Boulder International Film Festival

The Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) is held annually in March in Boulder, Colorado USA, and has gained a reputation as one of the most innovative and influential film festivals in the U.S. BIFF features the best films by new and emerging filmmakers, as well as the industry’s most celebrated directors, writers, producers, and actors. There are 25,000 attendances annually.

Over the past two decades, BIFF has hosted award-winning actors Laura Linney (in 2024), Jesse Eisenberg, Emilio Estevez, Shirley MacLaine, Martin Sheen, William H. Macy, Blythe Danner, Alec Baldwin, Alan Arkin, Bruce Dern, Maria Bello, Peter Fonda, James Franco, and director Oliver Stone, along with many special guests including Presidential Medal of Freedom-honoree Congressman John Lewis, and legendary musicians David Crosby, Jakob Dylan, and Robbie Robertson of “The Band.”

BIFF is honored to be one of  a small number of festivals where Scott Feinberg from The Hollywood Reporter records his celebrated Awards Chatter podcast in-person, featuring the most interesting and accomplished people in the industry. Past interviews at BIFF include award-winning actors Javier Bardem, F. Murray Abraham, and Tony Goldwyn in 2024.

The 21st festival will take place March 13 - 16, 2025.

The Founding of BIFF
The Colorado Film Society (CFS) was founded by filmmakers and sisters Kathy and Robin Beeck. The CFS became a 501C3 nonprofit organization in May of 2004. In 2005, the CFS launched the successful Boulder International Film Festival, implemented an educational outreach program, and partnered with many nonprofits. In the years since, with a team of 500 volunteers, the CFS initiated a Call2Action Program which has included 175 nonprofit organizations, a Senior Outreach Program, a Youth Program and Teen Short Film Competition, a Singer/Songwriter Showcase, an Adventure Pavilion, a film program at Longmont's Stewart Auditorium, and a popular CineCHEF event during the Festival.

Colorado Film Society
The Colorado Film Society (CFS), a non-profit umbrella organization, hosts the annual Film Festival. CFS is dedicated to nurturing and growing the vibrant film arts community in Boulder and along the Front Range. The mission of the CFS is to encourage and celebrate the art of film by creating a dynamic forum for artistic, social and cultural awareness in the community. The CFS offers fthree programs throughout the year: (1) the Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF); (2) the CFS Educational Outreach and Senior Outreach Programs; and, 3) the CFS Call2Action Program.

The CFS inspires tomorrow's film artists through educational outreach programs, including “Cinema to Schools” which bring international film, filmmakers, and presentations to local students and through the Call2Action Program at the Festival which to many arts organizations in Boulder County.

2005
The festival's inaugural season showcased more than 50 films from around the world. Among the highlights were documentaries such as Seoul Train, Mardi Gras: Made in China and The Liberace of Baghdad, the regional premiere of Danny Boyle's Millions, an early short from Jason Reitman, and The Real Old Testament, from Curtis and Paul Hannum.

2006
Special guest artists during BIFF's coldest year to date included Maria Bello, Patrick Warburton, Eric Roberts and screenwriter Amy Fox. Director Andrew Quigley received a Special Jury Prize for his documentary Diameter of the Bomb.

2007
An eclectic mix of guests included filmmaking duo Michael and Mark Polish, screenwriter John August, the Denver Slam Poetry Team, and a contingent of air-guitar masters, the latter in conjunction with the documentary Air Guitar Nation.

2008
Among the high points of the 2008 BIFF were Helen Hunt's directorial debut, And Then She Found Me, Alex Gibney's Taxi to the Dark Side, which won the Oscar shortly thereafter; concertizing by local performers including Hazel Miller and Otis Taylor; an offsite showing of Eisenstein's classic Alexander Nevsky, accompanied by the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra playing the original score; and a sold-out closing night featuring the documentary Stranded: I've Come from a Plane That Crashed on the Mountains.

2009
Chevy Chase opened the 2009 Festival at the Boulder Theater. Chase received an Award of Excellence in Comedy which was followed by a film retrospective honoring his work. Chase additionally participated in a Q&A session hosted by BIFF executive producer Ron Bostwick.

