Arc of Oblivion explores a quirk of humankind: in a universe that erases its tracks, we humans are hellbent on leaving a trace.
Showcasing Curated Shorts and Features, Colorado Talent and Industry Conversations
This week, Arts & Culture Salida announced the full program and box office information for the Third Salida Film Festival, scheduled for May 9-12, 2024. The SteamPlant Event Center, in the heart of the Salida Creative District, is the home of this artistic tradition in downtown Salida.
The four-day event will showcase several new features including:
- American Fiction (Opening Night Film and Winner of the 2024 Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay)
- Thelma (starring Oscar® nominee June Squibb and the legendary Richard Roundtree in his final role)
- Remembering Gene Wilder
- A Home in Paradise from Colorado director Julie Jackson.
Two short film programs and other activities have been slated for the weekend, including a pilot of a new independent documentary series (“Brewability”) from SeriesFest, a live podcast with several industry professionals, and the new Craft & Coffee conversations that will kick off each day of the festival.
“We’re incredibly excited to reveal this amazing lineup of films and special events,” said City of Salida Arts & Culture Supervisor and Director of Salida Film Festival Patrick O’Brien. “Audience growth leading up to our third film festival is a testament to Salida’s love of independent cinema, and we know they’re going to love this year’s program.”
“With so many options for viewing content, the program gives a nod to all the storytellers creating right now with a proud emphasis on those living and working locally or in the Rocky Mountain region,” adds O’Brien.
Full Festival Passes are $85 and available at the Salida SteamPlant Box Office. Passes provide access to all film programs, conversations, and events. Individual tickets are also available for $11 per program.
Film Festival Feature Films
Below is a run-down of the festival lineup provided by the Salida SteamPlant Box Office:
American Fiction won the 2024 Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
American Fiction
Director: Cord Jefferson
Opening Night Film – Sponsored by Colorado Office of Film Television Media
7:00 p.m. – Thursday, May 9
Thelonious “Monk” Ellison’s writing career has stalled because his work isn’t deemed “Black enough.” Monk, a writer and English professor, writes a satirical novel under a pseudonym, aiming to expose the publishing world’s hypocrisies. The book’s immediate success forces him to get deeper enmeshed in his assumed identity and challenges his closely-held worldviews. The film is Rated R. Winner of the 2024 Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
A Home in Paradise
Director: Julie Jackson
Sponsored by We Are Chaffee
5:30 p.m. – Friday, May 10
A Home in Paradise will premiere at the Salida Film Festival and is the hard work of We Are Chaffee, local director and producer Julie Jackson, and videographer and editor Sarah Hamilton. The film highlights the lives of several Chaffee County community members and their efforts to access and bridge the housing, mental and behavioral health, and socio-economic divide.
A Home in Paradise is a call to action, encouraging conversations and community engagement to mend the divided “paradise” for many who call Chaffee County home. The film is Not Rated. In-person guests will be in attendance for a post-film panel discussion immediately followed by a reception.
The Arc of Oblivion with Short Film: The Lost Season
Director: Ian Cheney
7:45 p.m. – Friday, May 10
The Arc of Oblivion explores a quirk of humankind: in a universe that erases its tracks, we humans are hellbent on leaving a trace. Set against the backdrop of the filmmaker’s quixotic quest to build an ark in a field in Maine, the film heads far afield – to salt mines in the Alps, fjords in the Arctic, and ancient libraries in the Sahara – to illuminate the strange world of archives, record-keeping, and memory. The film is Not Rated.
Preceded by The Lost Season, (directed by Kelly Sears, filmmaker and CU-Boulder Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts professor), the film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
True Stories, starring John Goodman, Swoosie Kurtz and Spalding Gray
True Stories
Director: David Byrne
Late Night Looks – Songs on Screen
10:00 p.m. – Friday, May 10
This Late Night Looks section of Salida Film Festival revisits a visual and musical gem. Talking Heads’ David Byrne uses a fictional Texas town as the backdrop to satirize the eccentricities of America in True Stories. Starring John Goodman, Swoosie Kurtz and Spalding Gray. Film is Rated PG.
Thelma features Oscar® nominee June Squibb (Nebraska) in her first leading role, as well as the final performance of trailblazing actor Richard Roundtree (Shaft).
Thelma
Director: Josh Margolin
12:30 p.m. – Saturday, May 11
Inspired by a real-life experience of filmmaker Josh Margolin’s own grandmother, Thelma shines a spotlight on an elderly grandmother as an unlikely action hero. The film features Oscar® nominee June Squibb (Nebraska) in her first leading role, as well as the final performance of trailblazing actor Richard Roundtree (Shaft). The film is Rated PG-13.
