The Denver Film Festival heats up this week with screenings every day. This is the week for you if you want to see a weekday film at 11am. I have a preview of a few films here that are worth the trip to the festival to see films that may not be available in the U.S. for a long time, if ever.
Find the full festival program here: https://denverfilmfestival.eventive.org/welcome

Creede, U.S.A.(2025)
This documentary focuses on the small town of Creede, Colorado, with a population of 300. The town features a repertory theater sharing the village with miners and ranchers, chronicling the small town’s deep divides as well as its lighter side. The stories weave together to give us a fascinating look into small town life in a rapidly changing world. The local angle is just one of the many reasons to see this interesting documentary.
Screenings:
Tue, Nov. 4, 3pm at The Holiday Theater
Wed, Nov. 5, 11am at The Holiday Theater

The Plague (2025)
This is one of those gems you find at film festivals that may get lost in the shuffle in the coming years. It is unpredictable with unexpected depth and excellent performances. From the Film Festival: “At an all-boys’ water polo camp in 2003, twelve-year-old Ben (Everett Blunck) struggles to find his footing among cliques ruled by Jake (Kayo Martin), the camp’s sharp-eyed ringleader. The boys torment Eli (Kenny Rasmussen), an outcast they claim carries a mysterious sickness known only as ‘the plague.’ As Ben is pulled deeper into their cruel rituals, the line between game and
reality starts to blur.”
Screening:
Thursday, Nov. 6, 7:15pm at Sie FilmCenter

Backside (2025)
This very human documentary chronicles the lives of several immigrant racetrack workers who care for some of the world’s most expensive horses at Churchill Downs in Lexington, Kentucky. The title refers to the area behind the track where all the work happens, and we follow the workers as they start their long day in the early morning hours—sometimes as early as 2am.
Director Raul O. Paz-Pastrana is a Mexican immigrant filmmaker, and his background and empathy shine through here. It is one of the films that I think will be on the final list for Best Documentary at the Oscars.
Screenings:
Friday, Nov.7, 3:30pm at The Holiday Theater
Saturday, Nov 8, 10am at The Holiday Theater

Finally, be sure to review the column for two of my favorite films showing at the festival as well as a reminder about our monthly film series at The Cube: https://frontporchne.com/indie-prof-denver-film-festival-io-capitano-and-i-was-born-this-way/