Photo of the day
Some of the local filmmakers whose documentary shorts were showcased Wednesday at the Denver Film Festival: Jade Sheeks, Bruce Tetsuya, Evan Wiley, Patrick Hackett, Emma Needell and Jacob Glazier.
What’s happening today
Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Mothersbaugh, frontman for the iconic new-wave rock band DEVO and now a veteran film and TV composer, will be in conversation at the Denver Botanic Gardens at 7 p.m. tonight. The program will include clips from his five decades in music and film, from his rock-star days through scoring with such filmmakers as Taika Waititi, Wes Anderson and Lord/Miller.
Screening of the day
“Hunt”: “Squid Games” star Lee Jung-jae’s directorial debut is a mile-a-minute CIA action thriller filled with political intrigue and blown-up cars. The mission is to find a spy embedded among North Korean operatives and a special forces unit. 6:45 p.m. at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave.
Video: The trailer for ‘Hunt.’
Wait … what just happened?
One of the highly anticipated documentaries of the festival was “Loudmouth,” which more than chronicles the evolution of Al Sharpton from a self-appointed reverend and lightning-rod activist to still-relentless elder statesman after decades of following the news and putting himself squarely in the center of national conversations around systemic racial injustice.
‘Loudmouth’ director Josh Alexander speaks with Denver Film Programming Coordinator Ambriehl Turrentine on Wednesday.
Director Josh Alexander, who compiled his film from 1,400 hours of archival and original footage, said Sharpton is really just a vessel to tell a larger story about white racism in the media. Now, about that title – a term that very same media has often used to demean Sharpton over the years. “A lot of people were nervous about the title,” Alexander said. “The very first time I went to meet with Rev. Sharpton in New York, I walked into his office and his attorney and his daughter were there, other staff members were there, my team was there, John Legend’s partner was there – and the first thing he said to me was, ‘What, so you are calling this ‘Loudmouth’? And two people next to him jumped up and said, ‘Rev, that’s just a temp title; they can change it.’ And he said, ‘Temp title? That’s a great title. I didn’t have a choice but to be the loudmouth.’
“He told me that all great change has happened through loudmouths. He believes Jesus was a troublemaker and a loudmouth because it was a crime then, as it is now, to be loud about sin and injustice. He sees that loudness, and the use of his mouth, as part of the tradition that he is in.”
Raúl Castillo, center, accepts the Denver Film Festival’s 2022 Excellence in Acting Award from Mike Ferrufino, President & CEO of the Colorado Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; and Denver Film CEO Kevin Smith.
Quote of the day
Raúl Castillo at the Denver Botanic Gardens on Wednesday.
“The work is always personal. You shouldn’t do it if it’s not personal.” – Mexican American actor Raúl Castillo, who received the festival’s Excellence in Acting Award before a special screening of “The Inspection” at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Inspired by director Elegance Bratton’s own story, “The Inspection” introduces a young, gay Black man with limited options (Jeremy Pope) who joins the Marines and is met by a sympathetic Drill Sergeant (Castillo) who offers the man unexpected support. “A lot of love went into this film,” said Castillo. “It’s a very special project, and to get to launch it here in Denver is incredibly meaningful to me – and to be representing the Hispanic community us especially meaningful.”
Castillo, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Paps in “We the Animals” (Independent Spirit Award nomination), is a first-generation American raised in McAllen, Texas. “Denver was where our family took our first American vacation,” said Castillo, who as 5 at the time and remembers meeting Santa Claus in Colorado Springs.
C.B. Stockfleth’s documentary about the Elephant 6 Recording Company looks back at the early days of seminal 1990s bands including Denver’s Dressy Bessy and the Apples In Stereo, as well as the Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, Elf Power, the Music Tapes, the Minders, the Gerbils, of Montreal, Beulah, Great Lakes and more. 7:15 p.m. Nov. 11 and 1 p.m. Nov. 12 at the AMC 9+CO 10.
Off the beaten path
C.B. Stockfleth’s documentary about the Elephant 6 Recording Company looks back at the early days of seminal 1990s bands including Denver’s Dressy Bessy and the Apples In Stereo, as well as the Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, Elf Power, the Music Tapes, the Minders, the Gerbils, of Montreal, Beulah, Great Lakes and more. 7:15 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday at the AMC, 826 Albion St.
Information and tickets
Go to denverfilm.org