Holy Frit is the closing night film of the Salida Film Festival
Holy Frit
Director: Justin S. Monroe
Closing Night Film
6:30 p.m. – Saturday, May 11
A talented yet unknown Los Angeles artist bluffs his way into a commission for the largest stained glass window of its kind. Yet, he doesn’t know how to make it and seeks help from an Italian glass maestro to complete the project in time. The film is Not Rated.
Remembering Gene Wilder
Director: Ron Frank
Last Look Presentation
4:30 p.m. – Sunday, May 12
This loving tribute to Gene Wilder celebrates his life and legacy as the comic genius behind an extraordinary string of film roles, from his first collaboration with Mel Brooks in The Producers, to the enigmatic title role in the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, to his inspired on-screen partnership with Richard Pryor in movies like Silver Streak.
It is illustrated by a bevy of touching and hilarious clips and outtakes, never-before-seen home movies, narration from Wilder’s audiobook memoir, and interviews with a roster of brilliant friends and collaborators. The film is Not Rated.
See More Than … Eniro(Mental) Shorts
Sponsored by GARNA, High Country Bank, Protect Our Winters, Salida Mountain Sports
3:00 p.m. – Saturday, May 11
This package of documentary shorts is intended to bring you outside and get you thinking about the individual forces that impact our lives.
River Mama (dir. Sarah Hamilton) – Ride along on a lifelong raft guide’s journey through single motherhood, bringing her 8-month-old to the only job she ever knew while grappling with societal expectations.
Body of a Line (dir. Henna Taylor) – In this animated documentary, Madeleine Sorkin undertakes an intimate and creative journey to climb the most difficult rock climb above 13,500 feet in the world: the Dunn-Westbay Direct on Longs Peak in Colorado.
The Hypocrite (dir. Amie Engerbretson) – A film that aims to squarely address imperfect advocacy in the world of snow sports.
Svalbard: Felt Essence Of (dir. Alexandra Lockhart) – This choreographic expression filmed in Svalbard, Norway immerses us in the environment, in hopes of learning from and experiencing the essence of the place, and then responding.
Climatarium: A Rural Education Roadmap (dir. Julie Jackson) – Discover three communities in rural Colorado coming together to solve the climate crisis, one student career pathway at a time.
See More Than … Scripted Shorts
2:30 p.m. – Sunday, May 12
Sometimes memories and heartache compel us forward, making new connections and strengthening old ones, and often brings a smile.
The Move (dir. Eric Kissack) – A couple moving in together for the first time learn new things about each other, their apartment and the universe.
Death & Ramen (dir. Tiger Ji) – On his final night alive, a ramen chef goes on an unintended odyssey with the Grim Reaper.
Big George (dir. Jamie Effros) – A working actor struggles in the “business” and finds himself trying to justify to his nine-year-old daughter – and to himself – why he’s still chasing his dream.
Rest Stop (dir. Noah Sellman) – In the near future, a young auto mechanic struggles to keep his family’s roadside rest stop afloat and find his place in a newly mechanized world.
Deep in My Heart is a Song (dir. Jonathan Pickett) – Based on the life of singer Johnny Bencomo, an aging country musician who’s struggling to make ends meet receives an offer for an unusual private gig.
Extra Frames — Panel Discussions
Extra Frames is an offering of panels and discussions that take place over the festival weekend. Become inspired, entertained and “centered” with special engagements by filmmakers and guests.
SeriesFest Spotlight
Individual Tickets only $9
11:00 a.m. – Saturday, May 11
Join SeriesFest and the creative team behind a series based on Denver’s restaurant and bar Brewability as they discuss the process of making an independent documentary series. After watching “Brewability”, participate in the conversation by providing feedback on this Colorado pilot in progress brought to you by SeriesFest.
We Are Chaffee – Live Podcast
1:00 p.m. – Sunday, May 12 at SteamPlant Theater
We Are Chaffee podcast host Adam Williams engages in an in-depth conversation with Chaffee County Film Commissioner Julie Jackson.
Craft & Coffee
9:30 a.m. – Friday, May 10 at the SteamPlant Annex
9:30 a.m. – Saturday, May 11 at the SteamPlant Annex
9:30 a.m. – Sunday, May 12 at the SteamPlant Annex
A casual conversation with local creatives. Sponsored by Salida Council for the Arts.
O’Brien, who leads programming and events at the Salida SteamPlant Event Center, has been the moving force behind the film festival. He has introduced numerous film series to the City of Salida, and in 2022 was tapped to direct efforts for a multi-day film festival after receiving a Blueprint 2.0 grant from the Colorado Office of Film Television and Media.
Previously, O’Brien was a member of the executive team at Denver Film Society, where he led development efforts to support and expand programs for the Denver Film Festival and several other annual mini-festivals
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