htdi_sunset-550?v=1

Horsetooth International Film Festival

Celebrating Local and Global Filmmakers

The Fort Collins arts scene is not a thing easily forgotten. From music venues, art galleries and museums, circus troupes and community and professional theaters; there is some form of art to be found in nearly every corner of this city. Adding a new feather to this cap the last few years has been the Horsetooth International Film Festival, HIFF. While this is not the first or only opportunity for filmmakers to showcase their talents in Fort Collins, it is a little bit different and in a very tangible way.

One of the most immediately noticeable differences between HIFF and some of the larger, older film festivals you may have attended, is the focus on community. Rather than simply screening films for eight hours a day and ignoring people's desire to meet the creators whose work they are taking in, organizers decided to specifically focus on networking opportunities for local, national and international filmmakers, actors, crew members, and other creatives. This festival ties in art and music and actively encourages everyone to make connections with the other people in attendance, to build a community.

When the festival's co-founders, John Hunt and Jesse Nyander first began dreaming up Fort Collins’ only international film festival, that community factor was a huge priority in how they envisioned the event. Both had participated in and helped to organize smaller local festivals in the past, but never something this ambitious.

“I think it stemmed from a community need,” Hunt says of their motivations beyond personal ambition. A film festival allows an opportunity to not only celebrate that community but also to grow it and place a spotlight on the talent in our area.

From there, it was simply a matter of creating the event. After teaming up with their Event Operations Manager, Taylor Strope, and Communications Director, Katrina Pfannkuch, they were able to pull off the herculean effort of launching a new film festival.

“All of the arts have their own big events in Fort Collins, this is the film version.” Nyander says of the robust local art community and the need to celebrate film as a part of that.

Last year, when COVID forced so many events to be cancelled, the team was forced to adapt. Cancelling might’ve been easier, but they couldn’t lose their steam. They couldn’t let this thing they had created, only in its second year, sputter out. The solution? To take advantage of some of the more unique film watching opportunities available in Fort Collins; The Holiday Twin Drive In Theatre and The Lyric Cinema. Outdoor seating - a social distancing dream. This year, they’ve decided to stick with these distinctly Fort Collins venues while also screening films at The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. Promising a full week of top-notch film from around the world, music and discussion. 

One filmmaker to keep an eye out for this year is Ben Hess. His short film Maggie won a crowd favorite award as well as the award for Best Colorado Short Film. Hess also participated in the inaugural 2019 festival with a music video he made for local rockers Whippoorwill. He’s since made a second video with the band and says the music video category is one of the more unique features of the festival. As a relatively new filmmaker Hess says HIFF has played a significant role in his development.

“They definitely try to give a stage to local filmmakers,” Hess said of his breaking into film festivals through HIFF. His music videos and original short films have gone on to be included in other film festivals across the country and even win a few more awards.

Also returning, after winning last year's Women in Film and Media Colorado Content Award, is Marin Lepore. After attending the festival in 2019, having worked on a friend's film that was selected, she came back last year with her own submission. It was the pilot episode for a web series titled, I Put the Bi in Bitter, inspired by her own experiences in high school. Lepore has submitted again this year, and is also working on her first animated project.

“I think what makes HIFF unique is the quality of content they select,” Lepore says of the burgeoning international festival, “I feel like it’s above a lot of other film festivals that curate for quantity over quality.”

Always aiming bigger, the HIFF team has got a few surprises up their sleeve to add to this year's festival, although they weren’t inclined to divulge them all. What they could tell us is that attendees can look forward to a week, or just one day if that’s your preference, filled with some of the best original film work available both locally and globally. However they grow their goal remains steadfast, building a festival that is designed specifically to help the local film community grow.

Related Businesses

Deanna Rose Farmstead

Amusement Parks

Deanna Rose Farmstead

Overland Park, KS

The Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead remains one of the top family attractions in metropolitan Kansas City, In 2015, more...

Visit Overland Park

Exhibits + Observatories

Visit Overland Park

Overland Park, KS

Not only is KC|OP a great place to disconnect from devices and connect to each other, but Overland Park is also a community...

Museums + Art Galleries

KidsQuest Children's Museum

Bellevue, WA

See More

Related Articles