Crested Butte Film Festival

Last updated
Crested Butte Film Festival
Location Crested Butte, Colorado USA
Founded2011
AwardsACTNow, Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Comedy Short, Best Documentary Short, Best Narrative Feature, Audience Choice
DirectorsScott Robson
Artistic directorMichael Brody
No. of films100 [1]
Festival dateSeptember (annually)
LanguageInternational
Website cbfilmfest.org

The Crested Butte Film Festival is a celebration of international films, held annually over four days in the last weekend of September, in Crested Butte, Colorado. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

History

Celebrating it's 15th Anniversary in 2025, the Crested Butte Film Festival (CBFF) was founded by Michael Brody and Jennifer Brody in 2011 who were looking for new creative work together following their careers in filmmaking and education. [5] In February 2025 the CBFF Board of Directors hired long-time Colorado nonprofit and local government leader, Scott Robson as Executive Director. In the years prior to 2010, the Town of Crested Butte previously hosted Reel Fest, a shorts film festival that lasted a decade but eventually was discontinued. The first installment of the Crested Butte Film Festival had an audience of 1,500 or approximately the full-time population of the town. By 2013 the attendance doubled and as of 2025 the Festival regularly draws attendance regionally and from across North America. The Festival is known for year-round programming of film in a funky unique mountain community which is a both a National Historic Landmark District and Colorado Creative District, and for offering unique opportunities for Festival attendees to meet and interact with filmakers. The Crested Butte Film Festival also has a reputation for programming a diverse array of unique short and full-length films during its annual festival which occurs during the peak of the autumn leaf changing season in Colorado (September 24-28, 2025).

Program

Crested Butte Film Festival programs artful, moving, creative and provocative films, in both short and full-length programs. Preference is given to creativity, daring, great storytelling, and bravery. The top selections are awarded to ACTNow, to the best narrative and documentary features, best documentary short, and to those chosen by the audience.

Awards

Action and Change Together (ACTNow)

Awarded to a nonprofit organization linked to a call-to-action documentary.

ACTNow
YearWinning filmDirector(s)Country
2012Bidder 70Beth Cage; George CageFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2013 Blood Brother Steve HooverFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2014 Virunga Orlando von Einsiedel Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
2015 Racing Extinction Louie Psihoyos Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2016Newtown Kim Snyder Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2017 Bending the Arc Kief Davidson; Pedro Kos Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
A Plastic OceanCraig LeesonFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
2019SantuarioPilar Timpane; Christine DelpFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2020 Mossville: When
Great Trees Fall 		Alexander Glustrom Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2024Mr.CatoRyan RossFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States

Juried Awards

Director Ed Zwick (right) interviews Jesse Zwick (left) for About Alex. Jessezwickedzwick.jpg
Director Ed Zwick (right) interviews Jesse Zwick (left) for About Alex .
Courtney Marsh, of Chau, Beyond the Lines, is interviewed at a filmmaker's function. Courtneymarshcbff.jpg
Courtney Marsh, of Chau, Beyond the Lines , is interviewed at a filmmaker's function.
David Zellner discusses his film Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter at an audience talkback. Davidzellnercbff.jpg
David Zellner discusses his film Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter at an audience talkback.
Best Narrative Feature
YearWinning filmDirector(s)Country
2013 De rouille et d'os
(Rust and Bone)		 Jacques Audiard Flag of France.svg  France
2014 The One I Love Charlie McDowell Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2015 Kumiko, the
Treasure Hunter 		Nathan Zellner; David Zellner Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2016 The Lobster Yorgos Lanthimos Flag of Greece.svg  Greece/
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
2017 A Ghost Story David Lowery Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2019 Parasite Bong Joon-ho Flag of South Korea.svg  Republic of Korea
2020 Bait Mark Jenkin Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
2024Los FrikisMichael Schwartz & Tyler NilsonFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Best Documentary Feature
YearWinning filmDirector(s)Country
2012Bidder 70Beth Cage; George CageFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2013 Chasing Ice Jeff Orlowski Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2014 The Overnighters Jesse Moss Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2015Almost Holy
(Crocodile Gennadiy)		Steve HooverFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2016 LoveTrue Alma Har'el Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States/
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel
2017 Whose Streets? Sabaah Folayan; Damon Davis Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2019Storm the GatesDaniele Anastasion;
Catherine Yrisarri; Josie Swantek		Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2020Us Kids Kim Snyder Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2024CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEYBen Sturgulewski & Katie SternholmFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Best Comedy Short
YearWinning filmDirector(s)Country
2017Immaculate
Misconception		Michael GeogheganFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
2019Hot DogAlma Buddecke; Marleen ValinFlag of Germany.svg  Germany
2020 Olla Ariane Labed Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2024Cheat Meal Drew Bierut Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Best Documentary Short
YearWinning filmDirector(s)Country
2015 Our Curse Tomasz ŚliwińskiFlag of Poland.svg  Poland
2016We All We Got Carlos Javier Ortiz Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2017Woody's OrderAnn TalmanFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2019All InclusiveCorina Schwingruber-IlićFlag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland
2020Huntsville StationJamie Meltzer and Chris FilipponeFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2024#WAY_AURELIOAlan RexrothFlag of Germany.svg  Germany
Best Narrative Short
YearWinning filmDirector(s)Country
2015La HijaJazmín RadaFlag of Spain.svg  Spain
2016SituationalScott Simonsen; Alyssa SkollerFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Stutterer Benjamin Cleary Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
2017American ParadiseJoe TalbotFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2019Moon and the NightErin LauFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2020Monstruo Dios
(Monster God)		Agustina San MartínFlag of Argentina.svg  Argentina
2024Cheat MealDrew BierutFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States

Audience Choice

Audience Choice
YearWinning filmDirector(s)Country
2012 Kumaré Vikram Gandhi Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2013Blood BrotherSteve HooverFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2014 About Alex Jessie ZwickFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2015UnbrandedPhillip BaribeauFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2016 Jim: The James Foley Story Brian OakesFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2017Band AidZoe Lister JonesFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2019 Peanut Butter Falcon Tyler Nilson;
Michael Schwartz		Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2020High CountryConor HagenFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2024CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEYBen Sturgulewski & Katie SternholmFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States

Other awards

Special Jury Prize

See also

References

  1. ↑ Harvey, Kasey (September 2, 2016). "2016 Crested Butte Film Festival". mountainliving.com. Mountain Living. Retrieved September 5, 2016. The lineup has a total of 100 films, with 20 feature-length narrative and documentaries and 80 short films in the narrative, documentary, outdoor adventure and children's genres.
  2. ↑ Wenzel, John (September 16, 2015). "13 Colorado film festivals to enjoy in fall 2015". Denverpost.com. Denver Post. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  3. ↑ Singer, Daliah (September 11, 2014). "Crested Butte Film Festival Is A (Sort Of) Homecoming for Filmmaker Jesse Zwick". 5280.com. 5280. Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  4. ↑ Zable, Stacey (June 29, 2015). "Celebrate cinema at these fall film fests". usatoday.com. USA Today. Retrieved June 12, 2016. American and international cinema-lovers come to this scenic town in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado every September, the perfect time to marvel at the aspen forests showing off their fall colors. Some 90 films are shown over the four-day fest, with venues and events a mere "townie bike" ride away from each other.
  5. 1 2 "Crested Butte Film Festival: Our Story". Cbfilmfest.org. Crested Butte Film Festival. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.