Standing as a staple in the area and a testament to the importance of investing in tradition/creative spirits, the Boulder International Film Fest gears up to add another notch to its over two-decades-long run. I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Kathy Beeck, co-founder of BIFF, for a colorful recanting of the festival’s history and ethos that provides the backbone for the celebration.
Kathy and her sister Robin have a long history with the art form, stemming from their early years in Boulder. “We grew up working in theaters, which really cultivated our love of the craft.” That initial love sparked many journeys through the years, traveling the world, making their own films, and attending various film festivals. Through this process, a nagging thought began to recur with increasing frequency: why didn't Boulder, vibrant as it is, have its own festival?
They waited and waited until they had the epiphany that it was they themselves who had the tools, experience, and passion necessary to bring the celebration of film to Boulder. Though they’d never done their own before, their amassed festival experience left them with a basis of ingredients they could distill, keeping the best factors and implementing that which they wished to have seen in other fests.
After pitching to the community and getting mass positive support, the first BIFF was launched, bringing the sister’s vision to life and creating the institution that is now 20 years old and running. Today, though the crowd is larger, the buzz is bigger, and the star power greater, the core of the festival remains the same: sharing human experiences in longform, unfurling, intimate nuances offered through the abstraction gifted to us while viewing the world through another’s perspective is what keeps the sisters, the vibrant festival staff, and volunteers joyously returning year after year.
Here is some of what you can expect to see this year across the festival:
March 13
CineCHEF
Rembrandt Yard
In 2025, BIFF celebrates 10 years of CineCHEF, its much-anticipated culinary extravaganza. Come meet some of the visionary chefs who have solidified Boulder’s reputation as Bon Appétit's Foodiest Town. Eight of the region’s top talents will create film-inspired dishes for attendees to try before voting for their favorite. Paired wines, local beers, craft whiskey cocktails, and live music round out this not-to-be-missed event. Cheers to 10 Years of CineCHEF!
March 14
Opening Night Gala and Film
Parties at Hotel Boulderado and Rembrandt Yard
Opening Night Screening of The Friend at the Boulder Theater
Opening night includes two gala pre-film parties at the Hotel Boulderado and Rembrandt Yard. Attendees will enjoy delicious food and drink, live music, and specialty cocktails. Post-parties, a “second-line” style band, will lead everyone to the historic Boulder Theater to enjoy our Opening Night screening of the new film, The Friend.
In The Friend, writer and teacher Iris (Naomi Watts) finds her comfortable, solitary New York life thrown into disarray after her closest friend and mentor (Bill Murray) dies suddenly and bequeaths her his beloved 150 lb. Great Dane. The regal yet intractable beast, named Apollo, immediately creates practical problems for Iris, from furniture destruction to eviction notices, as well as more existential ones, his looming presence constantly reminding her of her friend’s problematic choices in both life and death. Yet, as Iris finds herself unexpectedly bonding with the animal, she begins to come to terms with her past, her lost friend, and her own creative inner life. Starring Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, Ann Dowd and Constance Wu.
March 13 and 15
Singer-Songwriter Showcase
6-9:30 pm, The Velvet Elk Lounge
With the help of their partners at Roots Music Project, whose mission is to foster a vibrant local music scene for artists, fans and venues, BIFF will present two nights of live music, free and open to the public. An amazing lineup of Colorado musicians, four acts each night, will perform at our downtown Filmmakers Lounge and music venue, the Velvet Elk. All are welcome – come enjoy!
March 14-16 Adventure Film Screenings at Grace Commons
March 14, 9 pm Adventure Film Party at The Velvet Elk Lounge
BIFF Adventure Film Program
Boulder has long been a mecca for some of the world’s top adventurers, along with writers and filmmakers such as Warren Miller, Jon Krakauer, James Balog, Conrad Anker, Lynn Hill, and many others. The BIFF Adventure Film Program is a “festival within a festival” – a dedicated screening venue with three days of the very best of the world’s adventure and outdoor films, plus discussions with world-class filmmakers, explorers, athletes, and environmentalists. An Adventure Film Pass or ticket stub grants entry into the Friday night Adventure Film party, with one comped drink, free late-night snacks, and raffle prizes from our sponsors.
Call2Action Talkbacks
For 15 years, the Boulder International Film Festival has built their signature Call2Action program—where they invite the public to speak with filmmakers and community organizations and learn concrete ways to translate energy into action on topics presented via our films. “You’ve been moved, now get moving” is the mantra, and over the past decade and a half, BIFF is proud to have partnered with dozens of local non-profits—bringing attention to their work addressing a broad range of issues.
Youth Programs
Each year BIFF presents several free film screenings for youth 18 and under, often including appearances by the filmmakers or film subjects. A peer-judged Teen Short Film Competition culminates at BIFF with a gala awards night celebrating the winners. BIFF 2025 will also feature youth workshops, including “How to Watch a Film” by Jack Hanley and an adventure film how-to from local Emmy-winning athlete and filmmaker Michael Brown.
Celebrities and Special Guests
Special guests BIFF has hosted over the years include Javier Bardem, Shirley MacLaine, Jesse Eisenberg, Laura Linney, Martin Sheen, Alan Arkin, Oliver Stone, Bruce Dern, James Franco, Peter Fonda, William H. Macy, Emilio Estevez, Maria Bello and many more. Bardem, F. Murray Abraham, and Tony Goldwyn sat down with The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg for live recordings of his Awards Chatter podcast on the Boulder Theater stage. Discussions with these notables, as well as astronauts, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, music legends, Olympic athletes, and countless emerging filmmakers and creative visionaries, are what make the film festival experience truly unique.
Music films
Music films are always festival favorites, and BIFF 2025 features an especially rich assortment, including One to One: John & Yoko, Devo, Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story, Viva Verde!, Diane Warren: Relentless, and Beethoven's Nine: Ode to Humanity. Join us for a compelling look “behind the music.”
To learn more and purchase tickets, visit biff1.com
“We grew up working in theaters which really cultivated our love of the craft”.