Weekend Highlights
Friday, October 17
Opening Night
DOORS OPEN: 6:30PM
FILM: 7:45PM
Join us for an enchanting evening as we kick off the festival! Starting at 6:30 pm enjoy the the rhythm of live music from Patchwork Jack, sip on our signature cocktail, and indulge in sweet bite sensations before the feature film, DIANE WARREN: RELENTLESS.
The kick-off to our festival weekend is generously sponsored by Colorado Springs Dermatology.
Friday + Saturday
After Party
Keep the conversation going! Connect with filmmakers + filmgoers after the films on Friday + Saturday night.
Friday
Shuga’s Restaurant and Bar, 702 S. Cascade Ave, 80903
Kick off the weekend right! Grab a cocktail, share some bites, and swap stories with filmmakers and fellow film buffs – the perfect toast to day one!
Saturday
Icons, 16 E. Kiowa St., 80903
Wrap up your festival day in style! Sip on a signature cocktail, snack on tasty bar bites, and swap stories with filmmakers and fellow film lovers. It’s the ultimate post-screening hangout!
Behind the Lens
Filmmaker Forums, Gaylord Hall
open to all pass holders
Filmmakers make the festival! Take advantage of one or both of our FILMMAKER FORUMS during lunch on Saturday and Sunday. If you pre-purchased a box lunch they will be available to pick-up at Gaylord Hall just before the forum.
Saturday Topic
OCTOBER 18, 1:15PM
Cinematic Truth Tellers: Challenging Failing Systems
Film has the power to expose hidden realities, amplify unheard voices, and hold institutions accountable. In this forum, filmmakers explore how their work confronts systemic failures — from public health and reproductive justice, to school safety and institutional abuse — while honoring the resilience of those most affected. Together, they reveal how cinema not only documents injustice but also sparks dialogue, empathy, and the possibility of change.
Sunday Topic
OCTOBER 19, 1:15 PM
Art as Resistance, Art as Legacy
Film, like all art, is an act of resistance against forgetting. This forum will explore how filmmakers use cinema to preserve memory, challenge injustice, and reimagine cultural touchstones for new generations. Whether chronicling stolen children seeking truth, an artist’s magnum opus, families redefining belonging, or Dorothy’s enduring symbolism, these stories remind us that art leaves legacies that outlive us. This forum explores how film transforms struggle into beauty, silence into testimony, and individual vision into collective memory.
Saturday NIGHT
After Dark
One hot ticket, two exclusive screenings
Saturday evening features your choice between IT’S DOROTHY and GIRL CLIMBER. Join us before the film in Cornerstone Arts Center for a party with live music from Ruby Greenberg, plus popcorn and a cash bar! Dinner is also available for purchase at the food trucks on Cascade Ave. or nearby restaurants.
AFTER DARK PARTY: 6:30PM
Sponsored by Garden of the Gods Trading Post
FILMS: 8PM
free Military TIX
*****
sponsored by Phil Long Dealerships
All active duty and retired military and their spouses qualify to receive FREE SUNDAY PASSES to our in-person Festival, with discounts available for other pass types. Get tickets online or at the door. Tickets pick up will be available at Will Call in Cornerstone; military ID required for ticket pickup.