"Not only has Mr. Chase graced so many classic comedic films and been a major influence to countless comedians, he has also been a tireless advocate for this country's environmental movement which Coloradans are so passionate about," said festival co-founder/director Kathy Beeck. "We are truly honored Chevy is able to join us for a lively start to the festival."

BIFF was voted one of the “25 Coolest Film Festivals” MovieMaker Magazine.

2010
Closing Night of BIFF 2010 was a tribute to Alec Baldwin, which included a film retrospective of his work followed by a question and answer session hosted by Bostwick.

Three weeks following BIFF, Baldwin co-hosted the 2010 Academy Awards ceremony with his It’s Complicated co-star Steve Martin. Baldwin stars with Tina Fey on NBC's 30 Rock, winner of the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series for the past three years. He has received three SAG Awards, two Golden Globes, the Television Critics Award, and two Emmies for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.

"We are thrilled to have Mr. Baldwin attending the Boulder International Film Festival," said Kathy Beeck, festival co-founder and director. "He’s a magnificent actor who has influenced many young actors and comedians, and we’re honored he will join us at this year’s festival."

2011
Besides featuring visits by Oliver Stone and James Franco, BIFF 2011 was crammed with significant content. From the festive opening-night feature "Troubadors" through the vibrant madness of The Last Circus, an examination of the controversial legacy of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in Crazy Wisdom, a look at film preservation in These Amazing Shadows, Bag It!, '"For Once in My Life, Armadillo, among others, BIFF truly covered the world. Most moving was a Freedom Riders'' post-screening conversation with Presidential Medal of Freedom Honoree Congressman John Lewis.

2012
William H. Macy and Martin Sheen were honored at the 2012 BIFF where both actors participated in a Q&A session.

Producer Anthony Bregman and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan were also honorary guests.

2013
Peter Fonda was BIFF's closing-night guest in 2013. BIFF's Singer/Songwriter Showcase really came into its own that year, and educational outreach programs such as the Youth Pavilion, CU @ BIFF (BIFF's college-level program in association with the University of Colorado), and expanded workshops and panels all attracted new crowds.

2014
Shirley MacLaine received the Career Achievement Award during her tribute at BIFF in 2014. For the first time, BIFF's fundraising FOOVIE (food and a movie) sold out and raised $15,000 for year-round BIFF programming. In addition, 2014 saw the release of an open-source Call 2 Action Toolkit that film festivals across the globe can use to easily adopt the festival's signature Call 2 Action program, joining the movement to harness the power of film for positive social change.

Nathanial Rateliff appeared at BIFF at the Boulder Theater after his film Austin to Boston.

2018
The four-day festival featured 72 films, 14 sold-out programs including a sold-out opening night screening of BORG VS. MCENROE and a sold-out Denver vs. Boulder CineCHEF, along with a variety of unique offerings including a special screening of Humor Me with Oscar-nominated actor Elliott Gould, an Augmented Reality film program, a Virtual Reality Pavilion, and a Singer/Songwriter Showcase.

Josh Walker, Rodes Rollins and Dallas Thornton performed at the 2018 BIFF Singer-Songwriter Showcase in Boulder Colorado.

2019
BIFF 2019 was Feb 28-March 3. The four-day festival featured 24,200 attendances, 55 films and three celebrity red carpet events which included legendary musician David Crosby, Golden Globe-nominated actor/director Emilio Estevez, and Grammy-Award winning singer/songwriter Jakob Dylan. Independent filmmakers, award-winning films, celebrity guests and big audiences continue to establish BIFF as one of the premier international film festivals.

2020
BIFF attendees had plenty to choose from including 88 films from 24 countries (with 62% made BY or ABOUT women), a new Adventure Film Pavilion, an exciting XR Experience, and delicious food at the always fun CineCHEF foodie competition. International Women’s Day fell on festival weekend, Sunday, March 8th. There were over 20,000 attendances for BIFF 2020.

Music legend Robbie Robertson was in-person on Opening Night for a Q&A after the film Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band; Academy Award-nominated actor Jesse Eisenberg made a special appearance on the red carpet with a Q&A after the screening of the film Resistance; and award-winning director Jeff Orlowski was in the house on Closing Night to talk about the critically acclaimed film The Social Dilemma. Also, notable author of "Wild" Cheryl Strayed will make an appearance at the new Adventure Film Pavilion. Plus, BIFF is lucky to welcome two Disney Animation executives at the XR Experience.

