Schmoozing at the Film Fest

On Saturday, with a high of around 35 degrees outside, I was more than thankful to bypass the line of people waiting to get tickets for The Face of Love. Though, after sitting through the film, I gladly would have waited in my hat and mittens to see it again. Annette Bening and Ed Harris star in this psychological thriller that focuses on nostalgic love. On a trip to the museum, Nikki happens to see Tom (who looks exactly like her deceased husband), and subsequently makes sure that they cross paths again. Eventually, and predictably, Tom goes for her too and they quickly jump into a passionate love affair that’s probably doomed but still plenty fun and healing for them both. With a supporting cast that includes Robin Williams in a role that underlines his dramatic skill set, this is a tender yet heartbreaking story that might remind you a little of Hitchcock’s Vertigo.

Saturday night was the Big Kahuna of the weekend (even though the media’s turnout for it was dismal at best). Shirley MacLaine was honored with the BIFF’s Career Achievement Award at the Boulder Theater, and after gracing all of the fans out front, she settled into an hour-long interview on stage. Ms. MacLaine delighted young and old fans alike as she reminisced about her early theater days on Broadway, told secrets about her time running with the Rat Pack, and even shared her views on reincarnation and her spiritual beliefs.

I would have been content with listening to MacLaine for the duration of the night. But regrettably, the event was opened up to questions from the audience at the end, at which point I definitely understood the woman next to me who kept coming back from the bar with cocktails. The amount of people who got up to ask MacLaine questions that had nothing to do with the legendary film career for which she was being honored, was a bit astonishing.

The weekend was full of independently made movies and documentaries that have been shown at noteworthy festivals such as Sundance, Cannes, and Toronto, which gives nod to the esteem that Boulder’s own festival is regarded with as it celebrates ten years. From workshops to concerts to filmmaker panels, it was made very clear to me why the BIFF has established itself as one of the best in the country. It’s been slow to boil, but it’s become exemplary—all it needs is the stars to recognize that. And once they do, once they start to add the BIFF to their list of festivals they make a point to come out to, I’ll be ready to mingle.