a laugh. Over 20-years, the sisters have amassed a lot of great stories including how they got started in the movie business. "We started working in movie theaters here in Boulder as what they called Popcorn Girls back in those days," Robin Beeck explained. From Popcorn Girls, to movie makers, to festival organizers, Robin and Kathy saw a niche and filled it. "We thought, 'Hey, Boulder is a perfect place to have a film festival. The audiences will eat up these films that you might not see at the cineplex,'" Robin added. They could not have been more right. Audiences line up for the chance to see the festival films, and you never know who is going to show up for a screening. "It's amazing to be in Boulder. I've never been to Boulder," said actress Laura Linney at last year's festival. Boulder International Film Festival, affectionately known as BIFF, started with 35 films and two venues. In 2025, 68 movies from 18 countries will play at venues throughout the city. "Our mantra over the many years has to just grow slowly," Robin said. With a small staff and an army of volunteers, Robin and Kathy Beeck coordinate four days of nonstop events. "It's all about the parties. It really is... let's be that's where you meet people, that's where you meet the fimmakers," Kathy acknowledged. Meeting the filmmakers and celebrating and industry these sisters have loved all their lives. That is what BIFF is all about. The Boulder International Film Festival runs from March 13-16, 2025.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Boulder scientists develop gas-analyzing device for use in medical studies, diagnosis
DENVER (KDVR) — A group of physicists from the University of Colorado Boulder partnered with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop a device that can analyze almost any sample of gas to a molecular level, according to a press release from CU. The device they created is laser-based and was coined the Modulated Ringdown Comb Interferometry. It takes a sample of gas and breaks it down into huge groups of varying molecules. The device is so precise that it can measure the concentration of molecules to parts per trillion. Former CU kicker Mason Crosby retires as a Green Bay Packer The team initially worked to better understand how to track gases like greenhouse emissions in a low-cost alternative, as well as using the device to diagnose illnesses. The group from the joint research institute, JILA, published the research findings in the Nature journal. To demonstrate the device at work, the physicists applied its function to an age-old science question, 'What is in the air we breathe?' They gathered breath samples from different people and identified the types of bacteria that were residing in each individual's mouth. The senior author of the study, Jun We, said the results were the culmination of three decades of research into quantum physics by CU and NIST to develop a device as specialized as the frequency comb laser. 'The frequency comb laser was originally invented for optical atomic clocks, but very early on, we identified its powerful application for molecular sensing,' said Ye. 'Still, it took us 20 years to mature this technique, finally allowing universal applicability for molecular sensing.' Now, the group of physicists has expanded the team to include researchers at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus and Children's Hospital Colorado to use the Modulated Ringdown Comb Interferometry device to analyze a range of breath samples from the organizations. This will allow the study to analyze how the results distinguish the breath of a child with pneumonia in comparison to another child with asthma. Jane Lynch to headline newly announced Boulder International Film Festival lineup The group will also launch a separate study into the analysis of patients with lung cancer before and after having a tumor removal surgery. The team wants to explore if the device can detect early stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease through breath sample diagnosis. 'But this is just the beginning,' said Qizhong Liang, lead author of the study and a doctoral student at JILA. 'Even better sensing performance can be established using MRCI.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Boulder International Film Festival returns with 68 films
The annual Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) returns to the Flatirons next month with 68 films from 18 countries. Dig in: The four-day festival, in its 21st year, features parties, screenings, Q&As and a friendly chef's competition crafting dishes inspired by their favorite movies. The intrigue: BIFF arrives after the Sundance Film Festival named Boulder among the finalists to host the festival. What to expect: Opening night on March 14 features two parties at the Hotel Boulderado and one at Rembrandt Yard, and will include live music, food and drinks before a screening of " The Friend" starring Naomi Watts and Bill Murray. Tickets start at $120. By the numbers: 60 filmmakers are slated to attend — 20 from Colorado alone — with three world and six domestic premieres. Between the lines: Award-winning fashion designer Kenneth Cole, Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh, and Olympic gold medalist hurdler Edwin Moses will participate in Q&As to discuss films spotlighting their careers. Zoom in: " Apollo 1," a documentary chronicling the first planned manned Moon mission that ended after an explosion during a preflight test in 1967, will host its world premiere at BIFF on March 15 at the Boulder Theater. The explosion killed astronauts Roger B. Chaffee, Gus Grissom and Ed White. Their surviving family members will attend the premiere. If you go: The festival runs from March 13-16 in Boulder, ending with a screening of "Spacewoman," a documentary about Eileen Collins, the first woman spacecraft commander, who will attend for a Q&A. Tickets are now available online, with $35 passes available for two individual film screenings. Virtual screenings will be available starting March 17.
