Boulder International Film Festival

The festival's inaugural season showcased more than 50 films from around the world. Among the highlights were documentaries such as "Seoul Train," "Mardi Gras: Made in China" and "The Liberace of Baghdad," the regional premiere of Danny Boyle's "Millions," an early short from Jason Reitman ("Juno," "Up in the Air"), and a hilarious feature film from Curtis and Paul Hannum -- "The Real Old Testament," the Bible presented as reality TV.

Special guest artists during BIFF's coldest year to date included Maria Bello ("A History of Violence," "The Cooler"), Patrick Warburton ("The Education of Maxwell Bright"), Eric Roberts ("The Dark Knight," "Runaway Train," "Star 80"), and screenwriter Amy Fox. Director Andrew Quigley received a Special Jury Prize for his documentary "Diameter of the Bomb."

An eclectic mix of guests included the Polish Brothers ("The Astronaut Farmer," "Northfork"), screenwriter John August ("Go," Big Fish," "Frankenweenie"), the Denver Slam Poetry Team, and a contingent of air-guitar masters, the last in conjunction with the amazing documentary "Air Guitar Nation."

Among the high points of the 2008 BIFF were the opening-night premiere of Helen Hunt's directorial debut, "And Then She Found Me," the screening of Alex Gibney's "Taxi to the Dark Side," which won the Oscar shortly thereafter; concertizing by local luminaries such as Hazel Miller and Otis Taylor; an offsite showing of Eisenstein's classic "Alexander Nevsky," with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra playing the original score; and a sold-out closing night featuring the documentary "Stranded: I've Come from a Plane That Crashed on the Mountains."

Chevy Chase opened the 2009 Festival at the Boulder Theater. Emmy award-winning comedian, writer and actor, Chase received an Award of Excellence in Comedy which was followed by a film retrospective honoring his work. Mr. Chase then participated in a Q&A session hosted by Ron Bostwick, BIFF executive producer.

"Not only has Mr. Chase graced so many classic comedic films and been a major influence to countless comedians, he has also been a tireless advocate for this country's environmental movement which Coloradans are so passionate about," said Kathy Beek, festival co-founder and director. "We are truly honored Chevy is able to join us for a lively start to the festival."

BIFF was voted one of the “25 Coolest Film Festivals” MovieMaker Magazine.[1]

Closing Night of BIFF 2010 was a tribute to Alec Baldwin which included a film retrospective of his work followed by a question and answer session hosted by BIFF Executive Producer Ron Bostwick.

Three weeks following BIFF, Baldwin co-hosted the 2010 Academy Awards ceremony with his It’s Complicated co-star Steve Martin. Baldwin stars with Tina Fey on NBC’s “30 Rock”, winner of the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series for the past three years. He’s received three SAG Awards, two Golden Globes, the Television Critics Award, and two Emmies for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.

“We are thrilled to have Mr. Baldwin attending the Boulder International Film Festival,” said Kathy Beeck, festival co-founder and director. “He’s a magnificent actor who has influenced many young actors and comedians, and we’re honored he will join us at this year’s festival.”

Besides featuring visits by Oliver Stone and James Franco, BIFF 2011 was crammed with significant content. From the festive opening-night feature "Troubadors" through the vibrant madness of "The Last Circus," an examination of the controversial legacy of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in "Crazy Wisdom," a look at film preservation in "These Amazing Shadows," "Bag It!", "For Once in My Life," "Armadillo," and more, BIFF truly covered the world. Most moving was a "Freedom Riders" post-screening conversation with Congressman John Lewis.

William H. Macy and Martin Sheen were honored at the 2012 BIFF where both actors appeared to speak on stage as well as host a Q&A session. Anthony Bregman, producer of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and famed Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan were honorary guests as well.[2]

Peter Fonda was BIFF's closing-night guest in 2013. BIFF's Singer/Songwriter Showcase really came into its own that year, and educational outreach programs such as the Youth Pavilion, CU @ BIFF (BIFF's college-level program in association with the University of Colorado), and expanded workshops and panels all attracted new crowds.

Shirley MacLaine received the Career Achievement Award during her tribute at BIFF in 2014. For the first time ever, BIFF's fundraising FOOVIE (food and a movie) sold out and raised $15,000 for year-round BIFF programming. In addition, 2014 saw the release of an open-source Call 2 Action Toolkit that film festivals across the globe can use to easily adopt the festival's signature Call 2 Action program, joining the movement to harness the power of film for positive social change.

Josh Walker, Rodes Rollins and Dallas Thornton performed at the 2018 BIFF Singer-Songwriter Showcase in Boulder Colorado.[3]

The Social Dilemma, Jeff Orlowski won the "Impact DOCS Awards Film.[4]