The COVID pandemic closed down the country shortly after the 2020 Festival. Because of this, BIFF started a Drive–In Theater at the Boulder Airport to help unite the community in a difficult time. The Drive In featured local musicians to give them an opportunity to perform in front of a live audience. BIFF offered free car passes for low-income families and collaborated with the City of Boulder on their free city volunteer drive-in screening. There were 16 sold-out screenings reaching approximately 4500 people.

2021
BIFF moved the festival from March to June for one year due to the Covid pandemic. Rainy weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the film enthusiasts and filmmakers who attended the 17th annual Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF), June 24-27. The four-day Festival was held at the beautiful Chautauqua Auditorium and other venues around Boulder. It featured 40 films from 10 countries, including an Outdoor Cinema, delicious food at the popular CineCHEF event, plus the inaugural BIFF at Home Virtual Cinema.

Many events sold-out including the first in-person screening of Summer of Sou directed by Ahmir ‘Questlove” Thompson, the Closing Night Film Mission: Joy – Finding Happiness in Troubled Times directed by Louie Psihoyos, and Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain directed by Morgan Neville, who received the Career Achievement Award in Documentary Filmmaking at the screening. "We are more than grateful for the outpouring of support from the community and for the opportunity to bring people together once again for the Festival,” said Robin Beeck, BIFF’s executive director. “The combination of filmmakers who came to Boulder, film lovers, sponsors, and volunteers made BIFF 2021 truly memorable.

2022
The Boulder International Film Festival 2022 was March 3-6 and featured 18,000 attendances, 55 films, 40 filmmakers and subjects, a sold-out CineCHEF event, a free Singer/Songwriter Showcase, the BIFF at Home! virtual film program, and celebrity appearances by Oscar-nominated actor Javier Bardem and the return of Alec Baldwin to BIFF.

2023
BIFF 2023 was March 2-5 and featured 67 films, 45 filmmakers, a CineCHEF event, a free Singer/Songwriter Showcase, a virtual cinema platform, the BIFF at Home! virtual program, a celebrity appearance by Oscar-winning actor F. Murray Abraham, and nearly 20,000 attendances.

2024
The 20th anniversary of BIFF was Feb 29-March 3, 2024 and featured nearly 25,000 attendances, 74 films from 25 countries, 50 attending filmmakers, record-breaking ticket sales, a sold-out CineCHEF event, a free singer/songwriter showcase, the BIFF Adventure Pavilion, the BIFF at Home! virtual program, and celebrity appearances by award-winning actors Tony Goldwyn and Laura Linney.

In honor of the festival’s 20th anniversary, and as a thank you to the community, BIFF provided free virtual films pre-BIFF and hosted a Free Community Day during the Festival on Saturday, March 2, at eTown Hall, with free in person screenings of five award-winning films from BIFF’s first 20 years.

Educational Outreach Program
The CFS Educational Outreach Program presents free films, workshops, and a Teen Film Competition to ignite a lasting sense of social, intercultural, and artistic imagination in the next generation. Our programs include films on topics that would not normally have a place for expression in schools, filling a gap in curriculum and reaching students with information on other cultures. Many filmmakers/VIP’s have spoken with students, including civil rights leader Representative John Lewis.

Young people participate in planning youth programs, including teens jurying short films for the Teen Short Film Competition. Young musicians perform at the competition and create music for the BIFF trailer. Students plan and participate on panels with the filmmakers who bring their films for Cinema to Schools. Students volunteer for the film festival and have an opportunity to go behind-the-scenes of an artistic, technical and creative event.

Festival Winners
BIFF 2022

BIFF 2021

BIFF 2020

BIFF 2019

BIFF 2018

BIFF 2017

BIFF 2015

BIFF 2014

BIFF 2013

BIFF 2012

BIFF 2011

BIFF 2010

BIFF 2009

BIFF 2008

BIFF 2007

BIFF 2006

BIFF 2005