Photo of the day
London director Charlie Shackleton leads an audience member through “As Mine Exactly”, an immersive 30-minute live-action story about a mother and son who revisit a medical emergency that reshaped their lives. The virtual play is performed for one ticketed audience member at a time at the Tattered Cover Book Store. It is part of the Denver Film Festival’s ‘VR Arcade’. Info and schedules at denverfilm.eventive.org
what’s going on today
The 45th Denver Film Festival is in full swing with early screenings at its home, the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. Denver Film will privately honor the work of Italian director Mario Martone before a 3:30 p.m. screening of “The King of Laughter” (132 minutes). Martone, winner of the festival’s 2022 Maglione Italian Filmmaker Award, will be on hand for Monday’s 3:45 p.m. screening of “Nostalgia,” Italy’s official Oscar submission. The two screenings at Sie.
Screening of the day
Tonight’s red carpet screening at 8 p.m. at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House is “Empire of Light,” directed by Sam Mendes and starring Olivia Colman. It’s the story of a 1980s British woman who forges an unlikely friendship with a young Jamaican man she works with at the local seaside cinema through the healing power of movies. 120 minutes
Off the beaten track
Today, the festival’s six free virtual reality experiences and two paid live immersive theater experiences are open to the public on the lower level of the Tattered Cover Book Store. Hours vary, but today the “VR Arcade” is open from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. In one experience, you can follow in the footsteps of a Korean writer in Seoul in 1934. In another, explore the world’s first VR museum dedicated to queer stories. For the “Gumball Dreams” ticket, you and only two others will visit alien creatures living their last days and help them transition from one reality to another.
For a different appetite
“Chee$e” has been described as “vibrant, fun and full of escapism”.
Everyone loves “Chee$e,” who has been described as “the melting comedic genius.” From Trinidad and Tobago, this perfect late-night flick follows an irreverent islander named Skimma as he creates a potent new cannabis product while trying to dodge the law and support his unborn child. 8:45 p.m. at the AMC, 826 Albion St. 105 minutes
quote of the day
“As an artist, I love coming to the Denver Film Festival every year. They honor a lot of different types of work, and that’s also part of what I do. So I love being completely immersed in the whole thing. Experience – Denver singer Devan Blake Jones, who was a season 20 finalist on ‘The Voice.’
Information and tickets
Go to denverfilm.org
More pics
Aja Duniven presents “Gumball Dreams,” a paid immersive experience where you and just two other audience members visit alien creatures living out their final days. The experiment involves live actors who could participate from anywhere in the world, Duniven said. Get the full VR performance schedule at denverfilmfestival.eventive.org
The Denver Film Festival’s “VR Arcade” is open from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. most days (but not all) at the Tattered Cover Book Store. In a free 15-minute experience called ‘Kubo Walks the City’, you follow in the footsteps of a Korean writer in Seoul in 1934, when Korea was under Japanese occupation.