Crested Butte Film Festival announces 2020 lineup

More than 100 films to be screened

More than 100 films will be screened during the 10th annual Crested Butte Film Festival, taking place virtually September 25 to October 4, 2020.

The award-winning international film festival that fosters connection, inspires creativity, cultivates cultural awareness and promotes social action through the transformative power of film, has announced the complete schedule of films for the 2020 festival. This year’s virtual festival includes more than 100 films from around the world, live panel discussions, filmmaker bonus content and a special “Beyond the Film” platform to foster thought-provoking discussions at home.

“For the 10th Annual Festival we strived to develop a program that will stretch your creativity, inspire you and take you on incredible adventures,” says Michael Brody, CBFF artistic and programming director. “This is a fantastic film line-up with new voices from the international film community, along with strong new works from seasoned filmmakers. In addition to the films, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in live panel discussions, hear from filmmakers about their work and create their own discussions at home with the help of our ‘Beyond the Film’ questions.”

CBFF’s line-up includes a diverse array of narrative, documentary, outdoor adventure, children’s and short films. Ten highly touted “must see” feature films at this year’s festival include:

Bait: The struggle between those who created the dream and those who want to purchase it.

Shot on 16mm black and white film and made to look like something from the 1950s, Bait tells the modern story of a Cornwall fishing village under siege from gentrification. Martin Ward is a fisherman without a boat; his brother Steven has repurposed their father’s fishing vessel into a trashy, sightseeing boat, driving a wedge between them. Tourists crowd the bars, complain about the noise from trawlers, line their refrigerators with prosciutto and Prosecco and drive locals from their homes. Sound familiar? Welcome to life in a tourist town.

Burden: Ku Klux Klansman Mike Burden opens the Redneck Shop and KKK Museum in historic Laurens, S.C. He subsequently falls in love with a single mom and, under her influence, quits the Klan and is taken in by an African American reverend.

Show Me What You Got: An undeniable spark during a chance meeting leads Christine, Nassim and Marcello to explore the nature of their relationship together as each struggles to prove their worth to their families, themselves and the world around them.

It’s a love story—unconventional but firmly rooted in the contemporary times we live in—that takes these three adventurous characters from Los Angeles to Italy on a journey of self-discovery.

Out Loud: The documentary film Out Loud chronicles the ups and downs of the first season of the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles—the largest group of transgender and gender non-conforming people anywhere in the world who come together regularly to sing. As the choristers gear up for their 2016 public concert debut, they share their inspiring life stories and reveal what it means to be trans in America. This extraordinary chorus makes more than music. It’s making history.

Us Kids: Determined to turn unfathomable tragedy into action, the teenage survivors of Parkland, Florida catalyze a powerful, unprecedented youth movement that spreads with lightning speed across the country, as a generation of mobilized youth take back democracy in this powerful coming-of-age story.

The Mystery of Now: In the short film, The Mystery of Now, artist and Apache Skateboards founder Douglas Miles shares socio-political context around the history that led to life on the San Carlos Apache Reservation, and the personal history of how and why he started a skateboard brand and team of local youth leaders. His advice on cultivating resilience, creativity and joy provides guidance in a time that for many feels uncertain, polarizing and divisive in our living rooms and around our dinner tables.

In The Absence: When the passenger ferry MV Sewol sank off the coast of South Korea in 2014, more than 300 people lost their lives, most of them schoolchildren. Years later, the victims’ families and survivors are still demanding justice from national authorities.

Identifying Features: In Mexico, trouble exists before migrants even reach the border.

A mother, Magdalena, hasn’t heard from her son in months—not since he left their town to cross the border into the United States. Authorities want her to sign her son’s death certificate, but an encounter with a bereaved parent makes Magdalena realize that she cannot live without knowing his fate. She begins an odyssey through a changed country: through areas of Mexico torn apart by violence and desolation, chasing any available lead despite warnings not to seek answers. The power of a mother’s love leads to a shocking revelation.

Public Trust: This land is your land. This land is my land… No. Wait. Hold on…

In a time of growing inequality in America, there is one asset that remains in the hands of the American people: the 640 million acres of America’s public lands. Given its status as the last large-scale public asset on the planet, powerful forces have aligned to attempt the largest land grab in modern history, to rob Americans of this unique birthright and make modern day vassals of the American people. Featuring award-winning outdoor and western journalist Hal Herring.

High Country: Entrenched in nostalgia, High Country tells a timeless American story of how a community of conscientious and forward-thinking young people, disguised as ski bums and hippies, happened upon a ramshackle mining town on the fringe of society and worked to conserve and protect it for years to come.

This year’s festival also includes a number of films and live panel discussions on important topics such as suicide and racism, with a focus on how people can come together to solve these issues. “People around the country are raising their voices to protest the injustice and institutional racism that has plagued our country,” says Jennifer Brody, CBFF festival director. “The loss of Black lives is tragic. We all must try harder to understand and overcome racism and social injustice in our world. We’re committed to being part of the solution, to listen, to learn and evaluate the ways we can be better allies.”

CBFF is hosting a panel on diversity, inclusion and equity, titled, “The Unusual Route: Dialogues Around Systemic Representations” that will be streamed live and open to everyone, free of charge. A screening of the film Liv, which unravels the stigma and silence around suicide, will also be screened free of charge, followed by a dynamic panel discussion lead by Liv director Alan Hicks, producer Paula DuPré Presmen, Liv’s sister Tess Kunik and Susan Caso (a licensed professional therapist) and includes Megan Dougherty, executive director of Crested Butte State of Mind.

CBFF’s all-access Virtual Festival Pass offers admittance to more than 100 films and virtual events for just $75. Passholders will have 10 full days to stream up to 100 films, enjoy special panel discussions and view inspiring presentations from the comfort of their own homes, living rooms or backyards. Individual tickets can also be purchased for films or short programs for $10. For the complete festival guide, including film descriptions and ticket options, go to the CBFF Virtual Festival Hub.

For more information, go to Crested Butte Film Festival http://cbfilmfest.org/.